A court has recognized as a work-related accident the death of a factory manager who suffered a brain hemorrhage immediately after a work-related argument with an employee.
According to the legal community on the 31st, the 13th Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court (presided over by Judge Jin Hyun-seop) last month ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the bereaved family of Mr. A against the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, seeking to overturn the agency's decision to deny survivor benefits and funeral expenses.
Mr. A, who oversaw production operations as factory manager at Company B, was found collapsed in a second-floor break room of the factory on March 15, 2024. He was transported to a hospital and diagnosed with intracerebral hemorrhage, but ultimately died despite receiving treatment. On the day of the incident, Mr. A had loudly scolded an employee who was unloading goods from a truck using a crane, asking words to the effect of "Why didn't you bring the work order?" The employee then expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. A's manner of handling the work, and the two were confirmed to have engaged in an argument.
In June of the same year, the bereaved family applied for survivor benefits with the agency, claiming Mr. A's death constituted a work-related accident. However, the agency issued a denial decision, stating, "While it is true that Mr. A had an argument with a fellow worker, in light of the content of the argument, it is difficult to view it as an acute stress factor sufficient to induce a brain hemorrhage." The bereaved family then filed an administrative lawsuit, arguing, "Mr. A performed work that imposed significant physical and mental burden as factory manager, and on the day of the incident, he received considerable mental stress in the course of severely arguing with a colleague."
The court sided with the bereaved family. The court determined that the argument with the fellow worker, combined with Mr. A's physical factors, induced or worsened the brain hemorrhage. The court pointed out, "It is confirmed that Mr. A was in a considerably agitated state, unlike his usual self," and "this does not appear to be a situation that can be lightly regarded as an ordinary or temporary disagreement." The court further ruled, "As someone in a position overseeing production operations, Mr. A is likely to have suffered severe momentary mental stress due to the conflict situation."
