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Care Home Burns Victim Awarded £1.5 Million Compensation

Lightning does sometimes strike twice in the same place and some people very sadly suffer more than their fair share of tragedy. That was certainly so in one case, in which a young man who was being looked after in a care home following a road accident suffered horrific burns after straying into the kitchen when unsupervised.

The man was 17 when the accident happened. He sustained severe injuries and was left quadriplegic and unable to manage his own affairs. He was in his 30s when, in search of food, he entered the care home's kitchen at night in his wheelchair. There was an untended pan simmering on the hob and, although the precise sequence of events remains unclear, he was set on fire. He suffered second- and third-degree burns over much of his body and was very lucky to survive.

Despite extensive skin grafting, his injuries make it very difficult for carers to handle him and have greatly increased his dependence on others. After his family brought a claim on his behalf, however, the company that owns the care home admitted liability and agreed to settle his claim for a lump sum of £1.5 million.

In approving the settlement, the High Court noted that the man had endured too many tragedies in his life and paid tribute to his mother for all that she had done for him.

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