A South Korean court has recognized the death of a factory manager from a brain hemorrhage, which occurred shortly after a heated argument with a colleague, as a work-related injury. The ruling emphasized that even with pre-existing conditions, significant stress experienced during work can establish a causal link to such medical events.
On May 31, legal sources reported that the Seoul Administrative Court's 13th Division, led by Judge Jin Hyun-seob, ruled in favor of the family of the deceased manager, identified as A, in a lawsuit against the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service. The family sought compensation for bereavement and funeral expenses, which had been denied by the agency.
In March 2024, A, who was overseeing production, engaged in a fierce argument with a colleague over the receipt of work orders. The dispute continued for about ten minutes even after they moved to the break room. Shortly after the argument, A complained of sudden fatigue and lay down, only to be found unconscious by factory staff. He was later diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage and died a month later.
The family claimed that A's death was a work-related injury and requested compensation, but the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service rejected their claim.
The agency argued that the argument did not constitute acute stress severe enough to cause a brain hemorrhage and attributed the cause of death to A's personal health factors, including hypertension and a history of smoking. Consequently, the family filed a lawsuit against the agency.
After the trial, the court ruled in favor of the family. The judges noted, "Given that A collapsed immediately after the argument, there is a significant causal relationship between his work and his death," and overturned the agency's decision. They determined that A was in an unusually agitated state during the dispute, which could not be dismissed as a mere disagreement.
The court also highlighted that A had no prior history of cerebrovascular disease, suggesting that the mental stress from the conflict with his colleague could have interacted with any underlying conditions to trigger a sudden change in his vascular health.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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