A lorry driver has sued Specsavers for £200,000 in damages after an eye test saw him lose his job.
Francis Hodibert, 62, from Slough in Berkshire, was told he had failed a compulsory eye test for HGV drivers in 2022.
Documents from the High Court in London detail Mr Hodibert saying his livelihood was taken away after the DVLA revoked his HGV licence due to the failed eye test.
The lorry driver suffered from depression and anxiety, which he fears may stop him from ever working again.
HGV drivers are required to pass a distance eye test and also, an in-depth assessment of their visual field and peripheral vision, conducted through specialist equipment.
Mr Hodibert claims that after taking both tests in 2022 at his local Specsavers in Slough, he was informed he had failed the latter test and consequently, lost his ability to drive a HGV.
However, he regained his licence six months later after passing the visual field test, carried out by a consultant ophthalmologist in January 2023.
The lorry driver claims that in that time, he suffered serious emotional damage.
A lorry driver has sued Specsavers for £200k after eye test saw him lose his job
|
GETTY AND GB NEWS
Mr Hodibert claims the shock of losing his licence in 2022 badly impacted his mental health, causing him financial and personal issues.
In court papers, his barrister, Michael O’Neill, says: “The defendant is engaged in the provision of professional optical services to the public and in particular of visual field testing, as required by the DVLA for the assessment of fitness to drive heavy goods vehicles.
“On 10th April 2022 and on 21st May 2022, the claimant attended at the defendant’s Slough branch to undergo visual field testing for the maintenance of his HGV licence.
“Following such testing, the defendant reported superior field defects, as a consequence of which the claimant’s licence was revoked by the DVLA in September 2022.
Specsavers will be “fully defending this claim”
|
GETTY“The said results were inaccurate and, following separate tests carried out by a consultant ophthalmologist on 25 January 2023, the claimant was able to appeal the revocation of his licence and the same was reinstated following the provision of a new eyesight certificate on 31 March 2023.
“The obtaining and reporting of the said inaccurate results and the consequent revocation of the claimant’s HGV licence were caused by the negligence of the defendant, its servants or agents.’”
Mr O’Neill accused the high-street opticians of “negligence” as their staff produced “false results” and submitted an “inaccurate report to the DVLA”.
He said: “Because of all this the claimant has suffered personal injury, loss and damage.
“His 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” whether Mr Hodibert will make a recovery to work again, Mr O’Neill said.
The lawyer also said that a doctor examined the lorry driver, who submitted a medical report to the court which backed the claim for “damages exceeding £200,000.”
A spokeswoman from Specsavers said the opticians will be “fully defending this claim”.