Motor accident claims dismissed without merits adjudication should be remitted for fresh consideration.

The claimants appealed under Section 173(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, against the Tribunal’s dismissal of their claim for compensation with a nil award.

The Tribunal dismissed the claim when the claimants and their advocate were absent and no evidence had been tendered.

The High Court noted that the claimants had taken several adjournments and that the appeal was filed with a delay of 1,451 days. The claimants sought setting aside of the dismissal and remand for adjudication on the merits

Whether the Tribunal’s dismissal of the compensation claim with a nil award, for failure to adduce evidence, should be set aside and the matter remitted for fresh adjudication

Whether the delay in filing the appeal warranted refusal of relief, or could be addressed when determining interest on any compensation awarded

Section 173(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, provides for an appeal to the High Court.

The Court described compensation under the Act as a social and beneficial remedy, with claims to be dealt with through a summary procedure and approached liberally so that accident victims and their legal heirs are not deprived of compensation on merely technical grounds. At the same time, claimants should be afforded the opportunity—and encouraged—to lead evidence in support of their claims

No precedent was cited.

Although the claimants had repeatedly sought adjournments and failed to tender evidence before the Tribunal, the Court considered that they were the legal heirs of the deceased sole breadwinner and that a hyper-technical approach would not advance substantial justice in a beneficial compensation proceeding. It therefore set aside the dismissal and remitted the claim for adjudication on the merits.

The Court did not treat the 1,451-day appeal delay as an absolute bar; instead, it left the Tribunal to consider the period of delay and laches when deciding whether interest should be awarded

The parties were directed to appear before the Tribunal on 3 November 2026 and to cooperate in the proceedings. The Tribunal was asked to dispose of the claim as expeditiously as possible, preferably within six months from that date, and could consider the delay and laches when determining interest