Citation: Supreme Court of India delivered on September 3, 2026, is Reliance General Insurance Company Limited v. Priyanka Das and Others, 2026 INSC 950 (arising out of Civil Appeal Nos. 12085–12086 of 2026 and Civil Appeal Nos. 12087–12089 of 2026)
- Negligence on preponderance of probabilities: The Court explicitly held that MACT proceedings are summary in nature and negligence is evaluated on a “preponderance of probabilities
- the multiplier for a deceased person must be based on their own age rather than the dependents’ ages,
- functional disability must be measured by employability and career progression in the open, competitive market rather than retention in an specially accommodated role, and
- an insurer that invites or joins a court-ordered medical re-evaluation is legally bound by the resulting medical board assessment.
On April 10, 2011, a tragic accident occurred when a heavy goods truck crashed into a motorcycle near Brijghat Bridge. The motorcycle driver, 33-year-old Sushant Prabhakaran, was instantly killed after falling under the truck’s wheels. His companion, Priyanka Das, who was riding as a pillion passenger, survived the crash but suffered catastrophic, life-altering injuries, including permanent cortical blindness (total loss of vision), severe pelvic fractures, and a permanent colostomy stoma because doctors could not restore her large intestine.
Following the accident, legal battles ensued involving the victims’ claims, the insurance company (Reliance General Insurance), and the parents of the deceased. While the courts addressed issues regarding the deceased’s compensation and its apportionment among his family and Ms. Das, the bulk of the dispute centered on Ms. Das’s physical and financial compensation. Although she managed to keep working at her corporate tech job using special accessibility software, a court-ordered medical board confirmed she suffered 100% permanent physical impairment, and the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that her true earning capacity in the open job market had been entirely destroyed.
The Supreme Court held that the motor accident claims tribunal proceedings are summary in nature where negligence is decided on a preponderance of probabilities, and it reaffirmed that the compensation multiplier for a deceased person must be based on their own age rather than the ages of their dependents. Addressing the severe injuries of the surviving claimant, Priyanka Das, the court rejected the insurance company’s argument that she suffered no loss of earning capacity just because she continued working through corporate accommodations and special software, ruling instead that her employability must be measured by her prospects in the open, competitive market. Because a court-ordered multi-disciplinary Medical Board officially certified her with a 100% permanent physical impairment of the whole body due to blindness and other catastrophic injuries, the insurer was bound by this evaluation. Consequently, the Supreme Court dismissed the insurer’s appeals, partially allowed the claimant’s appeal to treat her functional disability as 100%, and significantly enhanced her total final compensation to Rs. 3,77,84,297/- along with 7.5% annual interest.
