In a significant ruling that underscores the value of a young life, the Supreme Court of India has substantially increased the compensation awarded to the grieving parents of a 14-year-old boy who died in a tragic road accident. The apex court, recognizing the profound loss and the child's suffering, revised the total compensation to Rs 8.65 lakh, directing that the amount be paid within two months.
Court Criticizes 'Meagre' Initial Compensation
A bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Vinod Chandran was hearing an appeal filed by the parents against the earlier orders of the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) and a High Court. The tragic incident occurred when the boy, on his way to school with two classmates, was hit by a rashly and negligently driven truck. While his two friends died on the spot, the boy succumbed to his injuries a day later in the hospital.
The bench strongly criticized the initial compensation of Rs 1.29 lakh granted by the MACT as "meagre." Although the High Court later enhanced this amount to Rs 4.7 lakh, the Supreme Court found it still insufficient to address the magnitude of the parents' loss and the child's ordeal.
Calculating Compensation for a Lost Future
The court elaborated on its methodology for calculating the compensation. It opined that the monthly notional income should be adopted according to the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, a point on which both the parents' counsel and the insurance company's counsel agreed. The bench applied a multiplier of 15, as established in the landmark Reshma Kumari v. Madan Mohan precedent for victims aged up to 15 years.
Importantly, the court distinguished this case from those involving children who survive with disabilities. "Here the child died and the claim of compensation by the parents would definitely stand on a different footing," the bench noted, emphasizing the finality and unique grief of losing a child.
Breakdown of the Enhanced Award
The Supreme Court's detailed calculation included several key components:
- Compensation for the child's 'pain and suffering' before death, quantified at Rs 25,000, as he survived for a day in the hospital.
- Provision of Rs 50,000 for medical expenses, which was retained from earlier calculations.
- An award of Rs 15,000 each for loss of estate and funeral expenses.
- A grant of Rs 40,000 each to the parents for loss of filial consortium, acknowledging the emotional devastation.
The court directed that the total enhanced compensation of Rs 8.65 lakh, along with interest at the rate of 7.5 per cent, be paid to the parents after deducting any amount already disbursed. The payment must be completed within two months from the date of the order, which was issued on December 15, 2025.
A Precedent for Parental Grief and Legal Recourse
This ruling sets a crucial precedent for how courts assess compensation in cases involving the death of minors. By explicitly accounting for the child's pain and suffering—a component that inures to the benefit of the legal heirs—the judgment adds a deeper, more humane layer to the legal calculus of damages.
The legal arguments were presented by Advocate John Mathew for the parents, who highlighted evidence about the potential future earnings of the victim's contemporaries. Advocate Ranjan Kumar Pandey represented the insurance company, concurring on the use of minimum wages but insisting on the standard multiplier.
This decision reinforces the judiciary's role in ensuring that compensation in motor accident claims is not merely arithmetic but a substantive recognition of loss, potential, and immeasurable suffering.
