In Brief
A widow and her 12-year-old daughter died in a horse-cart accident caused by a bus. The claims tribunal and high court awarded compensation but deducted 50% on alleged contributory negligence and undervalued the housewife's income. The Supreme Court held that passengers in a vehicle cannot be liable for contributory negligence merely because it was in the road's middle. It set aside the 50% deduction, valued the housewife's work at Rs. 5,000/month with 40% future prospects, and partly allowed the compensation appeals, awarding Rs. 11,96,000 for the widow and upholding Rs. 2,95,000 for the child.
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