MACT compensation estimator
For the family of a person who died in a road accident, this tool gives a rough figure using the method the Supreme Court set out in Sarla Verma and Pranay Sethi. It also shows the fixed no-fault and hit and run amounts. Only a tribunal can decide the actual amount, based on the evidence.
This is general information, not legal advice for your situation. What you type stays in your browser unless you choose to send it to an advocate.
Rough estimate for a death case
This is only a rough figure. Tribunals decide on evidence, such as proof of income, age and dependants, and on the facts of the accident. The actual award may be much higher or lower, or a claim may fail. Please do not plan around this number.
How this estimate is built
The steps from the Supreme Court
- Income: Actual salary or established income, less tax (Pranay Sethi).
- Future prospects: For a permanent job, 50 per cent below 40, 30 per cent from 40 to 50, and 15 per cent from 50 to 60. For self-employed people or those on a fixed salary, 40, 25 and 10 per cent for the same ages.
- Personal expenses: For a married person, one-third with 2 or 3 dependants, one-fourth with 4 to 6, and one-fifth with more than 6. For an unmarried person, normally one-half (Sarla Verma).
- Multiplier: 18 up to 25 years, 17 for 26 to 30, 16 for 31 to 35, 15 for 36 to 40, 14 for 41 to 45, 13 for 46 to 50, 11 for 51 to 55, 9 for 56 to 60, 7 for 61 to 65, and 5 for 66 to 70.
- Fixed heads: Loss of estate, loss of consortium for each claimant, and funeral expenses.
The fixed heads are not settled
Pranay Sethi set Rs 15,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 15,000 in October 2017, with an increase of 10 per cent every three years. Using the date of the accident, that gives:
| Accident on or after | Loss of estate and funeral, each | Consortium, per claimant |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 October 2020 | Rs 15,000 | Rs 40,000 |
| 31 October 2020 | Rs 16,500 | Rs 44,000 |
| 31 October 2023 | Rs 18,150 | Rs 48,400 |
| 31 October 2026 | Rs 19,965 | Rs 53,240 |
The Supreme Court used Rs 48,400 per claimant in August 2026 for a 2012 accident, while in December 2025 another bench referred the question of older accidents to a larger bench. Courts may therefore use different amounts. They are small beside the loss of dependency.
No-fault and hit and run
Section 164 of the Motor Vehicles Act, as amended in 2019, gives Rs 5 lakh for death and Rs 2.5 lakh for grievous hurt without proof of fault. Where the vehicle cannot be traced, the Hit and Run Scheme, 2022 gives Rs 2,00,000 for death and Rs 50,000 for grievous hurt. You apply in Form I to the Claims Enquiry Officer of the sub-division or taluka where the accident took place.
Time limit
Section 166(3) gives six months from the accident to file a claim. On 4 November 2025, in a challenge to that provision, the Supreme Court directed tribunals and High Courts not to dismiss claims as time-barred under it while the case is pending. Aim to file within six months in any event, as that order is temporary.
Injury cases
We do not give a figure for injuries, because they turn on medical evidence. Tribunals look at treatment costs, earnings lost during treatment, future earnings lost through permanent disability, future medical costs, pain and suffering, and loss of amenities. In Raj Kumar v Ajay Kumar, the Supreme Court held that the percentage of disability is not the same as the percentage of earning capacity lost. The same injury can affect a driver and a clerk very differently. Keep every bill, report and disability certificate.
Our pages on MACT claims and motor accident claims in Mumbai explain the process.
Common questions
How is compensation worked out in a road accident death?
The tribunal takes yearly income after tax, adds future prospects, deducts the person's own likely expenses, and multiplies the result by a figure based on age. It then adds fixed amounts for loss of estate, consortium and funeral expenses. The Supreme Court set out this method in Sarla Verma and Pranay Sethi.
What is the no-fault compensation after the 2019 amendment?
Section 164 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides Rs 5 lakh for death and Rs 2.5 lakh for grievous hurt. The family need not plead or prove that anyone was at fault. If compensation has already been paid for the same event under another law, that amount is deducted from this sum.
How much is compensation in a hit and run case?
Under the Compensation to Victims of Hit and Run Motor Accidents Scheme, 2022, the amount is Rs 2,00,000 for death and Rs 50,000 for grievous hurt. The application goes in Form I to the Claims Enquiry Officer of the sub-division or taluka where the accident took place, along with the listed documents.
Is there a time limit for filing a MACT claim?
Section 166(3) says a claim must be made within six months of the accident. In November 2025 the Supreme Court told tribunals and High Courts not to dismiss claims as time-barred under that provision while a challenge to it is pending. It is still safest to file within six months.
What are the conventional heads in a death claim?
Pranay Sethi fixed loss of estate at Rs 15,000, loss of consortium at Rs 40,000 and funeral expenses at Rs 15,000, with an increase of 10 per cent every three years. In December 2025 the Supreme Court referred to a larger bench how the increase applies to older claims, so these amounts can change.
Can this tool estimate compensation for an injury?
No, because injury claims turn on medical evidence. The tribunal looks at treatment costs, lost earnings, future medical care and pain and suffering. In Raj Kumar v Ajay Kumar, the Supreme Court held that a disability percentage does not by itself show how much earning capacity was lost. Please keep all medical records.
- National Insurance Co. Ltd. v Pranay Sethi, [2017] 13 S.C.R. 100, Supreme Court (copy on the Andhra Pradesh High Court website)
- Sarla Verma v Delhi Transport Corporation, 15 April 2009, Supreme Court
- Raj Kumar v Ajay Kumar, 18 October 2010, Supreme Court
- Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, section 164
- Compensation to Victims of Hit and Run Motor Accidents Scheme, 2022
- Notification on compensation for hit and run victims, Press Information Bureau
- Supreme Court interim order on section 166(3), Bhagirathi Dash v Union of India, LiveLaw, November 2025
- Hasina Yasmin v National Insurance Co., reference to a larger bench, LawBeat, December 2025
- Supreme Court on parental consortium at Rs 48,400 per claimant, JurisHour, August 2026