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20th November 2007

High street retailer admits liability as bottle of wine shatters in hand of Middlesbrough shopper

Defective Product caused Injury

A Middlesbrough woman left scarred and with ten stitches to her thumb after a bottle of wine shattered in her hand has been paid compensation by ASDA.

Christine Millard, aged 42, bought the bottle of wine from her local ASDA store in Middlesbrough. When she tried to pull the cork out of the bottle, the bottle neck shattered in her hand causing a severe laceration to her thumb. As a result, she had to have emergency medical treatment including ten stitches to her thumb at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Christine Millard works as a domestic assistant for Middlesbrough Teaching and Learning Centre and is a member of leading trade union UNISON. She brought her claim for compensation with the support of her union’s personal injury specialists Thompsons Solicitors. As a result, ASDA has paid her £6,000 damages.

Injury caused Permanent Scarring

Mrs Millard explains: “I’ve been left with significant scarring to my hand, as well as a loss of sensation and dexterity which I’ve been told is likely to be permanent. I’m so relieved that my union membership covered accidents in the home.”

Barry Maloney, Branch Secretary of Unison said: “This was an excellent result for our member Christine Millard. It demonstrates the benefits of being in a trade union and being able to access local legal services.”

Representing Christine Millard, Diane Davison from Thompsons Solicitors in Middlesbrough said: “The Consumer Protection Act 1987 is there to protect members of the public like Christine Millard. Clearly the bottle of wine on sale at ASDA did not meet reasonable safety standards leading to this nasty accident which has left Mrs Millard with a permanently scarred hand.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered a personal injury due to a faulty product, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.