Chest & torso injuries: what Singapore courts awarded
2 reported judgments · 2 courts · personal-injury quantum
Across 2 reported Singapore judgments we analysed
Across 2 reported Singapore judgments we analysed, pain-and-suffering awards for chest & torso injuries ranged from S$8,500 to S$18,000 (median S$13,250). Each figure is the sum a Singapore court actually awarded for the injury in that case, on its own facts — not a prediction of any future award.
How much do Singapore courts award for chest & torso injuries?
This page reports the damages Singapore courts awarded for chest & torso injuries in 2 reported personal-injury judgments in this corpus, decided between February 2024 and January 2026, heard in the High Court (General Division) (1) and the Magistrate Court (1). Across these judgments the total awards reported range from $236,000 general damages (pain and suffering, component method) in [2024] SGHC 42 to $9,800 general damages + $3,353.71 special damages in [2026] SGMC 3 — the sums the courts arrived at on the specific facts of each case, listed in full below. The heads of damage the courts itemised in these cases include general damages for pain and suffering (traumatic brain injury), general damages for pain and suffering (chest injury), general damages for pain and suffering (shoulder fracture, as agreed), general damages for pain and suffering (abrasions, lacerations and scarring), and general damages (aggregate), among others. In assessing general damages for a bodily injury the Singapore courts work from the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases and then adjust to the facts and medical evidence before them, so the amount in each case turns on its own severity and circumstances and is not a fixed tariff. The judgments below are the primary source, each linking to the full decision; for the wider body of law these sit within, see the tort practice area. The figures are amounts awarded in specific past cases on their own facts — a record of decided awards, not a prediction of any future award. This page is reference information, not legal advice.
These are amounts awarded in specific past cases on their own facts — not a prediction of any future award, and not an estimate of what any particular injury is “worth”. Awards turn on the medical evidence, severity and circumstances of each case. For an assessment of a specific situation, consult a qualified Singapore Advocate & Solicitor.
What Singapore courts awarded for chest & torso injuries. The top row is the range and median of the pain-and-suffering awards across the grounded judgments; each judgment row is the sum that court awarded for the injury itself. Full heads of damage are in the breakdown below.
| Judgment | Pain-and-suffering award (for the injury) | Judgments | Source cases |
|---|---|---|---|
All chest & torso injuries (range across 2 judgments) Pain-and-suffering / general damages the courts awarded for the injury itself (excludes loss of earnings, medical and transport, which are case-specific). | S$8,500 – S$18,000 · median S$13,250 | 2 | |
[2024] SGHC 42 · SGHC Total award in this case: $236,000 general damages (pain and suffering, component method). | S$18,000 | — | |
[2026] SGMC 3 · SGMC Total award in this case: $9,800 general damages + $3,353.71 special damages. | S$8,500 | — |
What did the courts award, case by case?
Each judgment below awarded damages that included chest & torso injuries. The amounts are the sums stated in the judgment, grouped by head of damage; the pain-and-suffering award for the injury is the figure carried into the table above.
Amounts awarded by head of damage
- general damages for pain and suffering (traumatic brain injury)
- $205,000
- general damages for pain and suffering (chest injury) injury PSLA
- $18,000
- general damages for pain and suffering (shoulder fracture, as agreed)
- $5,000
- general damages for pain and suffering (abrasions, lacerations and scarring)
- $8,000
- general damages (aggregate)
- $236,000
On the assessment of damages for very severe injuries sustained by a Senior Staff Sergeant flung from a motorcycle in a road traffic accident, the court applied the component method to general damages and, applying the Singapore Actuarial Tables, considered whether an additional discount should apply to awards for loss of future earnings and other future losses calculated on those tables.
Amounts awarded by head of damage
- pain and suffering (chest injury — four rib fractures) injury PSLA
- $8,500
- pain and suffering (abrasions, left elbow and left knee)
- $650 each
- general damages (global)
- $9,800
- special damages (global)
- $3,353.71
On assessing general damages for multiple rib fractures, the court applied the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases (at p 59) and the bracket discussion in Long Hean Kuang, assessing the chest injury below the starting quantum because four (not seven) ribs were fractured and there were no complications.
How Singapore courts assess these awards
General damages for personal injury in Singapore are assessed against the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases. The figures above are the amounts the courts arrived at in the individual judgments, applying that framework to the facts and medical evidence before them. This page links to each judgment as the primary source rather than reproducing the Guidelines, and reports those decided awards; it is not legal advice.
Key questions about chest & torso injuries
How much have Singapore courts awarded for chest & torso injuries?
In this corpus, total awards in judgments involving chest & torso injuries ranged from $236,000 general damages (pain and suffering, component method) in [2024] SGHC 42 down to $9,800 general damages + $3,353.71 special damages in [2026] SGMC 3. These are the sums the courts awarded on the facts of each case — a record of past decisions, not an average and not a prediction of any future award. Each judgment is listed below with its full breakdown by head of damage.
Which Singapore cases awarded damages for chest & torso injuries?
Reported Singapore judgments in this corpus that awarded damages including chest & torso injuries are [2024] SGHC 42 and [2026] SGMC 3. Each links to the full decision, with the amounts the court awarded set out by head of damage.
What heads of damage did the courts award for chest & torso injuries?
In these judgments the courts itemised heads of damage including general damages for pain and suffering (traumatic brain injury), general damages for pain and suffering (chest injury), general damages for pain and suffering (shoulder fracture, as agreed), general damages for pain and suffering (abrasions, lacerations and scarring), general damages (aggregate), and pain and suffering (chest injury — four rib fractures). General damages compensate the pain, suffering and loss of amenity of the injury itself; proven financial losses such as medical expenses and loss of earnings are awarded separately as special damages. The exact amount under each head in each case is listed below.
How do Singapore courts decide damages for chest & torso injuries?
The court assesses general damages against the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases and applies them to the facts — the nature and severity of the injury, the degree and permanence of any disability, and the awards made in comparable decided cases. The amounts on this page are what the courts awarded in the specific judgments below; they are reported as a record of those decisions, not as a tariff.
Related
Source judgments
Every figure on this page is drawn from a reported Singapore judgment. The cases below are the primary sources; each links to its full judgment.
- [2024] SGHC 42 — Rajina Sharma d/o Rajandran v Theyvasigamani s/o Periasamy & Anor · primary source
- [2026] SGMC 3 — Wen Hanrong v Huationg Contractor Pte Ltd & Anor · primary source
Compiled by the SG Case Law editorial team from primary sources — the judgments themselves and Singapore Statutes Online (sso.agc.gov.sg). · Updated 10 July 2026 · How we compile this
Last updated .