An employee of Marks & Spencer has been awarded £35,000 in compensation for injuries she incurred at work in the Marks & Spencer store.

The woman from Bristol was unloading a cage of boxes, however one of these boxes was unlabelled and contained marble parasol bases weighing a huge 30 kilograms. She pulled the box towards her assuming it contained light furnishings like the others, however to her dismay it was extremely heavy. Before she could do anything about it, her back jerked forwards and caused her the upmost agony and strain.

Shortly after, other members of staff came to her help and treated her with first aid. The store manager instructed everyone to put warning signs on heavy boxes as part of procedure, however this rule came in too late to prevent the woman from her injury.

The mother of two, was out of work for 8 months and had to undergo treatment. She was informed that she had suffered from acute back derangement. The woman attempted to return back to her employment at M&S but in a different department, however her back severely restricted her abilities and she had no choice but to resign.

Employers have a duty of care to ensure the workplace adheres to Health and Safety procedures and therefore a safe environment for their workers.

If you, or someone you know, have had an accident at work and it was not your fault you may be entitled to compensation. We act for a number of clients who have sustained injuries from an accident at work so you will be given the best advice. It is important that you get independent expert legal advice, preferably as soon as possible from one of our specialist lawyers.