I wonder how much in legal fees ntuc paid for this case. When it comes to lawyers fees, no dispute.
deduct from CEO Yeo salary and year end bonus.
Hear say this chap got no formal insurance training compared with his predecessor Tan Suee Chieh and Tan Kin Lian.
FB Tan Kin Lian,
Singapore District Court judgment against NTUC Income (now known as Income Insurance) for its handling of a civil suit claim by the family of a deceased man.
Here are the key details of the case:
* The Deceased: Mr. Ko Wah, an elderly man who was severely injured in a traffic accident in June 2019 and died five years later (before the damages assessment hearing concluded).
* The Insurer's Role: NTUC Income was the motor insurer of the defendant driver who caused the accident. As the insurer, it took over the defence and would have to pay any judgment against the driver
* The Court's Rebuke: The Deputy Registrar, Kim Bum Soo, sharply criticised NTUC Income for its "wholly unreasonable behaviour," "unfounded objections," and "casually impersonal stonewalling" in resisting legitimate claims by Mr. Ko's son (representing the estate).
* Key Disputed Claims:
* Pain and Suffering/Loss of Amenities: NTUC Income instructed their lawyers to completely deny this claim, arguing that Mr. Ko had been comatose "the entire time" and thus could not have felt pain or suffering. The court rejected this, noting evidence that he had regained some consciousness and would "raise his hand when in pain." The court awarded S$218,000 for this head of damage.
* Medical and Care Expenses: The insurer also objected to seemingly necessary expenses, such as ambulance costs for hospital visits, specific nutritional milk powder, and even some medical expenses that were already covered by MediShield Life, which the judge deemed "callous and meritless."
* Outcome: The court awarded the plaintiff (Mr. Ko's son) a total of more than S$417,000 in damages. The judgment strongly emphasised that NTUC Income's conduct had unnecessarily prolonged the litigation and created hardship for the grieving family.
* Response: Following the public release of the judgment, NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng expressed "deep concern" and stated that Income Insurance "could have done better," emphasising the need to balance rigour with empathy and compassion.
My comment.
I agree with the District Court judgment and with the statement by NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng.
Tan Kin Lian
