In Brief
A motor accident claimed 28 years after it occurred was rejected as a dead claim, not a surviving claim. Although the Motor Vehicles Act no longer prescribes a statutory limitation period for filing compensation claims after the 1994 amendment, the Supreme Court held that claimants must still approach the tribunal within a reasonable time. Drawing analogies from consumer and industrial law, the Court ruled that extreme delays—without adequate justification—are inherently unreasonable. Poverty and ignorance of law were insufficient grounds to excuse a 28-year delay. The appeal was allowed, but the deposited litigation fee was transmitted to the respondents.
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