Families in the UK can claim compensation before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in India for death or injury in a road accident, primarily from the insurer of the offending vehicle. Claimants sign the petition and affidavits before a UK notary with an FCDO apostille. Where the deceased earned in the UK, properly proved British income can raise the award considerably. File within six months.
- Document route
- UK notary public, then FCDO apostille
- Time difference
- IST is 4h30 (BST) to 5h30 (GMT) ahead
- Law
- Motor Vehicles Act 1988, as amended in 2019
- Forum
- Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT)
Accident Compensation Claims from the UK: how it works
We obtain the FIR, post-mortem or medical reports and insurance details in India. If the deceased lived and worked in the UK, we need P60s, payslips, HMRC records and an employer letter, notarised and apostilled. Tribunals calculate loss of dependency using income, future prospects, personal expenses and an age-based multiplier, and courts have accepted foreign income in such cases, sometimes with an adjusted multiplier.
The claim is filed where the accident happened or where the driver or owner lives. Claimants in the UK may be examined by video where allowed. Insurers often settle once evidence is filed. The award is deposited and released to each claimant, usually into an NRO account, from which it can be remitted to the UK. Shares of minors are often kept in fixed deposits until they come of age, and we apply for release when the time comes.
What clients in the UK should know
- UK travel insurance may separately cover some medical costs; it does not replace the Indian claim against the vehicle's insurer.
- Interest on the compensation is taxable in India; the compensation is not.
- If you were injured while visiting, keep all UK medical records too; continuing treatment costs can be claimed.
Step by step from the UK
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits the UK, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in the UK
UK notary public, then FCDO apostille
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in the UK where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in the UK. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Accident Compensation Claims, or see all services for clients in the UK and the Disputes & Enforcement practice area.
Questions from clients in the UK
We are all in the UK. Can we claim for our mother's death in India?
Yes. All legal heirs can claim from the UK, signing documents before a notary with an apostille.
Will the tribunal accept UK salary?
Yes, if properly proved, and it is converted into rupees for the calculation.
What is the time limit?
Six months from the accident under section 166(3).