The Supreme Court has directed that a boy who lost the sight of his right eye after being struck by a piece of wire propelled from a lawnmower should receive an extra £30,000 in his claim for damages against D·n Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council.
In the High Court, Paul Rossiter, now aged 13, and suing by his mother, Ms Tracey Rossiter, formerly of Fitzgerald Park, Mounttown, D·Laoghaire, and now of Bray, Co Wicklow, was awarded £30,000 for loss of job opportunity caused by the eye injury and general damages of £90,000, making a total of £120,000.
Yesterday the Supreme Court doubled the compensation figure for loss of job opportunity to £60,000, making a new total of £150,000.
The court heard the boy, then aged nine years, suffered severe pain when hit by the object as he passed Fitzgerald Park, D·n Laoghaire, on March 23rd, 1997. He fell to the ground and removed the piece of wire from his eye. He now has almost total loss of vision in his right eye. He spent two months in hospital and lost a year in school.