Mrs H was working in the records department at her place of work when she found that she had to stand on a ladder to reach some records. Because they were so tightly packed onto a shelf, when Mrs H began to manoeuvre the records they suddenly came free and shot towards her causing Mrs H to move in such a way that she sustained an injury to her knee.
Mrs H experienced ongoing symptoms of pain and difficulty walking and was eventually forced to undergo a knee replacement much earlier than should ever have been the case.
Mrs H’s employers’ representatives admitted liability when breaches of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations were alleged for failing to recognise the risks of retrieving the records and for failing to provide safe and sufficient storage space for the records.
Irwin Mitchell solicitors helped Mrs H to receive £30,000 in compensation for her injury which went towards covering the costs of physiotherapy, the loss of earnings following the surgery and the care and assistance she required throughout the experience.