In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court held that the legal heirs of a negligent driver are not entitled to compensation under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The case involved N.S. Ravisha, who died in an accident while driving a borrowed car in a rash and negligent manner. His family sought ₹80 lakhs compensation, which was rejected by the MACT and later upheld by the Karnataka High Court. A bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan reaffirmed the tortfeasor doctrine, stating that compensation cannot be awarded when the deceased was solely responsible for the accident. The Court relied on precedents like Ningamma v. United India Insurance Co. Ltd. and Minu B. Mehta v. Balkrishna Nayan, ruling that a borrower assumes the legal liability of the owner. The insurance company’s refusal to compensate was upheld, reinforcing that no claim lies when the insured dies due to self-caused negligence.