Duty of Care

The widow of a man who killed himself six years after an accident at work should be compensated by his employers, the House of Lords has ruled. Thomas Corr suffered a serious head injury at work in 1996, and had reconstructive surgery. He later experienced flashbacks and nightmares, drank more alcohol than before the accident and became bad-tempered. He committed suicide in 2002. His employer, IBC Vehicles, admitted liability for the workplace accident, but denied responsibility for the suicide. However, the law lords held that Mr Corr’s illness was a direct result of his employer’s negligence—the employer owed Mr Corr a duty of care, and the breach of that duty caused him injury, both physical and psychological.