Motor accident compensation: Supreme Court recognises “loss of domestic care” in homemaker-death cases

The development

In Shishu Pal @ Shish Ram & Ors. v. Surjeet & Ors., 2026 INSC 634, the Supreme Court considered a motor accident compensation claim arising from the death of a homemaker and a litigation history extending over two decades.

A distinct head of compensation

The Court directed that, in a death case involving a homemaker, a composite amount of ₹30,000 be added under the head “loss of domestic care” where the identified components are satisfied. The judgment states that this amount is to be revised cumulatively by 10% every three years. It also emphasises that conventional notional-income calculations may undervalue the homemaker’s combined economic, managerial and caregiving contribution.

Procedure and delay

The Court also issued directions aimed at reducing delay in motor accident claims, including documentary expectations at the filing stage and attention to older pending appeals. The judgment therefore matters both to compensation methodology and to the practical preparation and management of MACT claims.

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