The court has ordered Malta Freeport to pay €224,000 to a worker following an accident in 2008. On the day in question, Victor Fenech, at the time 42 years old, was waiting for a container to be loaded onto his truck by a gantry crane.

A 20-foot container was lowered onto his truck but remained unlocked, and as a result when the crane moved back up, so did the container. It then became dislodged and fell onto the truck with a bang, causing Mr Fenech to be violently slammed around his cabin.

As a consequence, he suffered severe injuries to his back, neck and hipbone, resulting in 15% permanent disability. Doctors informed the court that the man requires a hip replacement.

At the time of the incident, the crane was being operated by trainee who had only joined the company a few days before. The court noted that Freeport failed to present enough evidence on why he was operating the crane without supervision, with Judge Anthony Ellul saying that it is the company that must ensure a safe work environment.

The court worked the compensation by taking into consideration the sick leave he had to take, the medical expenses he incurred and included compensation for the permanent disability he suffered.

Lawyers Robert Abela and Albert Zerafa appeared for Mr Fenech.