The Supreme Court of India has dismissed appeals filed by the legal representatives of two deceased accident victims, affirming the concurrent findings of the High Court of Karnataka and the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. The Court held that while the standard of proof in motor accident cases is “preponderance of probabilities,” liability cannot be fastened on an insurer merely on the grounds of sympathy if the involvement of the offending vehicle is not established by credible evidence.

The Division Bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra observed that the evidence produced by the appellants was contradictory and the alleged offending vehicle showed no signs of damage, which was inconsistent with the severity of the collision.

Background of the Case

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