In Brief
A mother of three children, working as an agricultural labourer, was killed in a head-on collision between a bus and truck in 1991. The original tribunal and High Court awarded compensation of Rs.70,600/-, calculating the deceased's monthly income at only Rs.650/-. The Supreme Court enhanced the award to Rs.5,34,000/-, finding that the income assessment failed to account for the economic value of her household work and childcare. The Court fixed her daily income at Rs.150/- (Rs.4,500/- monthly), applied a multiplier of 14, and included conventional damages. The insurance company and vehicle owners were held jointly and severally liable to pay with 7% annual interest.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.