Scarring & disfigurement: what Singapore courts awarded
2 reported judgments · 1 court · 17 reported awards
This page reports the damages Singapore courts awarded for scarring & disfigurement in 2 reported personal-injury judgments in this corpus, decided between September 2025 and March 2026, heard in the District Court (2). Across these judgments the total awards reported range from $134,261.80 in [2025] SGDC 260 to $56,350 (100% basis) in [2026] SGDC 106 — 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 pain and suffering (comminuted segmental fracture of right proximal tibia with posterior cruciate ligament rupture), pain and suffering (tibial plateau fracture, left leg), pain and suffering (multiple scars on right leg), pain and suffering (laceration on left leg), and pre-trial loss of earnings (87 compensable days at $954.40/day), 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 did the courts award for scarring & disfigurement?
Each judgment below awarded damages that included scarring & disfigurement. The amounts are the sums stated in the judgment, grouped by head of damage.
Amounts awarded by head of damage
- pain and suffering (comminuted segmental fracture of right proximal tibia with posterior cruciate ligament rupture)
- The court awarded $25,000 for pain and suffering (comminuted segmental fracture of right proximal tibia with posterior cruciate ligament rupture).
- pain and suffering (tibial plateau fracture, left leg)
- The court awarded $17,000 for pain and suffering (tibial plateau fracture, left leg).
- pain and suffering (multiple scars on right leg)
- The court awarded $7,000 for pain and suffering (multiple scars on right leg).
- pain and suffering (laceration on left leg)
- The court awarded $1,200 for pain and suffering (laceration on left leg).
- pre-trial loss of earnings (87 compensable days at $954.40/day)
- The court awarded $83,032.80 for pre-trial loss of earnings (87 compensable days at $954.40/day).
- medical expenses
- The court awarded $689 for medical expenses.
- transport expenses
- The court awarded $340 for transport expenses.
After finding the builder (2nd defendant) owed and breached a duty of care for an automated gate that fell on the claimant — and that the architect (1st defendant) owed no such duty — the court assessed damages for bilateral leg fractures, scarring and pre-trial loss of earnings (excluding the COVID-19 circuit-breaker days from the loss period).
Amounts awarded by head of damage
- pain and suffering (left knee injuries)
- The court awarded $11,500 for pain and suffering (left knee injuries).
- pain and suffering (injuries to the feet)
- The court awarded $6,000 for pain and suffering (injuries to the feet).
- pain and suffering (scars)
- The court awarded $4,000 for pain and suffering (scars).
- pain and suffering (post-traumatic stress disorder)
- The court awarded $3,000 for pain and suffering (post-traumatic stress disorder).
- pain and suffering (head injuries)
- The court awarded $3,000 for pain and suffering (head injuries).
- loss of earning capacity
- The court awarded $5,000 for loss of earning capacity.
- pre-trial loss of earnings
- The court awarded $14,021.51 for pre-trial loss of earnings.
- future medical expenses
- The court awarded $4,000 for future medical expenses.
- future transport expenses
- The court awarded $380 for future transport expenses.
- medical expenses
- The court awarded $5,448.94 for medical expenses.
On a full assessment of damages for a range of injuries (left knee, feet, scars, post-traumatic stress disorder and head), the court itemised each head of general and special damages, applying conservative per-trip transport estimates following Tan Hun Boon.
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.
Related
Key questions about scarring & disfigurement
How much have Singapore courts awarded for scarring & disfigurement?
In this corpus, total awards in judgments involving scarring & disfigurement ranged from $134,261.80 in [2025] SGDC 260 down to $56,350 (100% basis) in [2026] SGDC 106. 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 scarring & disfigurement?
Reported Singapore judgments in this corpus that awarded damages including scarring & disfigurement are [2025] SGDC 260 and [2026] SGDC 106. 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 scarring & disfigurement?
In these judgments the courts itemised heads of damage including pain and suffering (comminuted segmental fracture of right proximal tibia with posterior cruciate ligament rupture), pain and suffering (tibial plateau fracture, left leg), pain and suffering (multiple scars on right leg), pain and suffering (laceration on left leg), pre-trial loss of earnings (87 compensable days at $954.40/day), and medical expenses. 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 scarring & disfigurement?
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.
Compiled by the SG Case Law editorial team from primary sources — the judgments themselves and Singapore Statutes Online (sso.agc.gov.sg). · Updated 18 June 2026 · How we compile this