We act for B, a 7 year old child who attended a local firework display with his family.  He suffered head injuries after a rocket, the size of a tennis ball, plummeted into the crowd and struck him.  He was taken to hospital and had to undergo a 2 hour operation for his injuries.

The display, which had taken place annually for 6 years in a local pub car park, was organised to raise funds for his local school.  Safety checks had been carried out by the police and environmental health and the event had been passed as safe.

The final ‘Whopper’ rocket was let off, reached a height of 30 feet, failed in its ascent, turned and fell.  It hit B on the forehead, peeling back his scalp beyond the hairline.

9 years on, B has been left with significant permanent facial scarring.  Now 16, he is psychologically affected by the prominence of the scarring.  With his parents he approached us for help and we agreed to act for him on a No Win No Fee basis.

A thorough investigation of the event was undertaken and determined that the cause of the accident was a faulty firework which had been manufactured in China.  The report concluded the cause was either a ‘lazy motor’ possibly due to a poor mix or dampness or ‘burn through’ due to being poorly compacted.

Despite the rocket having been manufactured in China, we sent a detailed letter of claim to the UK importers of the firework, and a full admission of liability has now been received from their insurers.

B is to be reviewed by an independent plastic surgeon to see if anything can be done surgically to reduce the appearance of the scarring.  It may also be necessary to obtain independent psychiatric medical evidence.  The reports will enable us to value B’s injuries and negotiate settlement of his claim with the insurers.