A man injured in an occupational accident in 2002, has been awarded €25,000 in damages. The man still suffers from severe pain in his back, continuous headaches, and apart from other problems, has become partially deaf from his left ear.

Edward Chilton was 44, when the height of two metres while working at the Freeport. He sued his employer General Repairs Ltd, for damages in 2005.

Taking the witness stand he explained that he had been carrying out maintenance works on machinery which was used to load and unload containers. He fell from a height of two metres while carrying out the work and his employer was liable for damages as the company had failed to provide him with a safe system of work.

Although General Repairs Ltd said his claim for damages was exaggerated, it did not contest its liability.

After hearing the reports of the medical experts, the court concluded that Mr Chilton had suffered a nine per cent permanent disability and awarded him €25,000. The court presided by Judge Lorraine Schembri Orland, also heard in court that the man had had another accident and also fell from some height while carrying out a job with his subsequent employer. His condition became so precarious that he could not lift heavy things and work at heights.