Director Personal Liability for Workplace Injury Negligence

A worker, injured while operating machinery on the premises of a business that subsequently ceased operations, sued the director of that business for damages, arguing the director was personally liable for the accident due to negligence in supervising the machinery's maintenance. The lower court dismissed the suit, finding that the director, acting in their official capacity, could not be personally liable for faults inherent in the management of the company's affairs. The High Court quashed the lower court's decision, reasoning that a company director can be held personally liable for damages caused by their fault, even if that fault occurred during the execution of their mandate, provided the fault constitutes a personal breach of a general legal duty owed to the injured party, distinct from the duties owed to the company itself.