DURAIRAJ SANTIRAN v SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED

[2024] SGHC 249 High Court (General Division) 18 October 2024 • HC/OC 136/2022 • 63 min read

14 cases cited (11 SG, 3 foreign)

Catchwords

Tort - Negligence - Duty of care Tort - Negligence - Breach of duty

Practice Areas

Tort

Judges (1)

Vinodh Coomaraswamy Delivered

Counsel (10)

Central Chambers Law Corporation Firm East Asia Law Corporation Firm Niru & Co LLC Firm Brenda Tay Counsel Defendant Kanapathi Pillai Nirumalan Counsel Defendant Liew Teck Huat Counsel Defendant Manickam Kasturibai Counsel Claimant Mark Ho Counsel Claimant Phang Cunkuang Counsel Defendant Ramasamy K Chettiar Counsel Claimant

Parties (2)

SINGAPORE AIRLINES LTD Defendant DURAIRAJ SANTIRAN Claimant

Case Significance

Durairaj Santiran v Singapore Airlines Ltd [2024] SGHC 249 was a judgment of Vinodh Coomaraswamy J in the General Division of the High Court, delivered on 18 October 2024 in Originating Claim No 136 of 2022. The claimant, a flight steward employed by Singapore Airlines, brought the action seeking to recover over $1m in damages for personal injuries he suffered on 6 September 2019, when he fell on what he said was a slippery area on the floor of the defendant's aircraft. His case was that his injuries and disabilities were caused by the defendant's breach of its duty of care as his employer to provide a safe place of work and a safe system of work. The defendant denied liability for the injuries, while accepting that the claimant fell on board its aircraft on 6 September 2019.

Summary

Durairaj Santiran, a flight steward employed by Singapore Airlines Ltd, brought a negligence claim against the airline seeking over $1 million in damages for personal injuries sustained when he fell on what he alleged was a slippery area on the floor of an aircraft, contending that the airline had breached its duty as an employer to provide a safe place and system of work. Vinodh Coomaraswamy J dismissed the claim, finding that there was no slippery area on the galley floor and that, in any event, the airline did not breach its duty of care. Given the finding of no breach, the court considered it unnecessary to address causation, the pleaded defences, or quantum.

What was Durairaj Santiran v Singapore Airlines Ltd [2024] SGHC 249 about?

It was a negligence claim by a flight steward against Singapore Airlines, his employer, seeking over $1m in damages for personal injuries from a fall on the aircraft floor on 6 September 2019, alleging breach of the employer's duty to provide a safe workplace.

What was Singapore Airlines' position on liability in this case?

Singapore Airlines denied liability for the claimant's injuries, though it accepted that the claimant, a flight steward, fell on board the defendant's aircraft on 6 September 2019. The case was heard by Vinodh Coomaraswamy J, with judgment delivered on 18 October 2024.

Statutes Cited

Evidence Act (Cap 97) Cases on this Act →

s 62(1)

Cases Cited (14)

SG (1)

[2009] SGHC 49

SLR (10)

[1997] 2 SLR(R) 746 [1999] 3 SLR(R) 377 [2007] 4 SLR(R) 100 [2009] 1 SLR(R) 142 [2010] 1 SLR 786 [2013] 3 SLR 787 [2014] 2 SLR 7 [2014] 3 SLR 562 [2015] 5 SLR 1422 [2023] 2 SLR 234

UK (3)

[1953] AC 180 [1968] 1 WLR 1776 [2012] 1 WLR 3111

Referenced in

Statutes interpreted in this judgment

Evidence Act

Legal concepts & references

Tort — Negligence

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.

Read on eLitigation

Source: eLitigation ([2024] SGHC 249)