SCHOOLGIRL Samantha Cronin (15), whose right eye was severely injured in a classroom accident at Nightingale High School ,Wanstead, was awarded £31,498 damages by a HighCourt judge on Monday.
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Samantha , of Laura Close , Lorne Gardens , was 12 when a chip from a piece of perspex being cut by a friend in an art class flew into her eye.
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She was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital for an emergency operation and was now left with no usefull sight in that eye.
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Samantha , through her father Patrick, sued Redbrige council , alleging the school was negligent in not requiring her to wear goggles while the work was being carried out.
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The authority denied negligence and complained that the October 1983 accident had not occured as Samantha alleged.
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The council contended that she got the particle of perspex on her finger and rubbed it in her eye.
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But the judge accepted the expert evidence of a consultant surgeon that the injury was so severe - it was right at the back of the eye - that it could not have been caused by a particle being rubbed into it. The authority was negligent in not requiring the girl to wear goggles.
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“The eyes are precious organs and very easily injured and the wearing of goggles would have been an easy precaution, “said the judge.
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He described Samantha as “a brave and courageous girl who has coped with the loss of vision and the disfigurement to her face , although she is stil attractive .”
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The judge granted the authority a 28- day stay of execution in repect of all but £5000 of all the damages pending a possible appeal.
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Subject to any reduction on appeal the bulk of the damages will be invested on Samantha’s behalf.But the judge agreed that she could have £1000 immediately.
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