Fraser v The State Hospitals Board for Scotland: OHCS 11 Jul 2000

An employer has a duty to take reasonable care to avoid for his employees unnecessary risk of injury including psychiatric and not merely physical injury, but that duty does not extend to a duty to avoid an employee experiencing unpleasant emotions short of such injury. Complication has been caused in this area of law because of its involvement with a related issue of a distinction between those suffering primary and secondary injuries, for example as witnesses of an event.

Judges:

Lord Carloway

Citations:

Times 12-Sep-2000, [2000] ScotCS 191, 2001 SLT 1051

Links:

Bailii, ScotC

Jurisdiction:

Scotland

Citing:

CitedWalker v Northumberland County Council QBD 16-Nov-1994
The plaintiff was a manager within the social services department. He suffered a mental breakdown in 1986, and had four months off work. His employers had refused to provide the increased support he requested. He had returned to work, but again, did . .

Cited by:

CitedSimmons v British Steel plc HL 29-Apr-2004
The claimant was injured at work as a consequence of the defender’s negligence. His injuries became more severe, and he came to suffer a disabling depression.
Held: the Inner House had been wrong to characterise the Outer House decision as . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Personal Injury, Scotland, Health and Safety

Updated: 09 July 2022; Ref: scu.169271