Exclusive: Woman is suing Bunnings Warehouse for half-a-million dollars after she was crushed by a box of broom handles while restocking shelves - leaving her with lifelong injuries
- Victorian Workcover Authority is taking Bunnings to the Supreme Court
- Robyn Handasyde was crushed by a box of broom handles at the Scoresby shop
- Ms Handasyde's lawyers say Bunnings owes her more than $500,000
- VWA claims Bunnings breached its duty of care to the worker
- Bunnings' lawyers are challenging the statement of claim
Hardware giant Bunnings is being sued for more than half-a-million dollars after one of its workers was crushed by a box of broom handles on the job.
Victorian WorkCover Authority has lodged a writ and statement of claim with the Supreme Court of Victoria arguing Bunnings breached its duty of care to the seriously injured worker.
Robyn Handasyde was allegedly employed to restock shelves at the Scoresby Bunnings - in Melbourne's southeast - when the unthinkable happened.
Bunnings is being sued for more than half-a-million dollars over claims it failed to meet its duty of care to a worker who was crushed by a box of broom handles
Bunnings brooms are a popular item at the hardware store. But the handles are responsible for a half-a-million dollar claim against the retail giant amid claims a box of them fell on a worker
Court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia claim Ms Handasyde was carrying out her duties on May 5, 2010 when a colleague driving a mechanical lifting machine dropped or dislodged a heavy box of broom handles on top of her.
The box smashed down upon Ms Handasyde's neck and shoulders, causing her serious injuries.
VWA barristers acting on behalf of the victim claim she was left with life-long injuries which also led to her further breaking her ankle.
They claim Bunnings failed in its duty of care to its worker to ensure she was not injured while carrying out her job.
'The accident was caused as a result of negligence and/or breach of statutory duty of the Defendant, its servants or agents,' a Statement of Claim reads.
VWA alleges Bunnings failed to comply with various sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
A breakdown of Ms Handasyde's claim declares Bunnings ought pay her $365, 227 in lost earnings since she sustained the injury.
Victorian Workcover Authority claims a box of broom handles fell off a mechanical lifting machine (similar to that pictured) and landed on a woman's neck and shoulder
The Scoresby Bunnings in Melbourne's southeast where one of its workers claims she was seriously injured in 2010. Bunnings is now being sued for damages in the Supreme Court of Victoria
The remainder of her claim is made-up of costly medical bills and rehabilitation.
However, VWA warns the hardware giant could be up for even more compensation up until the matter is dealt with at trial.
All up, Bunnings is looking down the barrel of a $503,937 payout - not including its own legal expenses, which could run into the hundreds of thousands.
But if Bunnings' response to the claim is any indication, the matter looks set to be dragged out at trial in the Supreme Court.
In a defence letter filed by Bunnings' legal team, the company refutes practically all of the allegations made against it, including a claim that Ms Handasyde was even 'a worker' at the time.
However, it accepted she did make an injury claim on May 26, 2010.
Bunnings' take on health and safety recently hit the headlines when it took a hard-line stance on how to construct sausage sandwich.
The sausage sanga has become a staple for many of its customers across the country.
Bunnings took a hard line on the way sausage sangas were to be sold by community groups outside its hardware shops. It caused a social media meltdown last November when it ordered onions to be placed beneath the sausage instead of on top
Last November, Bunnings ordered the onion on its sausages could no longer be placed on top of the sausage because fallen onion posed a tripping hazard.
'Safety is always our number one priority and we recently introduced a suggestion that onion be placed underneath sausages to help prevent the onion from falling out and creating a slipping hazard,' Bunnings chief operating officer Debbie Poole said at the time.
The move was widely panned across social media with one vexed user summing up the mood by tweeting: 'Jesus, Mary, what the f***?'.
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