IN THE HQN' BLE _HI6H COURT OF CHHATTISGaRH AT BIIASPUR MISC; APPEA1 (C) NO.lO0) 5 OF2007 APPEAI. UNDER SECTION 173 OF THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT 1988 --—~ APPEAL VALUED AT RS^_5,47,000/- (RUPEES FIVE XAC FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND ONI.Y - i^pellant Non-Applicant No.3 RespondenS No. 1 %}pla.eant.s v" Respondent No. 2 Non-AppIicant Nb. 1 Respondent Np._3 Non-Applicant No. 2 Nati.onal Insurance Co. Ltd. • Divisional Offlce, Akash Ganga, Bhilai, Tehsil s Distt. Durg.fChhattisgarh) througK its Acting D.ivisional: Manager, Btlaspur 'Branch, Taha Complex, VyaparVihar Road; Bilaspur . . ' J Versus . . " "• \ : f (a) Ranveer Kayr, Wd/o Late Shri.Harpal Singh, aged .. .aBouC 35.years. ib) : Simran :Kaur, ,D/o 'Labe Shri - . ? •Harpat SingbY'aged:about 12' years (Mirio:r): .through HQ:tiher Ranyeer Kaur. ; (c),' Ujagar 'aingh, S/o Ralla Singh, agea aboyt 69 years (d) Mahendra Kaur, W/o Sarder • Ujagar Slngh, aged about 65 years • (All R/o Hona Auto, Nandirii Roa.d, Power House, Bhilai,. —' Distt. Durg.(CG) '• • , Chhabilram, S/o P. Nath, : aged about 27 years, R/o Bapu Naqgr,.Khyrsipar,. Btlilai, Dis'tt. Dyrg(CG) (Driver TATA Truck No. CG- 07KC/1435 . Lata Chhatw§n:i>., W/o: Dilip Khatwani, R/o Shop No.: 184, B-Market,. Bhiiai,.Tehsll and; Gi:stt.: Durg, (CG), (Owner of the veha.de) 'S^^SWSsilS^ i-'!- ^^^IS ^SK§^ HI6H <X%J!W€l&CMMA1'TIS6(W^^a^^ ,. MVISIGB^ENCH: "-•'' "' :-:,' HON-BS^ MR; I.M.QO&a^E & HON'BLE< . Ul^^(WH^< lBKt|!J,ar^ Atwllon* Rcaaandwits M.Atcl No.1099/2007 National InainancB Co. Ltd. Vs ftanveer faurd othcrs , Prewsnt: ' ' . ...^ ,. -.^..,.-- . ; /.^ AAr. J.A. Lohani, Adwccrte c(q»earson behalf of Mi*. Ray Awwsthy, AdvTOOEte for theoppeiknt.' - ; ^''.' 1. ..IZ.. .^^^^^^^ ^ .."..: M^ AftanoJ ^eii^wal, Advocat®for Itiere^onifentNo.l. OKBERfOn^ {lO"'<Jtoy.2Qlt) PerI.^.QU&ElUSI.J. 1. This appeal has been fitedby ltw<^»eltant%biaun»iceCempfflty against ifte awwd derted 19^)6.2007 peiMed by the teamed ltth Motor AccidentCtaims Tribunal, (FTC), Durg (C.&) in Ctaim <^se No.68/2008, 2. Therewos permission u/s 170 of the Ato-tor Vehietes Act, 1^88 (fwshort the Actof 1988') to riialla^e the quanlum parr also. 3. Brief facts of Ihe case are •that Ihe deceased was emptoyed as driver in &.S. Viacom Compony and on u.3.2005atabout 12.30 a.m.hewas gohgin the truck bearirg pegistration numberC604-&-9&41 to Ktunhari from Bttlai. On -the way near Dashmesh &haba, he met with an accidwit with Ihe sluttonedtruck bearing registration number C607-ZC-1438 and aisteined injuries on hid head, diest and ky. He died on Ihe wuy to Ihe hoapital. AAatter was reported in •the potice station Kumhari en wbich ihe effeoee haa been i^istered and after comptetion of inyestyation, dwu'ge d'le^t^ainst the driver of truck bearin9 registration C607-ZC-1435 was filed in •the Court- bekw comamed ;1^ «lnimantsbeing t^iendcnts flf -the deceaaed had fited ctaim petitt<m u/s 166 of^teeAct^ 1988 far'HwaWardofatfftat compensaNon of Rs^8,%000/- undec.vwiousheads. .,....,M..,^^^ rf 4. Th« teamed Clalms Tribiuwl pcutly altowal the claim e^ticalwn of Ihe ctajmants wid eMiarded a sum <rf KsS^fl(W/- i^ eawyma^aK oawi -iMUM i(i:tij ii ^ L^ tastened The iiabiiity on the appellant-Insurance Company To satisfs' The •\ ...'"•'''.:.. SQ(TtS, 3. ! he aDDeltant-lnsurance C'ompany has tiled the instant aDpeai. on the flrpunds fhat ttie auantum fixed by fhe Claims Tribunal is too excessive and the deceasefl himself was responsible for the accident. 6. We have heard iearned cQunsel tor The Dartie-s. We have Derused The imouqned award as well as the.recopds of the Claims Triburial. . 7. On cargful examination of the imDuoned award. we find that To assess the s-nnusl lo^s of ineoir1^ ths ds-i^^ Tribunsl hs<§d©duct&donlv 1/3 'fr'olTs ths' income ot the decegsed towards his person'al Jiving expenditure ot the deceased. whereas as "er decision of the Hon'ble Aoex CourT in the mattsr of Sef/is Venna (Smt'] and others -vs- t)elhi Transport Corpwattwn and 1 another reDor-ted in (2009') 6 SCC 121. where the number of dependent family members is 4 to '6, the deduction towards personal and living expenses of the deceased should be one-fourth (1/4'"). Further. muitiDlier of 15 aDpIied bv the Claims Tribunal is aiso not correet in view QfSarla'Vsrma's case (supra') where it.has been provided that multiDiier of 16 is appticable to ttle in.jured claiinQnt/deceaSed who are beTween the age qrouD of 30 to 35 years. 1. Tlius. if ws' deduct 1/4 froir' th®onnual incoms of the deceo.sed i.e. Rs.48,000/- p.a. as asgessed by the Claims Tribunal, and apDly multiotier of 16. 1tie 1-otal loss of deDendency would come to Rs.5,76,QOO/-. Mowever, since there is no cross-objection by the cidimants, therefore there is rio ouestion of enhflincement, Further, though the amount awarded by The Ctaims Tribunal under other admissibte heads dre diso not In .accordance wifh the Second Schedule prQvided under. Sectibn 163A of the Act, but .^' . • '••'••. '•' "•:. ~ even 1+ien the saroe is nottiable to be reduced in view of the fact that loss of dependencY has been calculafed by the Claims Tribunal after deducting 1/3^° towsrds parsonsl CEnd liyln^ ax^ndity^'s of th^ d^eso.^sd inst^Q.d of l/d't" ' • - 9. Now cominq to the next ground raised t»y the ap.Dellant i.e. reQardina contributory neqljqence. lt is admitted fact .that ttie accident had occuFred jn the mid of niqht.at about 12.30 a.m.and there is nolttinq pn record to show That driver of the vehicle in auestion hois tried to show the c^^ • K»^ y JJ ^^,4 ''"-<^^" ^ ^t y^.J^ ||: l^osnqiy- presence of the said truck on flie road side by any mode i.e. by switchjnq on the Darkina liqht, tail liqht etc. Even otherwise, as per report of the Investiaatina Off'cer also the snid truck was parked on 1t)e road side in viotation of the Trattic Ruies. Ther-efore, it cannot be said that th< deceased himse.It was reSDonsible for the accident arid as such. the around raised bv fhe aDDellant regarding contributory neqlioence is ruled out. 10.In the result. this Court is of the ooinion That 1+ie instant aDDeal has no / : force. the same de-sen'es To be and is hereby dismlssed. Sd/- I.M.Quddusi Judge Sd/- G. Minhajuddin Judge