In a ruling which will have wide implications for providers of finance, the Court of Appeal has...
A man has secured compensation after an accident while he was working in a restaurant left him with permanent damage to his sight.
The man, who was 26 years old when the accident happened, was responsible for checking stock levels. He was dusting a shelf in an area where open or damaged stock was kept when a substance, believed to be a form of protein powder, spilt from the shelf into his left eye.
He was treated on site by first aiders. After his symptoms continued to worsen, he went to hospital a few days later. He suffered permanent scarring to his cornea, significantly damaging his sight.
He brought a claim against his employer, alleging that it had failed to provide a safe working environment and that inadequate measures were in place to protect workers from the hazards posed by open or damaged stock. Proof was obtained that the powder he had been exposed to had caused a chemical injury to his eye.
His employer subsequently admitted liability and accepted that it had failed in its duty of care to him. He has now received compensation of £5,650.