New Delhi: The Supreme Court has held that women who manage households should not be dismissed as “mere homemakers” while calculating compensation in road accident cases. The court said their work has real economic value and must be recognised accordingly.
The ruling arose from a 2001 road accident in Punjab in which a woman died. Her husband and three children approached the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which awarded Rs 2.42 lakh. On appeal, the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhanced the compensation to Rs 8.43 lakh with 7.5% interest.
Challenging the method used to compute the amount, the husband moved the Supreme Court. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and K V Viswanathan observed that unpaid household work and caregiving contribute significantly to the economy and should not be treated as having zero value simply because it is not salaried.
The bench directed that, for the purpose of assessing loss of dependency in such cases, the labour of a homemaker should be valued at a minimum of Rs 30,000 per month. The court also expressed concern over delays in motor accident claim proceedings and advised that such cases be concluded within a year.
