CMA(MD)/889/2018 of MUTHURANI, Vs KOTTAIPANDI, on 31 December 2024

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 le g al h eirs of th e d e c e a s e d Muthurani, Minor Selva a n d Puthiyav an, a g ainst th e a w ard d at e d 2 9. 0 1. 2 0 2 4 p a s s e d in MCOP No.8 3 of 2 0 1 3 o n th e file of th e Motor Accid e nt Clai m s Tribun al/Principal Sub Court, Tirun elv eli, for e n h a n c e m e nt of c o m p e n s ation.

2. Upon c o n sid eration, th e Tribun al h a s grant e d c o m p e n s ation of Rs.5,64, 2 0 0/- a n d th e a m o u nts a w ard e d und er e a c h h e a d ar e giv e n h er ein und er:

3. Th e le arn e d c oun s el for th e a pp ellant w o uld str enu ou sly ar gu e that th e d e c e a s e d w a s 3 9 y e ars at th e rel ev ant p oint of tim e a n d h e w a s w orking a s a tailor a n d th e Tribun al h a s fixed his n otion al inc o m e at Rs.3, 0 0 0/- p er m o nth is v ery 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.

4. It h a s c o m e o n re c ord throu g h th e e vid e n c e of P.W1 that th e d e c e a s e d w a s running a tailor s h o p a n d h e w a s e arning a su m of Rs.2 5,0 0 0/- p er m o nth a n d to su b stantiat e th e s a m e, ph ot o of th e tailor s h o p-Ex.P.8, Visiting Card – Ex.P.9 a n d th e re c eipt b o o k-Ex.P.1 0 w er e m ark e d. It is n ot p o s sibl e to c o m put e th e m o nthly inc o m e of th e d e c e a s e d b a s e d o n Ex.P.8 to Ex.P.1 0. This Court d e e m s it fit to fix th e m o nthly inc o m e of th e d e c e a s e d at Rs.1 1, 0 0 0/-.

5. 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. In ord er

to fix his a g e th e o nly a v aila bl e re c ord is Ex.P.2- Post-m ort e m Certificat e a n d relying up o n th e s a m e, th e Tribun al h a s fixed his a g e a s 3 8 y e ars c a nn ot b e found fault with. 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 a n d tw o c hildr en. Th er efor e, a s p er th e law laid d o w n by th e Hon'bl e Supre m e Court in S arala Var m a c a s e ( cite d s u pra), for d e du ction in re sp e ct of p ers o n al a n d living exp e n s e s a s th e d e p e n d a nt of th e fa mily m e m b er s ar e thr e e in nu m b er, 1/3[rd] 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.

For c o m puting los s of d e p e n d e n cy, th e follo win g for mula e m er g e s:

For los s of c o n s ortiu m, a n a m o u nt of Rs.75,0 0 0/- is gr ant e d in a d dition to th e a m o u nt alr e a dy grant e d by th e Tribun al. 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:

C.M.A(MD)No.889 of 2018S . De s criptionA mount A mount Aw ard c onfir m ed or Noa w arded by a w arded by e nh an c ed or gr anted Tribunalthis Courtor reduc ed1For Loss of d e p e n d e n cyRs.4,9 9, 2 0 0/- Rs. 1 8,4 8,0 6 0/- Enhan c e d2For Fun eral Expen s e sRs. 1 0, 0 0 0/-Rs. 1 0, 0 0 0/-Confir m e d3For Loss of Cons ortiu mRs.2 0, 0 0 0/-Rs.95,0 0 0/-Enhan c e d4For Loss of Estat eRs. 1 0, 0 0 0/-Rs. 1 0, 0 0 0/-Confir m e d5For Loss of Spou s al Rs.2 5, 0 0 0/-Rs.2 5, 0 0 0/-Confir m e dCons ortiu mTotalRs.5,6 4, 2 0 0/-Rs. 1 9, 8 8,0 6 0/-

6. In th e re sult,

(i) Th e Civil Misc ellan e o u s Appe al stand s p artly 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.5,64, 2 0 0/- to Rs. 1 9, 8 8,0 6 0/-, o ut of w hich a su m of Rs. 1,9 8,8 0 6/- s h all b e d e du ct e d to w ard s inc o m e tax.

(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. 1 4, 2 3, 8 6 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.8 3 of 2 0 1 3 o n th e file of Motor Accid e nts Clai m s Tribun al /Principal Sub-Court, Tirun elv eli, 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 a pp ellants 1 a n d 3/clai m a nts 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.

(v) 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 dire 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. Cons e q u e ntly, c o n n e ct e d mi s c ellan e o u s p etition is als o cl o s e d.

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NCC:Yes/NoInd ex: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

C.M.A(MD)No.889 of 2018R. KALAIMATHI, J.Ns

C.M.A(MD)No.8 8 9 of 2 0 1 8a ndC.M.P(MD)No.3 8 7 8 of 2 0 1 6

a nd

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