Spain: an important ruling on courts’ competence in matters related to employer’s liability in case of industrial accident

Last January 29, the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court ruled that only social courts are competent for matters related to the employer's liability in case of work-related accident. This ruling ends a long incertitude on courts' competence in these matters. (Ref. 080198)
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Up to now, both Civil and Social judges and courts considered themselves competent to condemn employers to pay damages to victims of work-related accidents (or to their families) where these accidents were caused by the employer’s breach of health and safety at work rules. This undesirable situation has lasted for more than a decade. Now, the highest Civil court of the country has declared that no civil court or judge in Spain shall declare themselves qualified to adjudicate on this kind of sui

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