Supreme Court Rules No Insurance Compensation for Deaths Due to Rash Driving

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has declared that insurance companies are not obligated to compensate the families of individuals who die due to their own reckless and negligent driving.

The decision, delivered by Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan, upheld a Karnataka High Court order from November 23, 2024, dismissing a claim for ₹80 lakh by the family of a man killed in a car accident.

The case involved N.S. Ravisha, who died on June 18, 2014, while driving at high speed from Mallasandra village to Arasikere town. Accompanied by his father, sister, and her children, Ravisha lost control of the vehicle due to negligent driving, causing it to topple and resulting in his fatal injuries.

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The Karnataka High Court had ruled that, as the accident was caused by Ravisha’s own rash behavior, his legal heirs—wife, son, and parents—were not entitled to compensation, stating that allowing such a claim would reward the wrongdoer. The Supreme Court, in its Wednesday order, refused to intervene, stating, “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment passed by the high court. Hence, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed.”

This ruling reinforces the principle that insurance liability does not extend to cases where the deceased is the “self tort-feasor,” setting a significant precedent for similar cases and emphasizing accountability for reckless driving.

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