Rajendran v Dril-Quip: Negligence Claim for Back Injury in Workplace
In Rajendran A/L Palany v Dril-Quip Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, the High Court of Singapore heard a negligence claim by Rajendran, a former employee of Dril-Quip, for a back injury sustained at work. Rajendran alleged that Dril-Quip breached its statutory duties and was negligent in failing to provide a safe system of work. The court found Dril-Quip liable for 40% of the damages, citing the unsafe system of work and the pressure on employees to match the performance of a stronger manager. The court awarded the plaintiff 60% of the costs.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Judgment for Plaintiff
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Rajendran sued Dril-Quip for negligence after sustaining a back injury at work. The court found Dril-Quip liable for failing to provide a safe system of work.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajendran A/L Palany | Plaintiff | Individual | Judgment for Plaintiff | Partial | S Gogulakannan |
| Dril-Quip Asia Pacific Pte Ltd | Defendant | Corporation | Judgment against Defendant | Lost | Simon Yuen |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Lai Kew Chai | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| S Gogulakannan | S K Kumar & Associates |
| Simon Yuen | Tan & Lim |
4. Facts
- Plaintiff was employed as a Fitter Grade B by the defendant.
- Plaintiff sustained a central disc prolapse while stacking connectors.
- Defendant's Operations Manager, Mr. Doug Harrison, was much stronger than the plaintiff.
- Mr. Harrison directed the plaintiff to load connections onto pallets.
- Plaintiff was pressured to match Mr. Harrison's stacking rate.
- The system of work was unsafe due to the urgent circumstances.
- Plaintiff volunteered for overtime, exacerbating his condition.
5. Formal Citations
- Rajendran A/L Palany v Dril-Quip Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Suit 109/2000A, [2000] SGHC 245
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff commenced employment with the defendants. | |
| Plaintiff sustained a back injury at the accident site. | |
| Plaintiff worked overtime unloading and stacking pipes. | |
| Plaintiff consulted Dr. Fong for back problems. | |
| Plaintiff experienced a recurrence of acute L5 radiculopathy. | |
| Plaintiff admitted for surgical management. | |
| Plaintiff referred to Dr. Mitra for back pain. | |
| Dr. Kanda Pillay's report on plaintiff's condition. | |
| Judgment delivered. |
7. Legal Issues
- Negligence
- Outcome: The court found the defendant negligent for failing to provide a safe system of work, leading to the plaintiff's injury.
- Category: Substantive
- Sub-Issues:
- Failure to provide a safe system of work
- Foreseeability of injury
8. Remedies Sought
- Damages
- Special Damages
9. Cause of Actions
- Negligence
- Breach of Statutory Duty
10. Practice Areas
- Personal Injury
- Workplace Injury
11. Industries
- Oil and Gas
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No cited cases | |||||
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| No applicable statutes | |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Connectors
- Prolapsed intervertebral disc
- Safe system of work
- Stacking
- Forklift
- Pallets
15.2 Keywords
- Negligence
- Workplace injury
- Back injury
- Dril-Quip
- Singapore
- High Court
16. Subjects
- Workplace Injury
- Personal Injury
- Negligence
17. Areas of Law
- Negligence
- Employment Law
- Tort Law