Specsavers: £200,000 Damages Claim Over Alleged Negligence in Eye Test
Francis Hodibert, a licensed lorry driver from Slough, Berkshire, is suing Specsavers for more than £200,000, alleging that a ‘botched’ eye test not only cost him his livelihood but also plunged him into severe depression.
According to documents lodged with London’s High Court, Mr Hodibert claims that the optician’s alleged negligence led directly to his professional and personal distress.
Commercial vehicle drivers are required by the DVLA to pass not only a standard distance eyesight test but also an in-depth assessment of their visual field and peripheral vision, conducted with specialised equipment.
Mr Hodibert says in documents that following two such tests at his local Specsavers in 2022, he was informed he had failed the visual field examination.
This alleged failure led to the DVLA revoking his HGV licence, thereby stripping him of his ability to work as a trucker.
However, Mr Hodibert successfully regained his licence six months later, in January 2023, after passing a subsequent visual field test administered by a consultant ophthalmologist.
Specsavers Defends Its Actions
Specsavers is set to deny Mr Hodibert’s claims and defend the action.
A spokesperson for the company said that the action would be defended, but no further details were available at the time of writing.
The Impact of Alleged Negligence
Mr Hodibert’s barrister, Michael O’Neill, explained in court papers that the alleged negligence by Specsavers staff caused serious emotional damage and led to Mr Hodibert developing a worsening mixed depression and anxiety disorder.
He added that Mr Hodibert’s condition is such that he is unable to work as an HGV driver or at all, and his personal and domestic life has been substantially disrupted.
It is uncertain that he will ever make a sufficient recovery to work again, his lawyer said.
Specsavers’ Defence
The Specsavers spokesperson said that the company would defend the action, but no further details were available at the time of writing.
However, it is likely that Specsavers will argue that its staff acted in accordance with professional standards and that the alleged negligence was not a result of any fault on its part.
Conclusion
The case highlights the importance of accurate eye tests for commercial vehicle drivers and the potential consequences of alleged negligence by opticians.
Specsavers is facing a significant damages claim, and the outcome of the case will be closely watched by the industry.
Source: Independent