Schoolboy's eye injury action settled for €6,500

A SCHOOLBOY, who was injured when he got shower gel in his eyes, has been given €6,500 compensation without any admission of …

A SCHOOLBOY, who was injured when he got shower gel in his eyes, has been given €6,500 compensation without any admission of liability by the manufacturers.

Helen Louise Caffrey, the lawyer representing 17-year-old Seán Holland, told the judge the injury happened while he was taking a shower in his home.

He had spent five days in Temple Street Children’s hospital in the care of ophthalmic surgeon Prof Michael O’Keeffe.

Ms Caffrey told Circuit Court president Mr Justice Matthew Deery that Mr Holland of Greencastle Crescent, Coolock, Dublin, had been admitted as an emergency case in March 2004 when he was 12. Judge Deery heard that the youth had been using Radox hair and body shower gel when some of it got into his eyes.

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Prof O’Keeffe noted in a medical report that Mr Holland had suffered a complete abrasion of his right cornea.

He had been admitted with a loss of the outer layer of the cornea known as the epithelial layer and had been detained for five days while being treated with steroids and antibiotic drops. The eye had completely healed.

Ms Caffrey said the youth had suffered a chemical burn which had healed and had been made a without prejudice offer of €6,500 damages in settlement by Sara Lee Household Bodycare UK, Slough, England, manufacturers of the Radox product.

The manufacturers had denied any liability for having caused the injury.