This week’s case of the week involves our client who was tasked by her boss with moving a gazebo which had been packaged up. This was not a task which she regularly undertook, and as can be imagined was difficult owing to the size of it. No support had been arranged to assist our client, although her boss did tell the two members of office staff available to offer support.

As the three of them were trying to manoeuvre such a large piece of equipment into what was a relatively small van, our client suffered a soft tissue injury to her back.

Our client’s employer denied it was at fault in any way, but a Judge who heard all of the evidence disagreed, and held that the employer was operating an unsafe system of work and our client received compensation for her injuries.

Deborah Roberts from Thompsons Solicitors, who represented our client, commented: “This was a case about common sense. The employer should never have required the gazebo to have been moved in such a cavalier way, and instead it should have been properly and carefully planned”.