A Maltapost employee was awarded compensation of €170,000 today after a court found that he was injured while learning to drive a motorbike in the course of his duties.

Mr Zammit filed his action for damages against Maltapost plc.

He told the court that he was employed as a postman and was ordered by Maltapost to learn to drive a motorbike as this formed part of his duties. Maltapost engaged another employee, Joseph Caruana, to teach Mr Zammit how to drive.

They had been practising in a parking area close to the Lowenbrau factory when Mr Zammit fell off the motorbike and suffered a permanent disability.

Mr Justice Raymond C Pace said in his judgement that it was the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the employees had a safe system of work. While Mr Caruana was licensed to teach motorbike riding, the parking area where the lessons took place was not licensed as a teaching area according to law. As the area was open to the public, this posed a danger to a learner driver.

The court therefore found that Maltapost was liable for the damage sustained by Mr Zammit. After concluding that Mr Zammit had suffered a 35 % permanent disability the court ordered Maltapost to pay him €173,899.25 in damages.