I slipped in a shopping mall. Is the occupier liable?

What the Law Says

In Singapore, liability for injuries on premises is governed by the Civil Law Act, which sets out the duty of care owed by occupiers to visitors.

Under Singapore law, an occupier — such as the owner or manager of a shopping mall — owes a duty to take reasonable care to ensure that persons entering the premises are reasonably safe while using them for the purposes for which they are invited or permitted to be there.

This duty applies regardless of whether the visitor is a customer, delivery person, or contractor. It does not mean the occupier must guarantee absolute safety, but rather that they must act as a reasonable person would in the circumstances — for example, by cleaning spills promptly, placing warning signs, or repairing hazards.

The standard is objective: it depends on what a reasonable occupier would have done, considering factors like the nature of the hazard, how long it had been present, how busy the area was, and whether warnings or preventive measures were feasible.

Statutory Text

In any action for damages for negligence, nuisance or breach of statutory duty where damage is caused partly by the fault of the person suffering the damage and partly by the fault of any other person, a claim shall not be defeated by reason of the fault of the person suffering the damage, but the damages recoverable in respect thereof shall be reduced to such extent as the court thinks just and equitable having regard to the claimant's share in the responsibility for the damage.

— Civil Law Act, s. 3 — Apportionment of liability

What to Do

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