Aldi worker's 'mental torture' after supermarket claims he lied about injuries

An Aldi warehouse worker complained he was subject to "mental torture" for four long years after the supermarket giant claimed he was being "fundamentally dishonest" about a life-altering accident at work.

Tibor Muranyi was left unable to work for four months after his vehicle was hit by another from behind, injuring his back as he worked at one of the supermarket's warehouses in Derby. The 56-year-old, who is also from Derby, struggled to walk and suffered with after the incident in November 2020, but alleges he was expected to work at the same rate while being "in a lot of pain". He has accused of waging "psychological war" during subsequent legal proceedings.

Bosses at Aldi claimed Tibor was lying about the severity of his injuries to the point where he was being fundamentally dishonest, even though the incident was caught on CCTV and breach of duty was admitted by the company. If proven, fundamental dishonesty can result in up to two years in jail.

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Tibor, who said he had no reason to lie, "couldn't comprehend" why Aldi representatives had levelled the accusation, adding he felt "bullied and subjugated". He said: "I couldn’t comprehend that they were claiming that I was being dishonest after everything that I had suffered. I had a good life before and I was happy, so there was no reason for me to lie.

"I have never felt so bullied and subjugated in my life. It’s like they were gaslighting me by telling me that what I had been through wasn’t true and that I was exaggerating everything. It was mental torture and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen. It was less litigation and more of a psychological war."

"They may think it’s just a game where lawyers battle it out, but this affects and ruins ordinary people’s lives." Tibor's back pain and tinnitus profoundly affected him, impacting his sleep and mental health, with the 56-year-old saying his co-workers eventually stopped talking to him after he was accused of being a liar.

Tibor said: “The accident had a devastating impact on my life, both financially and psychologically. I was constantly worried about money when I was off work and this put pressure on my relationship of six years which eventually ended. I was unable to sleep and I was generally angry.

“When I went back to work it felt like they were constantly criticising me. I was expected to work at the same rate as before the accident but I was in a lot of pain. People stopped talking to me and I felt like I was being excluded. This was mental torture for me so I decided to leave. But when I started the legal action the mental torture continued as they claimed that I was a liar."

Aldi eventually settled the case for £20,000 two weeks before trial earlier this year, and four years after proceedings began. Settlements like those in Tibor's case do not indicate wrongdoing, with companies often choosing to settle instead of entering protracted legal proceedings.

Jaro Bernat, a specialist personal injury lawyer at who represents Tibor, said defendants are increasingly spuriously claiming fundamental dishonesty against claimants. He said: “I always believed my client was telling the truth but Aldi subjected him to a horrific ordeal in which his integrity was persistently questioned to the point of him potentially having to face claims of fundamental dishonesty in court.

"It must be a difficult thing to deal thing with if you are a claimant: you bring a genuine claim but instead of waiting to receive damages, you have to fight to avoid up to two years in jail. This is outrageous behaviour from a corporate giant, but unfortunately spurious allegations of fundamental dishonesty are becoming a well-used tactic by defendant lawyers. I am pleased that Aldi finally saw sense and settled this claim allowing Tibor to move on with his life, but it should never have gone this far."

While not expanding on the details of the settlement, a spokesperson for Aldi said the health and wellbeing of employees was "always our top priority". They said: “The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is always our top priority, and all colleagues continuously complete up-to-date Material Handling Equipment (MHE) training to ensure compliance with safety procedures.”