Many people question sometimes whether compensation running into the tens or hundreds of thousands is necessary for an individual to claim. As one family now understands, a serious injury can leave both the sufferer and their family living in what feels like a prison for the remainder of their life.
dtn uK: Father-of-two left blinded and with every bone in his face shattered when an oil drum exploded : WARN… https://t.co/53dfYDT10Q
— DTN UK (@DTNUK) September 21, 2016
“Like looking into a box of cornflakes”
A devoted father of two has had seen his and his family’s lives turned on their heads, due to work colleagues he trusted not doing their job properly. Welder, Andrew Foster, was preparing to cut an oil drum after being told it had been cleaned out by apprentices. He brought the drum to his workstation and prepared to cut, connecting leads to it, when the oil fumes, that were still inside, ignited and caused an explosion.
The drum lid was blown off, hitting Andrew in the face causing grievous wounds, including breaking every bone in his face, his right eye being severed in half and his nose, lip and eyebrow also being cut by the lid. When the doctor examined him he also found his left eye located under his cheekbone. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the surgeon described looking at the damage as “like looking into a box of cornflakes”.
Andrew required titanium bolts all across his face and has also left him blind in both eyes and finding difficulty speaking. In the short term he has suffered with memory problems from the medically induced 16 day coma that was needed, before he underwent some of his surgery.
Lifelong consequences
Very serious injuries like Andrew’s, not only cause horrific pain at the epicentre, but leave physical and emotional scars for the entire family in the long term. Andrew’s family needed to relocate to a bungalow, so that he could avoid further injury climbing up and down stairs, He also requires assistance to help him complete basic daily tasks due to his blindness. As a result of his injuries, Mr Foster, is likely to need prolonged medical, emotional, psychological and financial support for the reminder of his life.
He has been left unable to watch his two children grow up and is not able to assist them through the many big life experiences, such as teaching them to ride a bike or in later life drive. Although he still attends his daughter’s swimming competitions this is more so he can appear for her to see him, as sadly he is unable to watch her compete.
This echoes a lot of serious injury cases in its own way. Not every serious injury is blindness, but other serious injuries like burns, amputations, chronic pain and illnesses can have similar effects, limiting enjoyment of life or sharing experiences with others.
More than legal assistance
In a situation like Andrew’s, a legal firm becomes much more than a way to claim compensation. Serious injury cases often involve pulling together a team of experts who can assess, recommend and help carry out further treatment, recovery and planning for the future. A serious injury involves a lot more than the person injured; it affects family and friends too.
The costs of damages in serious injury cases require taking into account the life changes made resulting from the negligent actions. As a result of his injuries, Andrew was forced to move his whole family into a new home. he will no longer be able to work for the rest of his life and earn a living He can no longer enjoy activities for himself how he used to or engage in his family and friend’s activities how he would like. He may suffer emotionally, being frustrated at not being able to see his children’s biggest life events first hand
Serious injury cases require an extra level of dedication over a lesser injury simply due to the extreme consequences it brings. Often the injury will never fully heal and affect more than one person for life. If you have a friend or family member who has been in an accident which has changed their life, please get in touch with one of our team on 01695 722 222 (our lines are open weekdays from 9am to 70pm) or fill in our contact form here to tell us about the incident and the injury.
We understand the extent of pain and anguish a very serious injury can cause. If you would like free, impartial, conscientious advice from a dedicated, experienced team then call today and let us talk through the best options for you or your family in the wake of a serious injury.