What IRDAI states

Hari Ananthakrishnan, who retired as chief general manager (legal) of IRDAI, the insurance regulator, said the court or tribunal will not only look into the cause of the accident but also the coverage of the insurance policy. “The minimum cover mandated under the Motor Vehicles Act does not cover ‘gratuitous passengers’ travelling in private vehicles, they are insured under a comprehensive policy. In such cases, the tribunal will look into all the aspects before awarding compensation, including adherence to provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, such as wearing seat belts,” Ananthakrishnan told Times of India.