BAEK JONGWOO v JOHN S/O SUSARETNAM

Q: Which legislation does [2025] SGDC 312 consider?

The judgment refers to Road Traffic Act (Cap 276). The statutes cited are listed in full on this page, each linking to its primary text.

[2025] SGDC 312 District Court 4 December 2025 DC/OC 630/2024 · HC/DCA 21/2025 32 min read

6 cases cited (4 SG, 2 foreign)

Key facts

Court	District Court
Decided	4 December 2025
Judge	Tay Jingxi
Charges / claim	Tort
Counsel	Tan Chin Hoe & Co, Winston Low and Partners, Cynthiya C Charles Christy, Low Kuang Ting Winston, Tan Seng Chew Richard

Source: [2025] SGDC 312, District Court, decided 4 December 2025 — eLitigation. Updated 3 July 2026.

Catchwords

Tort – Negligence – Breach of duty Tort – Negligence – Contributory negligence – Passenger’s duty to fasten seatbelt whilst on board a vehicle

Practice Areas

Tort

Judges (1)

Tay Jingxi Delivered

Counsel (5)

Tan Chin Hoe & Co Firm Winston Low and Partners Firm Cynthiya C Charles Christy Counsel Defendant Low Kuang Ting Winston Counsel Plaintiff Tan Seng Chew Richard Counsel Defendant

Parties (2)

Baek Jongwoo Plaintiff John s/o Susaretnam Defendant

Case Significance

[2025] SGDC 312 is a District Court decision dated 4 December 2025 concerning Tort, specifically addressing negligence. The judgment was delivered by Tay Jingxi. The case was brought by Baek Jongwoo (plaintiff) against John s/o Susaretnam (defendant). Legal representation was provided by Winston Low and Partners and Tan Chin Hoe & Co. The judgment cites 6 cases (4 Singapore, 2 foreign) and references 1 statutory provision, namely the Road Traffic Act.

[2025] SGDC 312 explained

BAEK JONGWOO v JOHN S/O SUSARETNAM ([2025] SGDC 312) is a Singapore judgment decided by the District Court on 4 December 2025. It is categorised under Tort. It is a recent decision; within this corpus no later judgment has cited it yet. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.

What is [2025] SGDC 312 about?

BAEK JONGWOO v JOHN S/O SUSARETNAM ([2025] SGDC 312) is a District Court decision from 2025. Its published catchwords are “Tort – Negligence – Breach of duty” and “Tort – Negligence – Contributory negligence – Passenger’s duty to fasten seatbelt whilst on board a vehicle”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.

Which legislation does [2025] SGDC 312 consider?

The judgment refers to Road Traffic Act (Cap 276). The statutes cited are listed in full on this page, each linking to its primary text.

Summary

A rear-seat passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt sued the driver after sustaining injuries when the car collided with a third-party vehicle at a junction along Anson Road and Maxwell Road. The key issue was the apportionment of liability, particularly whether the passenger's failure to wear a seatbelt constituted contributory negligence. The District Court found the driver liable but apportioned 20% contributory negligence to the passenger for failing to fasten his seatbelt, holding that adult passengers should know to buckle up without being told.

What was decided in [2025] SGDC 312?

[2025] SGDC 312 (BAEK JONGWOO v JOHN S/O SUSARETNAM) is a District Court decision from 4 December 2025 addressing Tort, specifically negligence. The judgment was delivered by Tay Jingxi.

Who were the parties in BAEK JONGWOO v JOHN S/O SUSARETNAM ([2025] SGDC 312)?

The plaintiff in [2025] SGDC 312 was Baek Jongwoo, and the defendant was John s/o Susaretnam. Legal representation included Winston Low and Partners and Tan Chin Hoe & Co. The case was decided on 4 December 2025 in the District Court.