The Supreme Court has sharply increased compensation for a teenager left completely disabled after a road accident, observing that earlier awards failed to reflect the scale of suffering and the lifelong dependence created by the injuries.
A Bench comprising J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar granted compensation of ₹56.83 lakh to Hansraj, who was only 14 when the accident occurred in 2016.
The case arose from a collision involving a motorcycle and a tractor trolley. Hansraj, travelling as a pillion rider, sustained devastating injuries to his head, neck and spine after the motorcycle rammed into the rear side of the trolley. He spent nearly 203 days in hospitals and was ultimately declared 100% permanently disabled.
The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal had initially fixed compensation at ₹7.76 lakh. The Rajasthan High Court later revised it upward to ₹12.17 lakh. The family, however, argued that the amount still bore little relation to the reality of the boy’s condition and the expenses that would follow him for the rest of his life.
The Supreme Court agreed.
The Bench noted that the High Court had calculated the boy’s notional annual income at only ₹30,000, a figure the judges found unrealistically low. Instead, the Court said compensation should be linked to the minimum wages payable to a skilled worker in Rajasthan at the time of the accident.
Using a monthly notional income of ₹5,800 and adding 40% towards future prospects, the Court recalculated the loss of future earnings at ₹17.53 lakh by applying a multiplier of 18.
The largest enhancement came under attendant expenses. Stressing that Hansraj would require constant care throughout his lifetime, the Court granted ₹21.60 lakh towards attendant charges, drawing support from the ruling in Kajal v. Jagdish Chand.
The judgment also expanded compensation under several non-pecuniary heads. The Bench awarded ₹10 lakh for pain, suffering and loss of amenities, while separately granting ₹3 lakh each for future medical treatment and loss of marriage prospects. Another ₹1 lakh was added towards special diet and transportation expenses.
The Court directed that the entire compensation would carry interest at 6% annually from the date the claim petition was filed until payment is completed. It also ordered that 75% of the amount earmarked for attendant charges be secured in a fixed deposit to ensure long-term care for the claimant.
