A binman is to receive €15,565 compensation for a hydraulic cable accident after being burned by hot oil and fearing he would be permanently blinded.
Kamil Kozlowski (30) from Part West Point in Dublin feared that he would be permanently blinded when a hydraulic cable at the back of the garbage truck he was emptying bins into burst, and sprayed hot oil into his face.
The incident – which occurred in July 2011 on Sandyford Road in Dublin – was quickly attended by ambulance men, who gave Kamil first aid at the scene of the accident and then took him to Dublin´s Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital.
At the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Kamil was prescribed eye drops after having his eyes rinsed of the oil; however, it was a month before Kamil´s vision returned to normal – during which time he continued to experience pain and was unable to drive.
Kamil made a claim for compensation for a hydraulic cable accident after seeking legal advice; claiming that his employers – Panda Waste Services Ltd of Navan, County Meath – had breached their duty of care by failing to maintain the truck to a safe standard.
Panda Waste Services Ltd admitted their liability for Kamil´s eye injury, but Kamil´s legal advisors and the company´s insurers could not reach a satisfactory settlement of compensation for a hydraulic cable accident and the case was brought before Judge Alison Lindsay at the Circuit Civil Court for the assessment of damages.
After hearing the circumstances of Kamil´s accident and details of his eye injury, the judge awarded Kamil €15,565 in compensation.