Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Punjab and Haryana HC Doubles Payout in Homemaker Crash Case to ₹1.18 Crore

The ruling recalibrates compensation by valuing household labour through a ₹15,000 monthly notional income that reflects inflation.

Overview

  • The High Court enhanced the award from ₹58.22 lakh to ₹1,18,20,000 with 9% interest from the filing date and ordered the insurer to deposit the enhanced sum within two months.
  • The bench fixed a homemaker’s notional income at ₹15,000 per month and added 40% for future prospects under settled Motor Vehicles Act jurisprudence.
  • The court granted ₹15 lakh for pain and suffering and ₹8 lakh for attendant charges, noting the victim’s prolonged vegetative state and continuous care needs.
  • Future medical expenses were upheld, with the court accepting ₹30 lakh as recoverable despite the victim’s death, relying on Supreme Court guidance on estate claims.
  • Precedents including Lata Wadhwa, Jasbir Singh, K.S. Muralidhar (2024) and Dhannalal v. Nasir Khan (2025) guided the reassessment, as the case involved a 2014 crash and death in 2017.