Accident aid must take profession as a factor: Top court

SC ENHANCED THE COMPENSATION OF A DIAMOND CUTTER, WHO LOST VISION IN ONE EYE, SINCE HIS WORK DEMANDED A LOT OF PRECISION

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has emphasised the necessity of tailoring disability assessments to the specific requirement of an individual's profession, as it enhanced the compensation awarded to a diamond cutter who lost vision in one eye in a road accident.

A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and Manmohan declared that for a diamond cutter -- since the profession demands absolute precision -- the loss of vision in one eye constitutes total or 100% functional disability, a factor critical in determining compensation in motor accident cases.

"Given the nature of the profession and the indispensability of the ability to see in carrying out the job required, we are of the view that the facts and circumstances of the case warrant that disability of the claimant-appellant be taken as 100%," held the bench in a recent decision.