Freeport ordered to pay worker for whiplash injury caused by pothole

A court has ordered the Malta Freeport to compensate a truck driver for a whiplash injury he suffered by droving over a pothole at the terminal.

Vincent Dimech suffered nerve damage and loss of sensation in his left arm in 2009, after his truck hit an 8-inch deep pothole that was filled with rainwater. Dimech spent two months on sick leave, recovering from the injury.

Mr. Justice Anthony Ellul ruled that the Malta Freeport was responsible for the accident as it was an employer’s duty to provide a safe workplace for its employees.

Dimech had requested €10,000 by way of compensation and, in view of the fact that he had already been given €3,350 since the incident, the court ordered his employer to pay the difference, €6,750.

The pothole was subsequently repaired following a traffic management exercise by the Malta Freeport, a year later.