Injury at a firework display - £70,000 compensation

A man was struck by a stray firework at a display being run by a scout group. He sustained significant bruising around the left eye, injury to the cornea, damage to the iris which had been torn away from its root and haemorrhaging in the retina. As a result he sustained a permanent 95% reduction of vision in his left eye. He also has no stereoscopic vision making his work as an engineer very difficult.

The effect of the injury was made more severe as his he has a very significant cataract in his left eye which may require surgery. However, this would only improve his vision enough for him to be able to detect hand movements or possibly count fingers. He needs to be seen annually by an optometrist to monitor the damage to the eye and monitor whether there is a need for further surgery. He is also at risk of developing a retinal detachment which again would require surgery. Although able to continue with his job as an engineer, if he loses his job it is anticipated that he will have significant difficulty in finding one.

The personal injury claim was made against both the manufacture of the firework and the scout group and liability was denied by both at the outset. Nevertheless, following negotiations, liability was admitted by both defendants and the injury claim finally settled in the sum of £70,000.

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