--- title: "Deepika Kumari of King Stubb & Kasiva Highlights Supreme Court’s Clarification on Causal Nexus Under the Motor Vehicles Act" date: 2026-07-31 author: "King Stubb & Kasiva" url: https://ksandk.com/news/causal-nexus-motor-vehicles-act/ --- # Deepika Kumari of King Stubb & Kasiva Highlights Supreme Court’s Clarification on Causal Nexus Under the Motor Vehicles Act Posted On - 31 July, 2026 • By - King Stubb & Kasiva ![](https://ksandk.com/wp-content/uploads/causal-nexus-motor-vehicles-act.png) Deepika Kumari has shared her insights on a significant Supreme Court ruling reaffirming the importance of establishing a causal nexus between the use of a motor vehicle and the injuries sustained for compensation claims under the Motor Vehicles Act. Commenting in a recent Outlook Money article, Deepika observed that the Supreme Court’s decision to set aside compensation awarded to the family of Anand who was found dead three days after he was last seen travelling in the appellant’s vehicle in a case that originated as a murder trial and culminated in an acquittal holds significance well beyond the facts of the case. According to her, the judgment addresses a recurring concern in motor accident jurisprudence: the gradual dilution of the causal-nexus requirement under Sections 165 and 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act. ![](https://ksandk.com/wp-content/uploads/causal-nexus-motor-vehicles-act.png) Deepika noted that Indian courts have, over the years, interpreted the phrase “arising out of the use of a motor vehicle” broadly to ensure that genuine accident victims are not deprived of compensation on technical grounds. While such a liberal approach has strengthened the remedial nature of the legislation, she emphasised that it cannot dispense with the fundamental requirement of proving a connection between the use of the vehicle and the accident or injury. She further explained that, in the present case, both the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal and the High Court had inferred that the fatal injuries were sustained inside the vehicle solely because the deceased had last been seen travelling in it. In doing so, the presence of the vehicle in the factual narrative was effectively treated as sufficient to establish liability, despite the absence of supporting evidence demonstrating the necessary causal link. According to Deepika, the Supreme Court’s ruling restores the appropriate legal balance by reaffirming that while the Motor Vehicles Act is a beneficial legislation warranting a liberal interpretation, compensation cannot be awarded on conjecture or presumption alone. The judgment reinforces that claimants must still establish, through evidence, that the injury or death arose out of the use of the motor vehicle before liability can be imposed. Read the full article here: [https://www.outlookmoney.com/personal-finance/is-mere-presence-of-a-vehicle-enough-for-compensation-under-the-motor-vehicles-act-sc-clarifies](https://www.outlookmoney.com/personal-finance/is-mere-presence-of-a-vehicle-enough-for-compensation-under-the-motor-vehicles-act-sc-clarifies)  *Last Updated on 31 July, 2026* Get King Stubb & Kasiva’s legal updates in your Google feed[![Add King Stubb & Kasiva as a preferred source on Google](https://ksandk.com/wp-content/uploads/google_preferred_source_badge_light_en@2x.png)](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://ksandk.com/) --- ## Office Locations - [New Delhi](https://ksandk.com/locations/top-corporate-law-firm-in-delhi/) (HQ): +91-11-41318190 | info@ksandk.com - [Mumbai](https://ksandk.com/locations/top-corporate-law-firm-in-mumbai/): 3 offices (Nariman Point, Lower Parel, Andheri) | mumbai@ksandk.com - [Bangalore](https://ksandk.com/locations/top-corporate-law-firm-in-bangalore/): bangalore@ksandk.com - [Chennai](https://ksandk.com/locations/chennai/): chennai@ksandk.com - [Hyderabad](https://ksandk.com/locations/hyderabad/): hyderabad@ksandk.com - [Pune](https://ksandk.com/locations/pune/): pune@ksandk.com - [Kochi](https://ksandk.com/locations/kochi/): kochi@ksandk.com ## Contact - [Contact Page](https://ksandk.com/contact-us/) - General: info@ksandk.com | +91-11-41318190 - WhatsApp: +91-7428567444 - [Privacy Statement](https://ksandk.com/privacy-statement/) - [Terms of Use](https://ksandk.com/terms-of-use/)