Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

Natwar Parikh & Co. Ltd., a transporter of heavy equipment, used tractors (registered as non‑transport vehicles) coupled with trailers (registered as transport vehicles) to move transformers into Karnataka. The Karnataka taxation authority issued demand notices demanding motor‑vehicle tax on the tractor‑trailer combina…

Muthiah Sekhar, a 25‑year‑old lawyer, was injured in a collision between a taxi and a bus owned by Nesamony TPT. Corporation Ltd. He suffered permanent dislocation of the right hip, 60% loss of vision in the left eye and 50% loss of hearing in the left ear, and had to travel to New York for balloon embolisation of a ca…

The U.P. State Road Transport Corporation sought permits for routes covered by an exclusive scheme and was told by the Regional Transport Authority that, under Section 58(2)(a) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, the permits had to be renewed every three years. The corporation challenged this, arguing that Rule 10(4) of t…

Dr. Grace Jain, a government-employed doctor, died in a motor vehicle accident. Her daughter Rekha Jain and husband T.A. Sebastian claimed compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.10,62,000 with interest, using a monthly income of Rs.12,000, a one‑third deduction f…

Rekha Jain, a 24‑year‑old film actress, was injured in a road accident caused by a negligent truck driver, sustaining grievous facial injuries and 30% permanent physical disability. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) awarded her total compensation of Rs.23,51,726, including Rs.17,51,726 as pecuniary damages for …

A truck owned by Respondent No.1 and driven by Respondent No.2, insured by Respondent No.3, collided with a car, causing the death of the car occupant. The claimants filed a compensation claim under s.166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.13,32,000, holding that the driver lack…

The case arose from a motor accident on 27 January 1996 in which two relatives of the claimant died or were injured, leading the dependents to claim compensation under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded compensation and held United Indian Insurance Co. Ltd. liable to…

Manoranjan Pandey, a 39‑year‑old construction contractor and sole breadwinner, died in a road accident on 29 May 2018. His legal representatives filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 2.27 crore based on the deceased’s income tax return (ITR) f…

The appellant, a driver, was severely injured and permanently disabled in a 2009 road accident caused by two trucks whose drivers lacked valid licences. He filed a claim before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) which awarded compensation based on a notional monthly income of Rs 6,000. The High Court enhanced th…

The claimants, the dependants of a deceased motorcyclist, were awarded compensation by the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal after a fatal accident involving a Maxi Cab. The insurer, United India Insurance Co., appealed, arguing that the driver, who held a licence for light motor vehicles but not an endorsement for comme…

The appellant, Neerupam Mohan Mathur, lost his right hand in a bus‑truck collision caused by the negligent driver of a chartered bus. He claimed compensation under Section 110‑A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.3,20,000. The Punjab & Haryana High Court enhanced the awar…

The appellant, a 45‑year‑old proprietor who lost his right leg below the knee in a bus accident, claimed Rs. 21,00,000 as compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal awarded Rs. 9,42,822, applying a multiplier of 13 and granting Rs. 1,00,000 for 85% permanent disability. The Hig…

The Supreme Court heard an appeal by North West Karnataka Road Transport Corp. against an award of Rs.2,59,400 made by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) to the family of a deceased person. The appellant argued that the deceased suffered a fatal head injury after falling from a height of 8‑10 feet in his own hou…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of a draft scheme under the Motor Vehicles Acts (1939 and 1988) to nationalise 39 road‑transport routes in Uttar Pradesh, of which 38 routes were distinct from the Saharanpur‑Shahdra‑Delhi route previously dealt with in Ram Krishna Verma. The Court held that the statutory right t…

The appellants, legal heirs of a deceased road‑accident victim, were awarded Rs.98.40 million with 12% interest by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. The insurer appealed, reduced the principal to Rs.56.40 million but retained the interest rate, and made several partial payments. The Executing Court adjusted those pay…

The case involved a head‑on collision between a car and a bus in which the car driver, Raj Kumar Dugar, died. His parents claimed compensation from the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT), which awarded a sum based on his present earnings, applied a multiplier, and held both drivers equally liable, directing the ins…

The appellant’s Eicher truck was seized by police for transporting 28 buffalo calves, and the appellant sought its release under Section 451 of the CrPC. The lower courts rejected the application, invoking Section 68(3) of the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2011, which bars release of a seized vehicle for…

Mam Chand filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for injuries caused by a motorcycle driven by Mohinder Pal. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal held National Insurance Co. liable to pay Rs.60,000. The insurer appealed, contending that the vehicle was not insured at the time of the acci…

The Kerala Tax on Entry of Motor Vehicles into Local Areas Act imposes a tax on any motor vehicle that enters a local area for use or sale and is liable for registration under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Petitioners Bose Abraham and others challenged the tax's applicability to excavators and road rollers, arguing tha…