EMPLOYER LIABLE FOR SUICIDE AFTER ACCIDENT AT WORK

March 10th, 2008 Hinchliffes

The House of Lords has ruled that an employer is responsible for the suicide of an employee after an accident at work, because his depression was caused by the injuries he sustained in the accident.

The House of Lords told the widow of deceased worker, Thomas Corr, that she should receive personal injury compensation from the employer because the suicide was a consequence of an industrial accident.

Mr Corr threw himself from a multi-storey car park in May 2002 after an accident at work in which he was hit on the head by a metal panel, which had left him with severe headaches, unsteadiness and trouble sleeping.

Five Law Lords upheld an earlier Court of Appeal decision that the employer, IBC Vehicles, was liable. The company previously admitted responsibility for the work accident, but denied that its liability covered the depression related suicide.

Lord Walker said: “It was not disputed by IBC that Mr Corr’s severe clinical depression was the result … of the severe physical injuries and shock which he sustained in the accident.”

COMMENT:-

This is a welcome clarification of the law concerning the extent of recoverable financial losses. On this occasion, the beneficiary of the injury compensation was the widow, whose financial situation was otherwise going to be very difficult because of the reduction in household income due to her husband’s death. Depression is not uncommon following an accident and it is important that personal injury claim solicitors give proper consideration to the recovery of this type of compensation.

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM SOLICITORS:-

If you have suffered any form of accident at work contact personal injury specialists Hinchliffes Solicitors for immediate legal advice, to find out if you are entitled to make claims for injury compensation.

Call now on 0800 138 1348 to speak direct to a personal injury lawyer or go to our Start Your Claim Now page to submit details of your personal injury claim online.