The Bombay High Court has significantly increased the compensation awarded to the family of a deceased maritime engineer, recognizing the higher earnings typical in the offshore sector. Justice Jitendra Jain noted that the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) had severely underestimated the engineer’s income, which led to the original compensation of Rs 10 lakh being raised to Rs 1.31 crore, including an additional Rs 1.21 crore with 7.5% annual interest.
The case involved Rajesh Deshmukh, a 41-year-old maritime engineer with over two decades of experience, who tragically lost his life in a road accident in June 2009. The court criticized the tribunal for setting his notional income at only Rs 8,000 per month, despite clear evidence of his qualifications and prior earnings.
Testimonies from Deshmukh’s employers revealed that he was offered a monthly salary of Rs 1.59 lakh, and he had earned Rs 2.5 lakh for a short stint earlier that year. Considering these factors, Justice Jain concluded that a fair monthly income estimate would be Rs 1.25 lakh. The court has instructed the insurer to deposit the adjusted compensation amount within 12 weeks.
