A classroom assistant from Colchester has won what has been described as “substantial” compensation for a slipped disc she suffered while helping carry lunches.
Yvonne Macklin injured her back when she attempted to help a colleague lift a heavy, insulated box, filled with food.
Call now on 0800 177 7293 or Claim Online!
She has been off work since the incident, which happened in March 2006 at Monkwick Infant School, Colchester.
The unfortunate injury sped up the progress of a degenerative spinal condition.
When she made a compensation claim with the support of the GMB union, her employer, Essex County Council, agreed to an out-of-court settlement.
The exact amount of compensation she has been awarded was not revealed, however the GMB said it was a “substantial sum”.
Mrs Macklin, 48, said that after the accident she required crutches to get around and walked with a limp.
She added: “I am in constant pain, which means, at the moment, I am unable to work.
“I try hard to carry on with life as normal, but I have a 13-year-old son and I’m aware there are things I can no longer do with him, like cycling.”
Rose Conroy, spokeswoman for the GMB, claimed the injury had brought forward Mrs Macklin’s back problems by five years.
She commented: “As a result, she has lost out on years of employment.
“Employers must make sure every job involving lifting, no matter how small, is assessed, to make sure it is conducted in the safest way possible.”