V.Femeena v. A.Logirajan

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 3 1 . 1 2. 2 0 2 4

CORAM

TH E HONOURABL E MR S. J U S TIC E R. KA LAIMATHI C.M.A(MD)No.1 1 9 of 2 0 2 4 1 .V.Fe m e e n a 2.Minor V.Yas w a nth 3.T.Log a m a ni 4.M.Thav a si ... Appellants/Petition ers (Minor 2 n d a pp ellant is repr e s e nt e d throu g h his m oth er a n d n ext friend of th e 1 st p etition er) -Vs1 .A.Logirajan 2.Th e Deputy Mana g er, Th e New India Assuran c e Co mp a ny Ltd., Motor T.P.HUB, CMBS Bhav an, 7 0 Fe et Road, Ellis Nag ar, Madurai-6 2 5 0 1 6.

... Resp o n d e nts/Resp o n d e nts P RAY ER: This Civil Misc ellan e o u s Appe al is filed und er Section 1 7 3 of th e Motor Vehicle Act, 1 9 9 8, a s a g ain st th e ord er m a d e in MCOP No.9 3 1 of 2 0 2 2 o n th e file of th e Motor Accid e nt Clai m s Tribun al/Spe cial District Court to d e al with Motor Accid e nt Cas e s, Madurai d at e d 1 3 . 0 9. 2 0 2 3 for e n h a n c e m e nt of c o m p e n s ation.

For Appellant : Mr.K.Kum arav el For R2 : Mr.J.S.Murali For R1 : Disp e n s e d with

J U D G M E N T This Civil Misc ellan e o u s Appe al h a s b e e n pr ef err e d by th e clai m a nts, w h o ar e th e le g al h eirs of th e d e c e a s e d Vijayaku m ar, a g ainst th e a w ard d at e d 1 3 . 0 9. 2 0 2 3 p a s s e d in MCOP No.9 3 1 of 2 0 2 2 by th e MACT/Spe cial District Court, Madurai.

2.Th e c a s e of th e clai m a nts a s n arrat e d in th e clai m p etition is giv e n h er eund er:

On 1 4. 0 2. 2 0 2 2 at a b o ut 1 2 . 4 5 h ours in th e aftern o o n, w hile th e d e c e a s e d w a s standing with his tw o w h e el er b e aring Registration No.TN-5 8-AW-4 5 3 0 o n th e s o uth ern sid e of th e e a st - w e st m ain ro a d, in ord er to cr o s s th e ro a d fro m s outh to n orth, at that tim e, a p a s s e n g er b u s b e aring Registration No.TN-6 0-AA-3 4 4 5, w hich w a s pro c e e din g fro m e a st to w e st at a high sp e e d with out s o unding h orn a n d d a s h e d a g ainst th e d e c e a s e d o n th e e xtr e m e s outh sid e of th e ro a d a n d th e s aid Vijayaku m ar, w h o w a s standing with th e tw o w h e el er su c cu m b e d to th e injurie s.

3.Th e a c cid e nt o c curr e d du e to th e n e glig e nt driving of th e b u s of th e first re sp o n d e nt. Th er ef or e, th e o w n er of th e b u s, first re sp o n d e nt a n d th e insur er of th e s aid bu s, th e s e c o n d re sp o n d e nt ar e jointly a n d s e v er ally liabl e to p ay c o m p e n s ation to th e clai m a nts/le g al h eirs of th e d e c e a s e d Vijayaku m ar, w h o di e d in a ro a d a c cid e nt that o c curr e d o n 1 4. 0 2. 2 0 2 2. 4.Th e d etails of th e c o unt er of th e s e c o n d re sp o n d e nt ar e stat e d in brief:

Th e clai m a nts ar e put to strict pro of of th e m a n n er in w hich th e a c cid e nt o c curr e d. Th e d e c e a s e d w h o sudd e nly cr o s s e d th e m ain ro a d with out minding th e v e hicl e s w hich w er e plying o n th e ro a d. Furth er, th e d e c e a s e d did n ot w e ar prot e ctiv e g e ar(Hel m et) at th e tim e of th e a c cid e nt, th er e by h e suffer e d h e a d injury. Th er ef or e, th e d e c e a s e d h a s c o ntribut e d n e glig e n c e. Th e clai m a nts ar e als o put to strict pro of of th e a g e, a v o c ation a n d inc o m e of th e d e c e a s e d.

5.At trial, o n th e sid e of th e p etition er, thr e e witn e s s e s w er e e x a min e d a n d 2 3 d o cu m e nts w er e m ark e d. On th e sid e of th e s e c o n d re sp o n d e nt, o n e witn e s s w a s e x a min e d.

6.Upon c o n sid er ation, th e Tribun al after a ppr e ciating th e o c ular e vid e n c e of P.W.1 a n d R.W.1, c a m e to a c o n clusion that th e a c cid e nt o c curr e d o nly du e to th e ras h a n d n e glig e nt driving of th e driv er of th e first re sp o n d e nt b u s a n d fast en e d th e liability o n th e first a n d s e c o n d re sp o n d e nts, w h o ar e th e o w n er a n d insur er of th e s aid bu s a n d grant e d c o m p e n s ation of Rs.3 1, 0 5, 2 5 8/-. Furth er, th e Tribun al fixed th e n otion al inc o m e of th e d e c e a s e d at Rs. 1 0, 0 0 0/- p er m o nth. By a d ding 4 0 % future pro sp e cts a n d after d e du cting 1/4 th for p ers o n al living exp e n s e s of th e d e c e a s e d a n d arriv e d at los s of inc o m e of th e d e c e a s e d at Rs. 1, 2 6, 0 0 0/-. 7.Th e a pp e al is sp e cifically focu s s e d o n th e fixation of n otion al inc o m e of Rs. 1 0, 0 0 0/-p. m.

8.Th e le arn e d c oun s el for th e a pp ellant w o uld v e h e m e ntly ar gu e that th e d e c e a s e d w a s 3 3 y e ars old p ers o n, w h o w a s d oin g finan c e b u sin e s s m et with a n a c cid e nt du e to th e n e glig e nt driving of th e first re sp o n d e nt b u s a n d su c cu m b e d to th e injurie s le aving four le g al h eirs, w h o ar e th e clai m a nts b ef or e this Court a s th e a pp ellants h er ein. He w o uld furth er c o nt e n d that h e w a s d oin g finan c e bu sin e s s a n d e arning a su m of

Rs.3 0,0 0 0/- p er m o nth. But th e Tribun al h a s fixed th e n otion al inc o m e of th e d e c e a s e d at Rs. 1 0, 0 0 0/- is m u c h le s s a n d s ou g ht for e n h a n c e m e nt of c o m p e n s ation.

9.It is th e e vid e n c e of P.W.1 that h er hu s b a n d w a s a g e d a b o ut 3 3 y e ars old a n d h e w a s d oin g finan c e bu sin e s s a n d e arning a su m of Rs.3 0,0 0 0/- p er m o nth at th e rel ev a nt p oint of tim e. But n o d o cu m e nt w a s pro du c e d a n d m ark e d to su b stantiat e th e s a m e. 1 0 .Upon c o n sid eration of th e afor e s aid d etails, a s n o d o cu m e nt is m ark e d to prov e his inc o m e in ord er to m e et th e e n d s of justic e, th e n otion al inc o m e of th e d e c e a s e d is fixed at Rs. 1 4,0 0 0/-. Th e Hon'bl e Supr e m e Court h a s stand ardiz e d th e d etails of th e future pro sp e cts in ord er to c o m put e th e inc o m e in National Insurance C o mpany Vs Pranay S ethi and others, rep ort e d in 2017(2)TNMAC 609(S C), for th e p ers o n s b el o w 4 0 y e ars 4 0 % h a s to b e a d d e d. As h eld in Sarala Varma and others Vs Delhi Transp ort C orporation and another, rep ort e d in 2009(2) TNMAC 1(S C), for th e a g e gr oup of p ers o n s b et w e e n 3 6 to 4 0, th e

prop er m ultiplier to b e a d o pt e d is ' 1 5 m'. Th e d e c e a s e d h a s left b e hind his wife, s o n a n d p ar e nts. Th er efor e, a s p er th e law laid d o w n by th e Hon'bl e Supr e m e Court in Sarala Varma ca s e (cited supra), for d e du ction of p ers o n al a n d living e xp e n s e s, if th e d e p e n d a nt fa mily m e m b er s ar e four in nu m b er, 1⁄4 h a s to b e d e du ct e d for p ers o n al a n d living exp e n s e s. Bas e d o n th e afor e s aid d etails, th e los s of d e p e n d e n cy is c o m put e d a s giv e n h er eund er: 1 4, 0 0 0 + 4 0 % - 1⁄4 x 1 5 x 1 2 = 2 6,4 6, 0 0 0/-. As re g ard s th e oth er h e a d s, th e a m o u nts a w ard e d by th e Tribun al a pp e ars to b e re a s o n a bl e a n d a c c e pta bl e. Henc e, it n e e d s n o interfer e n c e. Th e c o m p e n s ation a w ard e d by th e Tribun al is re w ork e d a n d tabulat e d h er eund er. S .

No De s cription A mount a w arded by Tribunal A mount a w arded by this Court Aw ard c onfir m ed or e nh an c ed or gr anted or reduc ed For Loss of Inco m e Rs.2 0, 1 6, 0 0 0/- Rs.2 6,4 6, 0 0 0/- Enhan c e d For Loss of Spous al Cons ortiu m Rs.40,0 0 0/- Rs.40,0 0 0/- Confir m e d For Loss of Par ental Cons ortiu m Rs.40,0 0 0/- Rs.40,0 0 0/- Confir m e d For Loss of Filial Cons ortiu m Rs.8 0, 0 0 0/- Rs.8 0, 0 0 0/- Confir m e d For Fun eral e xp e n s e s Rs. 1 5, 0 0 0/- Rs. 1 5, 0 0 0/- Confir m e d For Loss of Estat e Rs. 1 5, 0 0 0/- Rs. 1 5, 0 0 0/- Confir m e d For Tran sp ort Expen s e s Rs.5,0 0 0/- Rs.5,0 0 0/- Confir m e d

S .

No De s cription A mount a w arded by Tribunal A mount a w arded by this Court Aw ard c onfir m ed or e nh an c ed or gr anted or reduc ed 8.

For Medical Expen s e s Rs.8,94, 2 5 8/- Rs.8,94, 2 5 8/- Confir m e d Total Rs.3 1, 0 5, 2 5 8/- Rs.37, 3 5, 2 5 8/- Round e d off a s Rs.37, 3 5, 0 0 0/-. IT d e du ction Rs.6 2,9 7 4/-. 1 1 . In th e re sult, (i) Th e Civil Misc ellan e o u s Appe al stand s allo w e d. (ii) Th e c o m p e n s ation a w ard e d by th e Tribun al is e n h a n c e d fro m Rs.3 1, 0 5, 2 5 8/- to Rs.3 7, 3 5, 0 0 0/-. (iii) Th e Insuran c e Co m p a ny/s e c o n d re sp o n d e nt is dir e ct e d to d e p o sit th e e n h a n c e d c o m p e n s ation a m o u nt i.e., Rs.3 7, 3 5, 0 0 0/- (les s th e a m o u nt alr e a dy d e p o sited if a ny) tog eth er with inter e st at th e rat e of 7. 5 % p er a n nu m fro m th e d at e of clai m p etition till th e d at e of d e p o sit to th e cr e dit of M.C.O.P.No.9 3 1 of 2 0 2 2 o n th e file of Motor Accid e nts Clai m s Tribun al /Spe cial District Court to d e al with Motor Accid e nt Cas e s, Madurai, within a p eriod of ei g ht (8) w e e k s fro m th e d at e of re c eipt of a c o py of this Judg m e nt.

(iv) On su c h d e p o sit b ein g m a d e, th e clai m a nts/app ellants 1 , 3 & 4 ar e p er mitted to withdra w th eir s h ar e s al on g with inter e st a n d c o sts a s a pp ortion e d by th e Tribun al, after a djusting th e a m o u nt, if a ny alr e a dy withdra w n, by filing n e c e s s ary a pplication b ef or e th e Tribun al. As th e s e c o n d a pp ellant/clai m a nt is a min or, th e Tribun al s h all d e p o sit th e s h ar e of th e min or clai m a nt in a Fixed Dep o sit in a ny o n e of th e Nation aliz e d Banks, till th e min or clai m a nt attains m aj ority. Th e gu ardian of th e min or clai m a nt is p er mitted to withdra w th e inter e st a c cru e d th er e o n o n c e in thr e e m o nth s dir e ctly fro m th e b a nk.

(v) Th e clai m a nts/app ellants ar e dire ct e d to p ay th e Court fe e for th e e n h a n c e d c o m p e n s ation a m o u nt, if re quired. (vi) Th e Tribun al s h all dis burs e th e a m o u nt up on pro du ction of th e c ertified c o py s h o win g pro of of p ay m e nt of Court fe e by th e clai m a nt. (vii)No c o sts.

3 1. 1 2. 2 0 2 4 NCC:Yes/No Ind ex:Yes/No Intern et::Yes/No

To 1 .Th e Motor Accid e nt Clai m s Tribun al/ Spe cial District Court to d e al with Motor Accid e nt Cas e s, Madurai.

2.Th e Section Offic er, VR Section, Madurai Benc h of Madras High Court, Madurai.

R. KALAIMATHI , J.

Ns C.M.A(MD)No.1 1 9 of 2 0 2 4 3 1. 1 2. 2 0 2 4