Dundee-based vehicle technician Gary Campbell was killed in a work incident just 11 days into his new job, Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court has been told.
Campbell, a former British Army mechanic, was crushed beneath a vehicle after he was called out to work on its failed suspension.
Paramedics called to the scene at Orchardbank, Forfar, were unable to save him.
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane offered her condolences to his family.
She concluded that Campbell had not taken appropriate safety precautions before working beneath the vehicle and this contributed to his death.