Insurance Companies Not Obliged To Pay For Deaths Caused By Rash Driving, Rules SC

03-Jul-2025

Insurance companies are not obligated to pay compensation to victims who die due to rash driving, said the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan denied compensation to the wife, son, and parents of a man who died in a car accident. The man was reportedly driving the car at high speed and in a rash manner, making it an act of negligence, reported the Times of India.

The court dismissed a plea by the kin of the victim, seeking Rs 80 lakh compensation from the insurance company, United India Insurance Company, and said that the family cannot demand compensation as the death was caused by the man’s own negligence and did not involve any extraneous factors.

The top court upheld the Karnataka High Court’s decision on November 23 last year, dismissing the compensation claim.

What’s The Case?

The case dates back to June 18, 2018, when N.S. Ravisha was on his way from Mallasandra village to Arasikere town. He was travelling with his father, sister, and children when the accident took place. Notably, Ravisha was not only driving at high speed, but he also broke traffic rules before his car toppled over and rolled on the road near Mylanahalli Gate, Arasikere. The man died in the accident, said the report.

After his demise, his wife and son claimed compensation of Rs 80 lakh, citing that the deceased was a busy contractor who earned Rs 3 lakh per month.

However, the chargesheet filed by the police cites Ravisha’s rash and negligent driving as the reason behind his death, and the claim was rejected by the Motor Accident Tribunal.

Source : News 18