Chicken fat spat in court

Woman sues Coles after slipping in fowl waste

A FALL caused by a chickenfat spill at Palm Beach meant a 64-year-old woman had to quit her job due to a shoulder injury that also led to mental health issues, according to court documents.

Cheryl Kay Poole, a night filler at Coles at Palm Beach, was taking out rubbish about midnight on March 11, 2015, when she slipped on chicken fat and injured her shoulder. She is unlikely to work again due to her injuries, a need to retrain and how close she is to retirement, according to the documents filed in the Southport District Court.

Ms Poole is suing Coles for more than $289,000 in compensation for her injury.

The Gold Coast woman was removing rubbish at the end of her shift when she slipped on the fat near the bins.

The court documents allege the fat had dripped from waste from cooking chickens.

She claims Coles knew “that the chicken fat would often leak from the plastic bags on to the floor of the bin room while employees were carrying the plastic bags of chicken fat from the deli to the bin”.

The injuries could have been avoided, according to the documents.

The claim says negligence of an unidentified employee that caused Ms Poole’s accident involved “failing to warn (Ms Poole) of the fat spill, failing to place a warning sign at or near the fat spill, failing to place a carton, trolley or similar item over the fat spill so as to prevent (Ms Poole) from slipping on the fat spill ...”

After the fall, Ms Poole needed surgery to fix a rotator cuff injury in the shoulder.

It is alleged she was forced to quit her job because she could not complete duties.

Ms Poole is claiming compensation for future wages for the next 5½ years, when she is likely to retire.

The documents allege the injuries also resulted in Ms Poole being diagnosed with an adjustment disorder that included anxiety and a depressed mood because the injury also meant she was unable to participate in “social and recreational activities”.

Ms Poole’s solicitor, Conrad Freeman of Sciaccas Lawyers, declined to comment while the matter was before the courts.

A spokesman for Coles declined to comment.