- General damages compensate for pain and suffering and loss of amenity, the reduced enjoyment of life an injury causes.
- Special damages repay money you have actually lost, such as medical bills, transport and lost earnings.
- Future losses, such as future medical treatment and loss of future earnings or earning capacity, can also be claimed.
- Every expense needs evidence, so keep receipts, payslips and medical certificates.
General damages
General damages compensate for losses that have no receipt: the pain and suffering of the injury, and loss of amenity, meaning the ways the injury limits your daily life, work or hobbies. Scarring, disfigurement and lasting disability are taken into account, and so can mental harm where it is supported by medical evidence.
There is no fixed price list. Courts in Singapore refer to published guidelines for the assessment of general damages and to earlier decisions on similar injuries. Lawyers and insurers use the same reference points when negotiating, which is why figures quoted online for a particular injury vary so widely.
Special damages
Special damages repay the financial losses you can prove up to the date of settlement or trial. They commonly include:
- medical and hospital bills, physiotherapy and medication
- transport to and from treatment
- earnings lost while you were unable to work
- the cost of help at home
- repairs to your vehicle and other damaged property
Because these are actual losses, each one needs evidence. Keep every receipt, invoice, payslip and medical certificate, and note the dates of your appointments.
Future losses
A serious injury can affect you long after a claim is settled. Compensation can also cover future medical and rehabilitation costs, loss of future earnings if you can't return to the same work, loss of earning capacity if the injury puts you at a disadvantage in the job market, and the cost of care or changes to daily living.
Different firms group these under general or special damages in different ways. What matters is that each loss is identified and supported by medical and financial evidence.
Things that can affect the amount
If you were partly to blame for the accident, your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault. A pre-existing condition does not stop you claiming, but it may be taken into account in working out what the accident itself caused.
This article is general information on Singapore law and is not legal advice. Rules and agency policies change, and every situation is different. For advice on your own circumstances, speak with one of our lawyers.
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