“I was only injured because of the company’s negligence.” Which case won?
A case in 2018 concerned the question of whether a contractor’s injuries were caused by negligence of the company where he worked.
A light vehicle mechanic employed by a service company was working as an independent contractor at a landscaping and garden supply company, servicing bulldozers, excavators, forklifts, trucks and wheel loaders across their 15 work sites.
In early 2007, the mechanic was directed to service a Volvo wheel loader that was owned and operated by the landscaping company. The machine had been damaged and the mechanic was unable to realign and fasten the bolts of the “bash plate” on one side. As a short-term solution, the bash plate was welded on, so that the loader could be put back into operation quickly.
Later in 2007 the mechanic was again directed to service the wheel loader. While he was attempting to remove the bash plate, which weighed approximately 200 kilograms, it fell onto the ground, crushing his right arm.