Argentine court orders $351 million payout for worker transported by private car after heart attack

A worker who suffered a severe heart attack at his job in 2021 has been awarded a substantial compensation package by an Argentine court, which found that the company's response and subsequent transport significantly worsened his condition. César Gustavo Fernández, 54, was working at a plastic components factory in La Plata when he experienced chest pain and sweating. He requested an ambulance, but the company instead sent him in a private car, accompanied by a colleague but without any medical personnel or equipment.

The Tribunal of Labor No. 3 of La Plata ruled that the factory's nursing station was closed because the nurse was on vacation and not replaced. This lack of immediate professional care, coupled with the inappropriate transport, contributed to the severe motor and neurological damage Fernández now suffers. He is currently wheelchair-bound and requires constant assistance.

Federación Patronal Seguros, the company's workers' compensation insurance provider, has been ordered to pay Fernández $351 million (approximately $350,000 USD) and provide lifelong medical assistance. The court's decision focused not just on whether his work caused the coronary condition, but critically on the company's obligations and the consequences of the delay and inadequate transfer.

The family emphasized that Fernández's children were always his priority, highlighting the drastic change in his life since the incident. The sentence is currently under judicial review, as the insurance company has appealed the decision. The family hopes the judges will not abandon Fernández again, underscoring the long and difficult road to recovery and justice.