The Supreme Court has said insurance companies are not liable to pay compensation to the families of individuals who die as a result of their rash and reckless driving.

A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan refused to grant 80 lakh compensation sought by the wife, son and parents of a man who died while driving a car at high speed.

The top court refused to interfere with the Karnataka High Court's order dated November 23 last year, which had dismissed the plea filed by the deceased legal heirs claiming compensation.

"We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment passed by the high court. Hence, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed," the bench said in an order passed on Wednesday.

On June 18, 2014, one N S Ravisha was driving from Mallasandra village to Arasikere town when the accident took place. His father, sister and their children were travelling in the car.

The court found that Ravisha negligently drove the car without following traffic rules and lost control of the vehicle, which toppled onto the road. Ravisha sustained fatal injuries in the accident.

The high court held that because “the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the deceased himself and he being self-torfeasor, the legal heirs cannot claim any compensation for his death, otherwise it would amount to a person who committed breach getting compensation for his wrongs.”