Supermarket worker sustains back injury at work

Our team of specialist personal injury lawyers based at Thomson Snell & Passmore’s Tunbridge Wells and Dartford (Thames Gateway) offices, has secured over £13,000 for a supermarket employee who injured her back whilst lifting a heavy object.

This personal injury claim involved a supermarket employee who was working on the shop floor of a store in Tunbridge Wells.

On the day of the accident she was stocking frozen chips from boxes which weighed approximately 16 kilograms. The claimant was manually handling one of the last boxes from the base of the transport cages from her ankle/calf level. As she lifted the box she felt her back pop and was in excruciating pain.

She continued to try and do lighter chores at work, but was in so much pain that an ambulance was called and she was transported to hospital. She was diagnosed with soft tissue injury to her lumbar spine and was off work for a month. When she returned she was only able to complete light duties. She continued to find her back ached, and that sitting or standing for long periods of time aggravated her condition.

The claimant in this case had a young child. She found it very difficult to cope following the accident because of the discomfort. She found household chores difficult to undertake and required assistance.

As a result of her back injury and ongoing symptoms the claimant found she was unable to interact with her child as she would have done prior to the accident. The claimant became increasingly depressed as a result and required antidepressants and counselling.

The team were able to negotiate an out of court settlement of over £13,000 to compensate the claimant for her pain and suffering, after the defendants admitted failing to comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.