A plumber has secured up to £200,000 in compensation after being violently assaulted by the son of a householder during a dispute over a faulty radiator. Thomas Brown, 32, sustained a crushed hand and was punched twice in the face during the altercation, which occurred at a council property in Hammersmith, London.
Details of the Attack
The incident took place in March 2020 when Mr. Brown visited the property to conduct a radiator survey. The tenant's son, described as 'frustrated and angry' due to ongoing issues with the central heating, became aggressive. Mr. Brown attempted to defuse the situation but was eventually told by a colleague to leave. However, the son blocked the door, refusing to let him depart until the problem was resolved. The plumber was then verbally abused, punched twice in the head, and his right hand was crushed when the door was forcefully slammed on it.
Legal Proceedings
Mr. Brown sued his employer, K&T Heating Services, to whom the council had outsourced maintenance contracts. He claimed £200,000 in compensation. After a four-day trial at Central London County Court, Judge Lawrence Cohen KC ruled in favor of Mr. Brown, holding K&T Heating Services liable for failing to report previous concerns about the resident's aggressive behavior.
History of Aggression
The court heard that this was the seventh engineer appointment at the property in four months. Colleagues had previously reported 'aggressive language' and 'threats' over work quality. Mr. Brown's barrister, Helen Nugent, argued that the risk of harm was 'reasonably foreseeable' given that Mr. Brown was a lone front-line worker entering private homes.
Judge's Criticism
Judge Cohen criticized K&T Heating's 'sloppy' system for logging incidents, stating that past reports were likely made as claimed. He found the employer's system failures systemic and ruled in favor of Mr. Brown on liability. The judge noted that Mr. Brown's evidence was impressive, while the line manager's account was less so.
Compensation and Future Hearing
The liability ruling applies to both K&T Heating Services and Morgan Sindall Property Services Ltd, to whom Mr. Brown transferred in June 2020. The amount of compensation, claimed up to £200,000, will be decided at a future hearing unless an agreement is reached. The council was cleared of liability as the judge determined any failure to log past incidents was unrelated to the assault.
