Goh Yang Hui v. Soon Teck Soon: Negligence and Liability for Road Accident Injuries
In Goh Yang Hui (committee of the person and estate of Chua Jie Liang Samuel, mentally disordered) v Soon Teck Soon, the High Court of Singapore ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Goh Yang Hui, finding the defendant, Soon Teck Soon, liable for negligence in a road accident that severely injured Chua Jie Liang Samuel. The accident occurred on April 1, 2009, on the Pan-Island Expressway. The court determined that Soon Teck Soon breached his duty of care by failing to keep a proper lookout and driving at an excessive speed, leading to the accident. The court dismissed the defendant's claim of contributory negligence on Chua's part and granted interlocutory judgment to the plaintiff, with damages to be assessed by the Registrar.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Judgment for Plaintiff
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
The High Court found Soon Teck Soon liable for negligence in a road accident that severely injured Chua Jie Liang Samuel, dismissing claims of contributory negligence.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goh Yang Hui (committee of the person and estate of Chua Jie Liang Samuel, mentally disordered) | Plaintiff | Individual | Judgment for Plaintiff | Won | |
| Soon Teck Soon | Defendant | Individual | Claim Dismissed | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Ang | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
4. Facts
- Chua was driving on the PIE when he stopped due to a prior accident.
- Soon Teck Soon was driving his taxi on the PIE.
- Chua exited his vehicle and attempted to cross the PIE.
- Soon Teck Soon's taxi collided with Chua, causing severe injuries.
- Soon Teck Soon accepted a composition for careless driving.
- Chua sustained severe head and brain injuries as a result of the accident.
5. Formal Citations
- Goh Yang Hui (committee of the person and estate of Chua Jie Liang Samuel, mentally disordered) v Soon Teck Soon, Suit No 241 of 2012, [2013] SGHC 67
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Road accident occurred | |
| Goh Yang Hui appointed as the Committee of the Person and Estate of Chua Jie Liang Samuel | |
| Plaintiff brought suit against the Defendant | |
| Judgment reserved |
7. Legal Issues
- Breach of Duty of Care
- Outcome: The court found that the defendant breached his duty of care to the injured party.
- Category: Substantive
- Sub-Issues:
- Failure to keep a proper look-out
- Excessive speed
- Related Cases:
- [2005] SGHC 157
- Contributory Negligence
- Outcome: The court found that there was no contributory negligence on the part of the injured party.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Monetary Damages
9. Cause of Actions
- Negligence
10. Practice Areas
- Personal Injury
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
11. Industries
- Transportation
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tan Siok Yee (suing by committee of the person and estate, Liew Chee Kong) v Chong Voon Kee Ivan | High Court | Yes | [2005] SGHC 157 | Singapore | Cited for the duty of a motorist to use reasonable care to avoid causing damage to persons, vehicles or property on the highway. |
| Powell v Phillips | N/A | Yes | [1972] 3 All ER 864 | N/A | Cited for the principle that the commission of a statutory offence is one of the circumstances which the Plaintiff is entitled to rely on in establishing the Defendant’s negligence. |
| Cheong Ghim Fah v Murugian s/o Rangasamy | N/A | Yes | [2004] 1 SLR(R) 628 | Singapore | Cited for the principle that a motorist must adjust his speed to suit the road conditions and keep a proper look-out. |
| Tart v G W Chitty and Company, Limited | N/A | Yes | [1933] 2 KB 453 | N/A | Cited for the principle that a driver is bound to anticipate that there may be people or animals or things in the way at any moment. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Mental Disorders and Treatment Act (Cap 178, 1985 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
| Road Traffic (Composition of Offences) Rules (Cap 276, R 29, 2008 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
| Highway Code (Cap 276, R 11, 1990 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
| Road Traffic Act (Cap 276, 2004 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Road accident
- Negligence
- Duty of care
- Contributory negligence
- Excessive speed
- Proper look-out
- Personal injury
- Interlocutory judgment
15.2 Keywords
- Road accident
- Negligence
- Personal injury
- Singapore
- High Court
- Traffic Law
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Automobile Accidents | 90 |
| Personal Injury | 70 |
| Negligence | 60 |
| Road Traffic Act | 50 |
| Road Traffic Accident Law | 40 |
| Contract Law | 10 |
16. Subjects
- Tort
- Negligence
- Motor Vehicle Accident