A smooth black motorcycle helmet, a folded leather glove and a small tulsi plant on a polished wooden desk — symbolic of motor accident claims tribunal pack Motor Accidents

MACT Claim Pack — §166 Motor Vehicles Act 1988

Injured in a motor accident? Lost a family member? File a compensation claim before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) under §166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. NO court fee. NO limitation period since the 2019 Amendment. Tribunal must endeavour to decide within 6 months under §169. Compensation follows the Sarla Verma v DTC (2009) 6 SCC 121 multiplier method, refined in National Insurance Co. Ltd. v Pranay Sethi (2017) 16 SCC 680.

§166 MV Act 1988 Zero court fee 6-month decision target §169 Bilingual EN + HI

1. Who is filing the claim?

2. Fill the claim details

Sarla Verma + Pranay Sethi compensation framework

In Sarla Verma v DTC (2009) 6 SCC 121 and National Insurance Co. v Pranay Sethi (2017) 16 SCC 680, the Supreme Court set a uniform multiplier method. For self-employed / fixed-salary victims, add 40% (age <40) / 25% (40–50) / 10% (50–60) for future prospects.

Loss of dependency

(Annual income × multiplier) − personal-living deduction (1/3 for married; 1/2 for unmarried). Multipliers: 18 (age ≤25), 17 (26–30), 16 (31–35), 15 (36–40), 14 (41–45), 13 (46–50), 11 (51–55), 9 (56–60), 7 (61–65).

Conventional heads (Pranay Sethi)

Loss of estate: ₹15,000. Loss of consortium: ₹40,000 per claimant (spouse, parents, children — clarified in Magma General Insurance (2019) 18 SCC 130). Funeral expenses: ₹15,000. These are revised every 3 years at 10%.

Injury heads

For injuries: medical expenses (actual), loss of earning during treatment, loss of future earning capacity (Raj Kumar v Ajay Kumar (2011) 1 SCC 343 — disability percentage × annual income × multiplier), pain & suffering, attendant charges, special diet, conveyance to hospitals.

Hit-and-run / uninsured driver

§161 — Solatium Fund Scheme

If the offending vehicle is untraced (hit-and-run), claim under §161 MV Act 1988: ₹2,00,000 for death and ₹50,000 for grievous hurt under the Compensation of Victims of Hit and Run Motor Accidents Scheme 2022. Application to the Claims Enquiry Officer (SDM) within 6 months.

§163A — No-fault / structured formula

The 2019 amendment merged §140 + §163A into a unified §164 'no-fault liability' — ₹5,00,000 for death and ₹2,50,000 for grievous hurt, without proof of negligence. Claimant can file either under §164 (no-fault, faster) or §166 (full compensation, fault-based).

Statutory timeline

Day 0 — File at Tribunal

File the §166 application at the District-level MACT having jurisdiction (residence of claimant / accident place / defendant's residence). NO court fee. Get FIR + medical / death certificates ready. Insurance company impleaded under §170.

Day 1–180 — Decision target

§169 MV Act sets a 6-month endeavour. Tribunal can grant interim relief under §166(6). Detailed Accident Report (DAR) is filed by the police within 30 days under §159, accelerating compensation.

Appeal — §173 within 90 days

Appeal lies to the High Court under §173 within 90 days. The High Court can be approached if compensation is below ₹1,00,000 only with special leave. Insurance company can appeal only on limited grounds under §149(2).

Starter draft only. MACT cases turn heavily on income proof, medical evidence, and the Sarla Verma multiplier. Insurance companies routinely contest negligence and policy validity. Engage an MACT advocate before filing — most accept on contingency or modest flat fee. The 2019 MV (Amendment) Act removed the limitation period under §166(3), so even an accident from 5+ years ago can be filed. Hit-and-run claims under §161 are filed separately before the Claims Enquiry Officer (SDM), not the MACT.