Poverty and road traffic injuries are inter-connected, and India has a significant percentage of road accidents involving a motor vehicle and pedestrians/cyclists. Poor people are most likely to be affected in motor vehicle cases and an accident often pushes them further into poverty by increasing the economic burden on their families and curbing their earning potential.

Typically the victims or their families would spend several years before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunals seeking compensation for the accidents that they have suffered. The delay in disbursing compensation would often frustrate the very purpose of seeking redress.

From 2009, at the instance of Justice J R Midha of the Delhi High Court and subsequently approved by the Supreme Court of India, various reforms have been introduced in the scheme of adjudication of motor accident claims.

The modified Procedure that is now in force, has revolutionized motor accident compensation law and claimants can get compensation within 120 days of the accident without having to file a claim petition.