Driven to suicide

THE Supreme Court has ruled that the suicide of a Sevilla bus driver was a work-related accident.

He committed suicide due work-related stress and his widow and children will receive compensation based on a work accident.

In 2005, he had an accident at work and required a doctor for a nervous breakdown and stress which caused digestive problems. The doctor recommended eating at set hours but the Municipal Sevilla Urban Transport Society (Tussam) refused.

In 2007, there was a strike and assets belonging to Tussam were damaged. The driver was arrested, but he was declared innocent. The company appealed this decision and opened disciplinary proceedings against him. Although the case was dropped, by then, he had committed suicide.

In November 2008, while working, he took a different route, drove for a while and then parked at a filling station, called the emergency services and said he felt unwell and didn’t know where he was.

The Andalucian Supreme Court of Justice considered it a work-related accident, but the company appealed. However, the Supreme Court has now confirmed the sentence and the company will also have to pay legal costs. 

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