Section 140: Liability to pay compensation in certain cases on the principle of no fault
Motor Vehicles Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide
Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1988
Motor Vehicles Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 140
Section 140 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provided statutory interim compensation on the principle of 'no-fault liability', requiring payment without proof of negligence; though omitted by the 2019 Amendment, its jurisprudence forms the basis of Section 164.
25,000 for permanent disablement) without pleading or establishing wrongful act, neglect, or default on the part of the vehicle owner or driver.
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 omitted Section 140 (w.e.f. 1-4-2022) as part of a legislative overhaul replacing interim no-fault provisions with a comprehensive, permanent strict liability regime under Section 164 (granting Rs. 5,00,000 for death and Rs. 2,50,000 for grievous hurt). However, Section 140 remains legally significant for pending claims arising from accidents occurring prior to April 1, 2022.
The statutory omission of Section 140 in 2022 marked the transition from multi-tier compensation claims (interim no-fault under Sec 140 plus fault under Sec 166) to a consolidated system. For accidents occurring prior to April 1, 2022, tribunals continue to apply Section 140 to award immediate interim relief. For all post-2022 accidents, claimants must choose between final structured strict liability under Section 164 or full fault-based compensation under Section 166.