Claim petitions under Section 163A may be converted to Section 166 at any stage of proceedings.

The petitioners (original claimants) filed a Claim Petition (M.A.C.P. No. 1919 of 2009) under Section 163A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, following a fatal vehicular accident

Although the Tribunal initially allowed the petition, it exonerated the Insurance Company from liability.

On appeal (First Appeal No. 2090 of 2012), the High Court remanded the matter on 27.01.2025 for fresh adjudication

Subsequently, the petitioners filed an application (Exh. 64) to convert the petition from Section 163A to Section 166 of the Act.

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Nadiad, rejected this application on 15.04.2025, citing delay and the advanced stage of litigation

The Court applied the statutory framework of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, specifically Sections 140, 163A, 163B, and 166, which provide alternative remedies for accident compensation

National Insurance Company Limited v. Mukeshbhai Bhalachandrabhai Jani (2004 ACJ 1533), which established that a claimant may move for amendment/conversion of a claim petition at any stage of the proceedings, provided statutory conditions (such as income limits for Section 163A) are addressed

Section 163B only bars simultaneous claims under both Section 140 and Section 163A.

The Court observed that the legal proposition regarding the conversion of claim petitions is well-settled.

Referring to the Mukeshbhai Bhalachandrabhai Jani case, the Court reasoned that since the claimants have multiple statutory remedies, they are entitled to exercise their option to convert the petition even at a late stage or during appellate proceedings

The Court found that the Tribunal erred in rejecting the application on the grounds of "inordinate delay" or the "second round of litigation," as the matter had been remanded for fresh adjudication, thereby reopening the proceedings

The High Court determined that the Tribunal failed to appreciate the settled legal position that allows such amendments to ensure just compensation

The Court held that the claimants are permitted to convert their Claim Petition from Section 163A to Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

No order as to costs was made