In Brief
A bus owned by the respondent collided with a motorcycle, killing the rider (aged 54) from injuries. The Motor Accident Tribunal awarded Rs. 13.82 lakh in compensation; the High Court increased it to Rs. 15.12 lakh using a split multiplier approach (different multipliers for pre- and post-retirement periods). The Supreme Court held that this split-multiplier method contradicts the binding precedent in Sarla Verma and Pranay Sethi. The correct approach applies a single multiplier based on the deceased's age at death (multiplier of 11 for age 54), with 15% future prospects added. Compensation was enhanced to Rs. 24.33 lakh with 9% interest from filing date.
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