Motor Accident Claims Online (“MACO”)

An interactive & free-to-use online simulator that replaces the paperback Motor Accident Guide

Introduction

1. 1.  Misplaced your Motor Accident Guide (“MAG”)? You may feel frustrated of not having that old guide to determine liability in the accident before you. Your customer is now waiting for you to tell him if a claim against the Third Party could be made.
2. 2.  Fret not. With the launch of the Motor Accident Claims Online (“MACO”), in a matter of minutes, you can ascertain liability with your electronic device anytime, anywhere. No more riffling through the pages of a wrinkled paperback. Run through this simulator together your customer on a smartphone or computer. We believe this would result in greater professionalism and transparency in the services you offer to your customer.

What is the MACO?

3.  It is a website (https://motoraccidents.lawnet.sg/) which hosts 2 free-to-use  simulators. The simulators provide an indication on liability (i.e. fault) and quantum (for damages in personal injury claims). The MACO is a useful initiative from the Singapore Academy of Law and LawNet.
4.  The simulation outcomes – whether for liability or quantum – are based on legal precedents. Rather than relying on “advice on the ground” from people who are not legally trained, we urge you to use the simulators to assess whether you have a case against a Third Party (in terms of liability), or to assess how much you should expect for your injury claim.

Pros

5.  The pros of the MACO are:

• 1. An interactive version of the increasingly-hard-to find MAG. Suitable for those who don’t like flipping the pages of a book.
  2. No need to create an account or upload documents in order to use the simulation.
  3. Easily accessible: on your smart phone, just type in “Motor Accident Claims Online” in Google. You can figure the rest.
  4. Outdoes the MAG by providing an outcome simulator for quantum of damages (in personal injury claims). Claimants who had been “advised” (by non-lawyers) that they can claim more than $5,000 for a whiplash with 3 days’ of medical leave should have a reality check by running this simulator!

6. The cons of the MACO are:

• 1. The outcome simulator for liability has no scenarios for cyclists and passengers (which the MAG has).
  2. The outcome simulator for liability is based only on your version of events. It does not analyze and compare differing/conflicting versions of events.
  3. 2-vehicle collisions only. Chain collisions and multi-vehicle collisions not covered.
  4. The outcome simulator for quantum of damages covers pain and suffering and loss of amenities only. The simulator does not cover loss of earning capacity, loss of future earnings and future medical expenses.

Conclusion

7. A big thumbs up to the Singapore Academy of Law and Lawnet for bringing this initiative free for public to use. Previously, “advice from the ground” may have lead to inflated/exaggerated expectations in claimants. The MACO is a useful and objective tool to adjust claimants’ expectations for simple and low value injury claims. If you are a motor workshop, using this tool before your increasingly-sophisticated customers will make you look more professional and objective.
8. However, the MACO may not be sufficient for more complicated claims. For example: accidents where there are multiple parties (more than 2) and where parties’ versions of events are conflicting. In these claims, you may need a lawyer to collate and analyze the evidence.