Jodhpur – In a landmark judgment that underscores the value of academic promise and professional potential, the Rajasthan High Court has enhanced the compensation awarded to the family of a deceased MBBS student from ₹12.52 lakh to ₹1.07 crore. The 21-year-old, a second-year student at Sardar Patel Medical College, Jodhpur, had died in a 2019 car accident en route from Jodhpur to Udaipur.
Justice Arun Monga, heading the single-judge bench, ruled that courts must look beyond rigid calculations and income proof when determining compensation for young professionals-in-training. “A purely mathematical or minimum-wage-based approach risks devaluing education, aspiration, and merit,” the judge observed, emphasizing a more realistic and compassionate assessment.
The High Court slammed the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Bikaner, for its “unrealistic, pedantic and hypertechnical” approach in assessing the victim’s income as that of a skilled worker earning ₹7,774 per month, ignoring his high academic merit and future as a doctor.
Instead, the Court pegged the student’s notional monthly income at ₹70,000, with 40% added for future prospects, taking it to ₹98,000. After deducting 50% for personal expenses and applying a multiplier of 18, the compensation was calculated at ₹1,05,84,000, with additional amounts granted under loss of love and affection and funeral expenses.
The insurance company, which had argued the deceased was merely a dependent student with no income, was directed to pay the full enhanced amount with 7% annual interest from the date of the claim (July 2, 2019), and could seek recovery from the vehicle owner if admissible.
The ruling sets a powerful precedent for fair valuation of future potential in compensation cases involving students or professionals-in-training.
