Man sues firm for £200,000 after losing half his skull on work night out

A man is suing his employer after he suffered a severe head injury on a work night out.

Mike Brokie, from Reading, UK, was on a work social in April 2019 when he fell and hit his head.

Speaking to ITV in 2020, the 28-year-old said: "Doctors and the police came to the conclusion that I fell over and didn't use my hands to break the fall so I ended up hitting my head on the floor.

"The next thing I remember was four weeks later."

The auditor was kept in an induced coma and had to have half of his skull removed, and according to the lawsuit he has brought against employer PwC, he still suffers 'persistent cognitive symptoms'.

ITV Meridian

Brokie is suing for £200,000, claiming it was 'clearly foreseeable' that someone might get seriously injured at the pub golf event, which involved visiting nine venues, with points awarded for how quickly drinks were downed, according to court papers seen by the Financial Times.

The lawsuit filed at London's High Court alleges that the firm is indirectly liable for the negligence of manager Simon Fradgley, who is accused of putting co-workers under pressure to attend the event while failing to take care for their safety.

According to court documents, Fradgley's invite to the pub golf social - organised to celebrate the end of the 'busy season' - read: "I expect absolute attendance from all those who attended last year's invitational.

"Nothing short of a certified and countersigned letter by an accredited medical practitioner will suffice as [sic] excuse."

Brokie's lawsuit alleges that the rules for the event 'not only encourage but make a competitive virtue of excessive, rapid and prolonged consumption of alcohol over many hours from about 6pm'.

ITV Meridian

Both Fradgley and Brokie still work for PwC, with the latter initially returning to work on a part-time basis in October 2019, according to MailOnline.

PwC stopped the annual event, which has been running for about seven years, following Brokie's injury, according to court documents.

PwC is yet to file a defence in the case.

A spokesperson for PwC told the Financial Times: "We are unable to comment on the specifics of a matter that is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

"As a responsible employer we are committed to providing a safe, healthy and inclusive culture for all of our people. We also expect anyone attending social events to be responsible and to ensure their own safety and that of others."