In Brief
A 37-year-old housewife died in a motor accident in 2011. The High Court had computed her pecuniary loss using her last drawn salary from employment three years prior (Rs. 34,385/month), with 50% deducted for personal expenses. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that since she was a housewife at death with a long employment gap, notional income based on one-third of her husband's income was the proper methodology. The Court added 40% for future prospects, deducted only one-third for personal expenses, and held that loss of love and affection is subsumed within loss of consortium and should not be awarded separately. The pecuniary loss was revised upwards to Rs. 44,10,000.
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