Legal News
Supermarket Employee Awarded £21K Compensation Payout (3 January 2012)
Date: 03/01/2012
A popular supermarket store followed one of its employees while she took time off to recover from a back injury caused by slipping in the store’s warehouse. Irene Heslop suffered from a suspected spinal fracture following falling on to the concrete floor of the Asda store in which she worked as a bakery assistant. Due to the nature of her injury, Mrs. Heslop was unable to walk over long distances or lift heavy equipment and requested that her bosses return her to her workplace to perform only light duties. However, she was informed that they were unable to grant her such work.
Fifteen months following injuring herself, the supermarket twice ordered a spy to follow Mrs. Heslop to gain evidence to suggest that she was actually fit to work. The spy filmed her conducting her daily chores. Mrs. Heslop was unaware that a spy had been filming her until three years after her injury. The footage was unveiled at a compensation hearing in which she was handed £27,000.
Mrs. Heslop was left unable to work following her accident. Doctors at the Manchester Royal Infirmary had supported her injury claims and had submitted evidence that her life had been significantly “curtailed” by her injury. One specialist claimed that he believed Mrs. Heslop to have suffered a spinal fracture.
Natasha Ross, Mrs. Heslop’s personal injury solicitor, has told of how the supermarket had caused her client almost five years of legal torment, adding that she was disappointed that the store had not settled the case immediately following the incident.
Duncan Lewis’ personal injury solicitors support clients who wish to seek compensation for injuries sustained at work.