Orléans Métropole Supervisor Takes Legal Action After Workplace Malaise Leaves Him with Paralysed Leg

The Orléans Administrative Court has rejected a request by a senior works officer from Orléans Métropole who sought recognition that his left-leg paralysis was caused by a workplace accident. The employee, who had worked for the local authority since 2012, said he felt unwell on 8 August 2024 after moving buckets of rubble and cold asphalt at around 10 a.m. He experienced nausea, returned home to rest, and later woke up with his left leg “paralysed” and suffered a fall that required emergency medical assistance.

He was then hospitalized for five days at Orléans Hospital, where doctors diagnosed a left-sided lumbar-crural pain syndrome with motor deficit linked to a herniated disc. He later returned to work part time on 29 October 2024. On 14 February 2025, Orléans Métropole’s president, Serge Grouard, placed him on temporary disability leave attributable to service, a status that can provide more favorable benefits than ordinary sick leave, including full pay.

However, the departmental medical board issued an unfavorable opinion on 2 April 2025, arguing that there was a known pre-existing condition and that the incident occurred at the employee’s home rather than at work. Based on that opinion, the president of Orléans Métropole refused on 30 April 2025 to recognize the accident as work-related and withdrew the temporary disability status.

The employee challenged that decision before the administrative court, arguing that the accident happened during working hours and that his prior condition stemmed from earlier service-related accidents already recognized as such. He asked the court to cancel the decision, claiming it was based on an error of judgment.

In a ruling dated 4 March 2026 and made public later, the court dismissed his claim. The judges found that he had not provided enough evidence to show that his lumbar-crural disorder was caused by or connected to his duties. They noted that the incident occurred outside working time, since his shift ended at 2 p.m. that day. The only supporting statement, from a colleague who said the employee had mentioned unusual back and leg pain that morning, was not enough to prove a specific workplace event or a direct link to the condition. The court also stressed that these details were not included in the employee’s accident declaration, which mentioned only that his left leg was paralyzed when he woke up after returning home. As a result, the court ruled against him and upheld the administration’s decision.