The First Hall of the Civil Court has ordered Maltacom plc to pay over Lm20,000 damages to an employee who was injured at his workplace.

Alfred Spiteri, together with his wife Maria Dolores, filed their writ before Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo.

They claimed Spiteri sustained a permanent disability while working at Maltacom's Birkirkara branch when the chair he was sitting on collapsed. The court was requested to order Maltacom plc to make good the damages sustained by plaintiff. The company pleaded that Spiteri had not sustained any permanent injury and that, furthermore, any accident that might have occurred was Spiteri's responsibility.

Mr Justice Caruana Demajo noted in his judgment that it was Maltacom's responsibility, as an employer, to provide a safe working environment. The company had failed in this regard for it had provided Spiteri with a chair that was not suitable for daily use.

In liquidating the damages the court noted that the various medical experts who had examined Spiteri had concluded that he had sustained a permanent injury, save for the medical expert appointed at Maltacom's request.

The court added that none of the experts was aware that Spiteri had hurt his back in another accident some years previously.

After taking this factor into consideration the court awarded Spiteri damages to the tune of Lm20,940.72 based on the conclusion that he had sustained a 20 per cent permanent disability.

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