A SCOTTISH woman who took legal action against Nando’s after being permanently scarred while on duty has won a compensation pay-out.
Mairi Espie, aged 21 from Dundee, claimed her skin was melted by industrial cleaning fluid she was asked to use without being provided any protective equipment.
She said the corrosive liquid had burned through her jeans and caused a three-inch wound on her right thigh that needed specialist treatment at A&E and left a permanent scar.
Although the South African multinational denied any wrongdoing, it has now agreed to pay Espie an undisclosed sum in damages.
The amount Espie had been seeking was not made public, but her lawyers previously suggested it was a “five-figure sum”.
Espie, who according to reports still works for Nando’s, said: “It shouldn’t have needed to go as far as a legal action but at the same time I also shouldn’t have been burned in the first place.
“This was never about the money for me, just recognition, because at the time it felt like people didn’t believe it was that bad or anything was wrong.
“But to be fair to Nando’s I think they’ve now done the right thing – they settled the case pretty quickly, the staff have been supportive and the issues that led to me getting hurt seem to have been addressed now so hopefully it means others will be safe too.
“I’m glad things are over now and I can just focus on getting on with things.”
Simon Hammond, partner at Digby Brown Solicitors, added: “Mairi was only in contact with this industrial cleaner fluid for a short time so the extent of her burns shows you just how corrosive that substance is – and how much worse it could have been.
“We are happy to have helped Mairi get the recognition she wanted and we hope the successful end to her case sends an important reminder to employers everywhere to not be complacent on staff safety.”
