Scaffolding worker awarded $752,000 after skylight fall; insurer to pay due to employer liquidation
A scaffolding employee received over $752,000 in damages for a 2023 skylight fall, with the ACT Workers' Compensation Default Insurance Fund Manager ordered to pay because the former employer is in liquidation.
Acting Justice Michael Elkaim determined that the worker’s former company was clearly negligent after the 2023 accident where the employee fell through a skylight. The judge dismissed parts of the defence as implausible and awarded more than $752,000 for past and future injuries. With the employer now insolvent, the court directed the ACT Workers' Compensation Default Insurance Fund Manager to cover the award.
Why it matters
It shows how workers can still be compensated for injuries even when their employer goes bankrupt.
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