An Australian mining contractor is being sued over the death of a worker in Ghana.

Local firm Ausdrill is facing legal action over the death of an employee in 2011, whose family claims the company failed in its duty of care.

The case is over the death of 49-year-old John Egan, who died after falling from a bulldozer driven by a Ghana local, Joseph Ampomah.

At the time of the accident, Mr Egan was assessing Mr Ampomah’s bulldozer driving competency. Mr Ampomah has provided a licence and identification documents prior to the test, but police investigations later revealed these to be forgeries.

Mr Egan’s family are reportedly claiming $4194 per week in compensation, dated for 15 years from the time of the accident, or until the date that he would have retired.

The family says it needs to cover the cost of damages for mental distress and treatment, plus funeral expenses.

Ausdrill recently avoided lengthy legal action in the West Australian Supreme court against chief executive Ron Sayers on charges of conspiring to defraud the Commonwealth, but the trial ended with a hung jury.