Accident victim characteristics and identification of key parameters for compensation in Indian context

Abstract

ABSTRACT Road accidents generate substantial personal and national losses. Road accidents reduce victims' and their families' productivity, which slows the nation's economic growth. The victim or victim's heir must be compensated for the mishap's losses. It is important to understand traffic accident victims' concerns before calculating and rewarding a suitable compensation. This study examines traffic accident victims' issues. In this paper, the interviews were conducted in two phases: a pilot survey of seven experts and 38 victims/relatives of victims, based on their opinions, the questionnaire was revised, and the final interviews were conducted in the second phase, which included 126 road accident victims and 27 expert interviews. This paper summarises the results of the second phase along with its statistical interpretations. This paper also emphasises traffic accident victims' debilitation and daily issues. Government and local authorities often announce compensation, although they rarely consider a victim's socioeconomic situation. The arbitrarily set amount may provide immediate relief, but it ignores traffic accident victims' socio-demographics. This study will highlight those aspects that will enable policymakers quickly and efficiently decide remuneration for each individual.