A jury finding of breach of manual handling regulations does not necessarily mandate a concurrent finding of negligence, because the statutory duty (e.g., to eliminate risk of musculoskeletal disorder) may impose a higher standard than the common law duty of reasonable care. This confirms that breach of statutory duty and negligence remain distinct causes of action in workplace injury cases, and a plaintiff may succeed on one but not the other. The decision also illustrates the very high threshold for appellate interference with a jury's apportionment of contributory negligence and assessment of pecuniary loss damages.
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