I got injured

The below are a few insurance claim hotlines: 

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If you are injured from an accident and do not know the particulars of the other party that caused the accident, you may file a claim with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. 

You have 3 years from the date of the accident to commence a personal injury claim.

After that, you will generally no longer be able to file a claim.

You may commence a personal injury claim in either the Magistrate’s Court, District Court or High Court, depending on the quantum of claim as set out below: 

You can claim compensation for losses resulting from your injuries, like pain and suffering, future earnings loss, and loss of amenities. You can also claim for financial losses directly caused by the accident, such as medical expenses, transport costs, and vehicle repair costs. Keep relevant documents to prove your claim, like medical invoices, evidence of lost earnings, injury photos, police reports, and insurer's reports.

You won't get compensation for injuries and conditions not caused by the accident. If you have pre-existing conditions, you'll only get compensation for how the accident worsened them.

You can visit Motor Accident Claims Online by the Singapore Academy of Law for an estimate of your potential compensation. Please note that this is only a guide and doesn't predict court outcomes.

Just because you were injured doesn't guarantee compensation.

Consult a lawyer to evaluate your chances of establishing legal liability.

Call your insurer's hotline for a tow car so they can direct you to an authorized workshop.

Avoid unauthorized tow car operators at the accident scene to prevent complications with your claim.

Report the accident at the nearest police station in the country where it happened and call your insurer for further help.

Always report accidents to your insurer, even if you privately settle with the other party.

If you don't report a private settlement and the other party later files a claim against you, your insurer might not help you.

If your injuries are minor and insurance claims provide enough compensation, you might not need legal advice. However, seek legal advice for minor injuries that could worsen, as they might result in future earnings loss or reduced earning capacity, which you could claim compensation for.

If you can privately settle with the other party, you might not need legal advice. However, consult a lawyer before settling so you can determine a fair settlement amount based on your case. Seeking legal advice before negotiating with the other party can help resolve the matter faster.

If you can't privately settle, you may need to start a personal injury claim in court. While you don't need a lawyer to represent you, a personal injury lawyer can help present your case effectively.

Find out more:

• Guide to Accident & Personal Injury Claims by the Legal Aid Bureau
• Guide to starting a civil claim by the Singapore Courts. You are encouraged to consult a lawyer before starting a claim.

Legal guidance and representation:

• Legal Aid: check what legal aid you can apply for here (Note: legal aid is for individuals unable to afford a lawyer, and the application process will likely involve means-testing).
• Find a Lawyer: If you do not qualify for legal aid, you may find a lawyer using the following directories: 
  • Ministry of Law Directory
  • Law Society of Singapore Directory

An "injury at work" usually means accidental personal injuries that happen while you're doing your job. The Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) doesn't limit compensation for physical injuries to just those that happen in your employer's assigned workplace (like an office, construction site, or factory). You can claim compensation for accidents that happen outside the workplace if they're related to your job.

"Injury at work" can also include:

• Accidents in a foreign country where you were sent to work.
• Accidents while traveling to work in non-public transportation run by or for your employer.
• Getting work-related diseases, like muscle and bone disorders, noise-induced deafness, and skin problems.
• Getting a disease from being exposed to biological or chemical agents at work.
• Getting COVID-19 because of exposure during your job.

However, "injury at work" usually won't include injuries that happen outside of work, like:

• Accidents while traveling between home and work in transportation not owned by your employer.
• Hurting yourself on purpose.
• Intentionally making an existing injury worse.
• Hurting yourself while under the influence of alcohol or a non-prescribed prescription drug.

1. All employees engaged under a contract of service or apprenticeship, regardless of their salary, are entitled to claim compensation under WICA if they sustain an “injury at work”. The exceptions are independent contractors, self-employed persons, domestic workers and uniformed personnels (e.g. Members of the Singapore Armed Forces). 
2. Dependents of an employee who died because of a workplace accident can also make a claim on behalf of the employee. 

You have 1 year from the date of accident to file a claim under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). After that, you won't be able to. 

For temporary incapacity, you must:

1. Get medical help right away.
2. Tell your employer.
3. Get a medical certificate from a doctor.
4. Claim medical leave wages or medical bills from your employer using the medical certificate.

For serious or fatal injuries, you must:

1. Report the injury to your employer, who should report it to MOM.
2. Submit a claims processing form given to you by MOM.
3. Go for a medical assessment.
4. Receive a Notice of Assessment (NOA) with the compensation amount.
5. Finally, receive a compensation cheque from your employer within 21 days from the NOA's service date.

For more information, visit MOM's guide on how to claim work injury compensation.

If you're injured at work, you can claim under WICA or common law, but not both. Each option has pros and cons.

Generally, a WICA claim is cheaper, faster, and simpler than a civil claim because you don't need a lawyer and MOM guides you through the process.

However, WICA compensation is based on fixed formulas and limits. With a civil claim, there's no compensation limit, but you must prove your employer is legally liable and show the damages you seek in court. WICA compensation is paid on a no-fault basis if your injury is work-related.

Visit workplace safety and health for more differences and deadlines. If you're considering a civil claim instead of WICA, consult a lawyer for advice.

Your WICA compensation depends on your injury type and severity. Generally, you can claim medical leave wages, medical expenses, or lump sum compensation (for permanent incapacity or death only).

Medical leave wages: You can claim full average monthly earnings for the first 60 days and two-thirds average monthly earnings from the 61st day to 1 year of the accident if you're on hospitalization leave.

Medical expenses: Your employer must pay work accident-related medical expenses up to $45,000 or 1 year from the accident date, whichever comes first. Eligible expenses include consultation fees, ward charges, treatment fees, and medicine costs. You can only claim these expenses if prescribed and billed by a Singapore-registered doctor.

Lump sum compensation: You or your family can claim a lump sum for permanent incapacity, current incapacity, or death. Maximum compensation for permanent or current incapacity is $289,000 x (% permanent incapacity). If your injury causes death, your family or dependents can claim up to $225,000.

Visit workplace safety and health/work injury compensation/types of compensation for compensation formulas and limits.

Your employer has 14 days from the Notice of Assessment (NOA) service date to raise objections.

They can dispute your claim by objecting to a permanent incapacity assessment or by objecting to whether the injury or disease is work-related, or whether your average monthly earnings in the NOA are accurate. 

Disputes are resolved by MOM, and compensation must be paid within 21 days of the resolution.

You generally can't make a civil claim for the same injury if you have a WICA claim, but you can withdraw your WICA claim before the NOA is issued or within 14 days (or 28 days if there are objections) of the NOA service date. The time limit for a civil claim is 3 years from the accident date.

You are strongly encouraged to consult a lawyer before withdrawing your WICA claim to file a civil claim.

Both local and foreign employees can claim under WICA if they have a work contract or apprenticeship, including internships. WICA applies regardless of salary, age, or nationality.

However, it doesn't apply if you're self-employed, an independent contractor, freelance worker, domestic worker, or uniformed personnel (e.g., members of the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Central Narcotics Bureau, or Singapore Prison Service).

You do not need a lawyer if you are pursuing a claim under WICA. However, you will greatly benefit from a lawyer if you are pursuing a civil claim against your employer.

• If your employer refuses to report your work injury claim to MOM, you can contact MOM for help at +65 6438 5122. 

• If you are a foreign worker and your employer wants to send you back to your home country while your WICA claim is still being processed, report this to the ICA officers at the immigration checkpoints immediately, and the officers will assist to contact MOM for you. Alternatively, you can also contact your respective embassies/high commissions for assistance.

Legal guidance and representation:

• Legal Aid: check what legal aid you can apply for here (Note: legal aid is for individuals unable to afford a lawyer, and the application process will likely involve means-testing).
• Find a Lawyer: If you do not qualify for legal aid, you may find a lawyer using the following directories: 
  • Ministry of Law Directory
  • Law Society of Singapore Directory

You generally have 3 years from the accident date to begin a personal injury claim. After that, you'll be unable to do so.

You may commence a personal injury claim in either the Magistrate’s Court, District Court or High Court, depending on the quantum of claim as set out below: 

You can claim compensation for physical injury, including mental suffering and psychiatric harm if it's a recognizable psychiatric illness, like depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Personal injury also covers diseases contracted during employment, such as in an industrial accident.

You can also claim for financial losses resulting from your injury, like medical expenses, lost wages, and future earnings loss or reduced earning capacity.

Briefly, you will need to establish that the responsible party: 

1. Owed you a duty of care.
2. Breached this duty of care.
3. Which caused your injury; and
4. The injury is not unforeseeable. 

The below sets out the key elements required for three common personal injury situations: 

First, in slip-and-fall cases, you need to show that the person responsible (i) had control over the premises, (ii) knew or ought to have known of the dangerous condition, and (iii) failed to correct the danger or warn you about it. 

Second, in product liability cases, when you purchase a consumer product that injures you because it is defective, you need to show that (i) the defective product caused your injury, and (ii) the product was used in a reasonably foreseeable fashion. 

Third, in medical negligence cases, you need to show that the medical professional failed to meet the standard generally applied to a responsible body of medical persons skilled in that field. 

As there is a wide spectrum of possible personal injury situations, the precise elements which you will need to establish vary on a case-by-case basis. In this regard, you are strongly advised to consult a lawyer to advise you. 

Just because you're injured doesn't guarantee compensation. Each case depends on its facts, so consult a lawyer to assess the responsible party's legal liability.

Yes, you'll need a lawyer for legal advice on your claim's merits and likelihood of success. Civil claims in court can be costly and time-consuming, so get legal advice before starting litigation.

Your lawyer's assessment can also help reach a favourable settlement with the responsible party. Your lawyer will advise you on court procedures for filing a civil claim against the responsible party.

Yes, two main alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods can help with personal injury cases: (1) Mediation, and (2) Neutral Evaluation. Note that arbitration is another ADR method but usually requires a pre-existing contract, which doesn't apply to personal injury cases like slip-and-fall incidents. ADR offers ways to settle disputes without going to court.

Mediation involves a mediator helping parties negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement. The mediator doesn't make decisions or force agreements but helps find a win-win solution. A resolution is only reached if all parties agree. Mediation is confidential, and if successful, a binding settlement agreement is signed. If mediation fails, parties may resort to court or other ADR methods.

Neutral Evaluation is when parties seek an evaluator's opinion on their case's merits. It's voluntary, and both parties must agree. After considering the case and evidence, the evaluator gives an assessment of the likely trial outcome. Parties can choose to accept the assessment and be bound by it.

Your choice depends on factors like legal costs, litigation duration, case merits, preserving relationships, and confidentiality.

Mediation is usually the default ADR option because it addresses most concerns and is quick and cost-effective.

If you want an assessment of your case's merits to guide your next steps, Neutral Evaluation might be more suitable.

For more information on the best ADR option for you.

• If you qualify for legal aid, you may register for Pro Bono SG’s free legal clinic for basic legal guidance at community legal clinic.Find out if you qualify for legal aid here.Get Help questionnaire 
• If you do not qualify for legal aid, you may find a lawyer.