161. Special provisions as to compensation in case of hit and run motor accident.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force or any instrument having the force of law, the Central Government shall provide for paying in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the scheme made under sub-section (3), compensation in respect of the death of, or grievous hurt to, persons resulting from hit and run motor accidents.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the scheme made under sub-section (3), there shall be paid as compensation,—
(a) in respect of the death of any person resulting from a hit and run motor accident, a fixed sum of two lakh rupees or such higher amount as may be prescribed by the Central Government;
(b) in respect of grievous hurt to any person resulting from a hit and run motor accident, a fixed sum of fifty thousand rupees or such higher amount as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
(Came into force from 1-4-2022)
163. Refund in certain cases of compensation paid under Section 161.—(1) The payment of compensation in respect of the death of, or grievous hurt to, any person under Section 161 shall be subject to the condition that if any compensation (hereafter in this sub-section referred to as the other compensation) or other amount in lieu of or by way of satisfaction of a claim for compensation is awarded or paid in respect of such death or grievous hurt under any other provision of this Act or any other law for the time being in force or otherwise, so much of the other compensation or other amount aforesaid as is equal to the compensation paid under Section 161, shall be refunded to the insurer.
(2) Before awarding compensation in respect of an accident involving the death of, or bodily injury to, any person arising out of the use of a motor vehicle under any provision of this Act other than Section 161 or any other law for the time being in force, the Claims Tribunal, court or other authority awarding such compensation shall verify as to whether in respect of such death or bodily injury compensation has already been paid under Section 161 or an application for payment of compensation is pending under that section, and such Tribunal, court or other authority shall—
(a) if compensation has already been paid under Section 161, direct the person liable to pay the compensation awarded by it to refund to the insurer, so much thereof as is required to be refunded in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1);
(b) if an application for payment of compensation is pending under Section 161 forward the particulars as to the compensation awarded by it to the insurer.
Explanation.—For the purpose of this sub-section, an application for compensation under Section 161 shall be deemed to be pending—
(i) if such application has been rejected, till the date of the rejection of the application; and
(ii) in any other case, till the date of payment of compensation in pursuance of the application.
(Came into force from 1-4-2022)
(No fault liability) 164. Payment of compensation in case of death or grevious hurt, etc.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force or instrument having the force of law, the owner of the motor vehicle or the authorised insurer shall be liable to pay in the case of death or grievous hurt due to any accident arising out of the use of motor vehicle, a compensation, of a sum of five lakh rupees in case of death or of two and a half lakh rupees in case of grievous hurt to the legal heirs or the victim, as the case may be.
(2) In any claim for compensation under sub-section (1), the claimant shall not be required to plead or establish that the death or grievous hurt in respect of which the claim has been made was due to any wrongful act or neglect or default of the owner of the vehicle or of the vehicle concerned or of any other person.
(3) Where, in respect of death or grievous hurt due to an accident arising out of the use of motor vehicle, compensation has been paid under any other law for the time being in force, such amount of compensation shall be reduced from the amount of compensation payable under this section.
(Came into force from 1-4-2022)
164-A. Scheme for interim relief for claimants.—(1) The Central Government, may make schemes for the provision of interim relief to claimants praying for compensation under this Chapter.
(2) A scheme made under sub-section (1) shall also provide for procedure to recover funds disbursed under such scheme from the owner of the motor vehicle, where the claim arises out of the use of such motor vehicle or other sources as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
(Came into force from 1-4-2022)
165. Claims Tribunals.—(1) A State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute one or more Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals (hereafter in this Chapter referred to as Claims Tribunal) for such area as may be specified in the notification for the purpose of adjudicating upon claims for compensation in respect of accidents involving the death of, or bodily injury to, persons arising out of the use of motor vehicles, or damages to any property of a third party so arising, or both.
Explanation.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that the expression “claims for compensation in respect of accidents involving the death of or bodily injury to persons arising out of the use of motor vehicles” includes claims for compensation under 210 [Section 164].
210. Subs. for “Section 140 and Section 163-A” by Act 32 of 2019,S. 52 (Came into force from 1-4-2022)
166. Application for compensation.—(1) An application for compensation arising out of an accident of the nature specified in sub-section (1) of Section 165 may be made—
(a) by the person who has sustained the injury; or
(b) by the owner of the property; or
(c) where death has resulted from the accident, by all or any of the legal representatives of the deceased; or
(d) by any agent duly authorised by the person injured or all or any of the legal representatives of the deceased, as the case may be:
Provided that where all the legal representatives of the deceased have not joined in any such application for compensation, the application shall be made on behalf of or for the benefit of all the legal representatives of the deceased and the legal representatives who have not so joined, shall be impleaded as respondents to the application:
212[Provided further that where a person accepts compensation under Section 164 in accordance with the procedure provided under Section 149, his claims petition before the Claims Tribunal shall lapse.]
212. Ins. by Act 32 of 2019, S. 53(i) (Came into force from 1-4-2022).
168. Award of the Claims Tribunal.—(1) On receipt of an application for compensation made under Section 166, the Claims Tribunal shall, after giving notice of the application to the insurer and after giving the parties (including the insurer) an opportunity of being heard, hold an inquiry into the claim or, as the case may be, each of the claims and, subject to the provisions of 219[Section 163] may make an award determining the amount of compensation which appears to it to be just and specifying the person or persons to whom compensation shall be paid and in making the award the Claims Tribunal shall specify the amount which shall be paid by the insurer or owner or driver of the vehicle involved in the accident or by all or any of them, as the case may be:
219. Subs. for “Section 162” by Act 32 of 2019, S. 54(i) (Came into force from 1-4-2022)
219. Subs. for “Section 162” by Act 32 of 2019, S. 54(i) (Came into force from 1-4-2022)
(2) The Claims Tribunal shall arrange to deliver copies of the award to the parties concerned expeditiously and in any case within a period of fifteen days from the date of the award.
(3) When an award is made under this section, the person who is required to pay any amount in terms of such award shall, within thirty days of the date of announcing the award by the Claims Tribunal, deposit the entire amount awarded in such manner as the Claims Tribunal may direct.
169. Procedure and powers of Claims Tribunals.—(1) In holding any inquiry under Section 168, the Claims Tribunal may, subject to any rules that may be made in this behalf, follow such summary procedure as it thinks fit.
(2) The Claims Tribunal shall have all the powers of a Civil Court for the purpose of taking evidence on oath and of enforcing the attendance of witnesses and of compelling the discovery and production of documents and material objects and for such other purposes as may be prescribed; and the Claims Tribunal shall be deemed to be a Civil Court for all the purposes of Section 195 and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).
(3) Subject to any rules that may be made in this behalf, the Claims Tribunal may, for the purpose of adjudicating upon any claim for compensation, choose one or more persons possessing special knowledge of any matter relevant to the inquiry to assist it in holding the inquiry.
[(4) For the purpose of enforcement of its award, the Claims Tribunal shall also have all the powers of a Civil Court in the execution of a decree under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), as if the award were a decree for the payment of money passed by such court in a civil suit.]
Ins. by Act 32 of 2019, S. 55 (w.e.f. 1-4-2022).
170. Impleading insurer in certain cases.—Where in the course of any inquiry, the Claims Tribunal is satisfied that—
(a) there is collusion between the person making the claim and the person against whom the claim is made, or
(b) the person against whom the claim is made has failed to contest the claim,
it may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, direct that the insurer who may be liable in respect of such claim, shall be impleaded as a party to the proceeding and the insurer so impleaded shall thereupon have, without prejudice to the provisions contained in sub-section (2) of [Section 150], the right to contest the claim on all or any of the grounds that are available to the person against whom the claim has been made.
Subs. for “Section 149” by Act 32 of 2019, S. 56 (w.e.f. 1-4-2022).
171. Award of interest where any claim is allowed.—Where any Claims Tribunal allows a claim for compensation made under this Act, such Tribunal may direct that in addition to the amount of compensation simple interest shall also be paid at such rate and from such date not earlier than the date of making the claim as it may specify in this behalf.
173. Appeals.—(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), any person aggrieved by an award of a Claims Tribunal may, within ninety days from the date of the award, prefer an appeal to the High Court:
Provided that no appeal by the person who is required to pay any amount in terms of such award shall be entertained by the High Court unless he has deposited with it twenty-five thousand rupees or fifty per cent of the amount so awarded, whichever is less, in the manner directed by the High Court:
Provided further that the High Court may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of ninety days, if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from preferring the appeal in time.
(2) No appeal shall lie against any award of a Claims Tribunal, if the amount in dispute in the appeal is less than [one lakh] rupees.
227. Subs. for “ten thousand” by Act 32 of 2019, S. 57 (w.e.f. 1-4-2022).
Motor vehicle Amendment Act 2019 Notification
dated 25-2-2022
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