The Supreme Court has ruled that insurance companies are not obliged to pay compensation to families of individuals who die in accidents caused by their own reckless driving. The ruling came on July 3 in response to a petition filed by the family of N S Ravisha, who died in a car crash in Karnataka back in 2014.
Ravisha’s wife, son, and parents had approached the court demanding ₹80 lakh in compensation. But the top court shut the door on the claim, agreeing with the Karnataka High Court’s earlier stance that the accident was of Ravisha’s own making.
On June 18, 2014, Ravisha was behind the wheel, driving from Mallasandra village to Arasikere town. He had his father, sister, and her children in the car. According to court findings, he was driving fast, didn’t follow basic traffic rules, lost control, and the vehicle overturned. Ravisha died on the spot due to the impact.
The insurance claim filed by the family was challenged by the insurer and the case eventually went up the legal ladder. The High Court, in its judgment dated November 23, 2024, found no merit in the family’s demand
The SC bench reviewed the petition but decided not to interfere. “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment passed by the High Court. Hence, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed,” the court said in its brief order.
The High Court had made it clear that Ravisha was solely responsible for the accident. And as per legal standards, if someone is found to be a "self-tortfeasor" (in simpler terms, the person who caused the damage), their legal heirs can’t benefit from a compensation claim.