Coroner's Finding: Masters, Shane Anthony

40y · Male·Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) resulting from post-traumatic brain injury sustained on 19 May 2008

Shane Masters died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) 12 years after sustaining a severe traumatic brain injury at work. On 19 May 2008, a hydraulic jack dislodged while repairing a fully loaded truck in a workshop pit, striking him and causing multiple skull fractures, haemorrhage, and brain contusions requiring neurosurgery. He developed post-traumatic epilepsy with persistent seizures despite medication compliance challenges due to memory impairment. On 11 February 2021, he suffered a fatal seizure at home. The workplace incident was preventable: the trailer should have been unloaded before repair, the jack lacked proper stabilisation with friction material, there were no documented safety procedures, and the company had failed to comply with statutory risk assessment obligations. WorkSafe issued a compliance notice which was subsequently satisfied.