Ram (Administrator of the estate of Pearl Baboolal) v Motor and General Insurance Company Ltd

Trinidad and Tobago – Fatal accident. PB was killed in a motor vehicle accident. The appellant administratrix of her estate obtained judgment against the driver. The appellant raised an action against the respondent insurer, which pleaded that it had already paid out the maximum $1m to third parties with claims arising out of the accident and had discharged its contractual liabilities. The appellant was granted summary judgment, but the Court of Appeal of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago allowed the respondent's appeal. The Privy Council, in dismissing the appellant's appeal, held that s 10 of the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third-Party Risks) Act (Ch 48:51) contained no provision authorising the insurer to delay paying a claim established against its insured in order to enable other claimants to catch up so as to allow the rateable payment of multiple claimants on a limited insurance fund.