Bunnings worker scores monster $1.25million payout: 'A win for the little guy'

A working mum has won a $1.25million payout from Bunnings after she badly injured her back moving a big bucket of fertiliser in one of the hardware giant's warehouses.

Sarah Jane was 31 and working for fertiliser firm Neutrog as a merchandiser in the Seven Hills Bunnings, in Sydney's north-west, in 2018.

She knelt down to try and shift an 11kg bucket of Sudden Impact fertiliser to the front of a pallet when she injured her back, leaving her in agony for the past six years.

Bunnings agreed to pay $750,000 in compensation plus an estimated $500,000 in legal costs after the case came before the NSW Supreme Court this week. 

'It's a win but it doesn't really feel like a win,' Ms Jane told news.com.au.

'Not just everything that they've put me through, but just the injury itself, and how much it's changed my life and how much I've missed out on with my kids when they were young.'

The payout came after Bunnings admitted they should have trained Ms Jane to use a pallet jack while working in the store, which would have prevented the injury.

She had been shown a video training module but wasn't told about the pallet jacks which could have been used to move heavy items safely. 

'Bunnings owed a duty to merchandisers attending the Bunnings stores to ensure that the merchandisers were advised of the specialised work procedure including the pallet jack procedure,' court documents said.

'Bunnings devised, controlled and regulated the prevailing system of work for its own employees, but did not apply the same rigour or adopt the same precautions for the merchandisers, who were nonetheless subject to Bunnings control and oversight.'

Ms Jane's legal team said Bunnings had fought 'tooth and nail' against her case until it came to court, and had repeatedly told her she didn't have claim.

Her lawyer Luke Power, from Turner Freeman Lawyers, said it was a big 'win for the little guy' after Bunnings finally softened their stance and agreed to the settlement.

'There has been a lot of push back and we were told on numerous occasions there was no case,' Mr Power added.

'This has been incredibly stressful for her, and it was fought tooth and nail.'

Neutrog have also been ordered to contribute to the cost of the settlement.