A Queensland woman who suffered serious injuries after falling from a stage at a Hobart venue more than a decade ago has been awarded over $600,000 in damages.
The Supreme Court this week found the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia liable for negligence and ordered it to pay $614,045.70 in compensation.
The payout includes $90,000 for pain and suffering, $400,000 for lost earnings and $124,045.70 to cover superannuation losses and medical expenses.
The incident occurred on October 4, 2013, when the then 49-year-old woman was working as an events manager for a law conference.
As she stepped down from the stage at the Baha’i Centre of Learning, she placed her foot on a wooden box being used as a step. The box tipped forward, causing her to fall onto the concrete floor.
Justice Robert Pearce said the step was not properly secured to the floor or the stage and described it as “an accident waiting to happen”.
The court rejected arguments that the woman had simply misjudged her step or was wearing inappropriate footwear at the time of the fall.
The woman suffered a large disc prolapse and rotator cuff damage, leaving her with chronic pain and permanent limitations.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that the injury severely impacted her career trajectory, restricting her to part-time work from home.
“I like to work. I like to be challenged. I had plans to have another career,” the woman testified during the trial.
“I wanted to be out in the world, in a full-time job, utilising all of the skills that I’ve amassed over a number of years.”
Following the incident, the Bahá’í Centre secured the step to the stage and later introduced further safety improvements, including a handrail and non-slip surfaces.
