Nandakeerthi v. Karunawathie – sllr 2004 volume 1 page 205

In the case between the Plaintiff-Respondent (the putative wife of the deceased) and the Defendant-Appellant (the driver implicated in the fatal accident), the court addressed whether a plaintiff, not being the lawful widow, may qualify as a dependant under lex Acquilia for purposes of compensation following a fatal motor accident. It was held that dependency, rather than formal legal marital status, determines the right to claim damages for negligence in such circumstances. The principle reaffirmed that the right to sue under lex Acquilia arises from harm suffered as a dependant, irrespective of inheritance rights. The decision relied on analysis of relevant precedents, distinguishing earlier cases where the context or facts differed, and emphasized that the claimant’s lack of formal marr