New Delhi, Sept. 5 -- The Supreme Court has enhanced the compensation awarded to a woman who was rendered completely blind and suffered severe pelvic injuries in a 2011 road accident from Rs.2.94 crore to Rs.3.77 crore, holding that her continued employment could not be treated as proof that her earning capacity remained unaffected.

In a judgment passed on Thursday, a bench of Justices SVN Bhatti and NV Anjaria held that assessment of functional disability in motor accident compensation cases must focus on a victim's ability to earn in the "open, competitive labour market," rather than merely on the fact that the person continues to retain a job in a "highly accommodated" workplace.

Applying this principle, the Court enhanced the compen...