Legal Heirs Cannot Claim Compensation for Deceased’s Negligent Driving: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on July 2 reaffirmed that legal heirs of a person who dies due to their own negligent driving cannot claim compensation under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan upheld the Karnataka High Court’s decision, which denied compensation to the family of the deceased. The deceased died in a car crash while driving a Fiat Linea rashly and at high speed. His wife, son, and parents filed a compensation claim of ₹80 lakhs before the MACT. The Tribunal rejected their plea, ruling the deceased was the tortfeasor and hence, his heirs had no right to compensation. The High Court cited Ningamma v. United India Insurance Co. Ltd. to support its stance that one cannot benefit from their own wrongdoing. The appellants argued that since the deceased wasn’t the car’s owner, the insurer should cover the loss. However, the Court, citing Minu B. Mehta v. Balkrishna Nayan, clarified that a borrower steps into the owner’s shoes and cannot seek compensation for self-inflicted harm. The Supreme Court found no merit in the appeal and dismissed it.