Mother’s compensation claim for son’s facial injuries
A mother is hoping to receive compensation after her son sustained severe facial injuries when he was impaled on a metal fence whilst playing outside his home in East London.
“Alfie came running home with his mouth hanging off,” said Clare Metson. “His lip had come away and was hanging like a flap. I could see his teeth even though his mouth was shut.”
Alfie Albrighton, 6, was rushed to hospital, where he underwent several hours of surgery and was left with 170 stitches on his face. It is likely that he will be scarred for life and may need plastic surgery at a later date.
However the physical injury Alfie has sustained appears to be only the beginning of the damage caused by the accident. His mother has expressed her worries about her son’s future and the mental scars he may have left him with from the accident. Alfie has lost half a stone in weight and Ms Metson affirms that the incident has “changed him completely. He is always hiding his face trying not to look at people.”
Alfie is due to start Year 2 at St. John’s Primary in Bow in September, but he is fearful of how the other children will react to the prominent scarring caused by the incident.
Ms Metson is requesting compensation for her son’s personal injury from Old Ford Housing Association, which is part of the Circle Anglia Group. When asked about the incident, a spokesperson expressed their concern.
“Our priority is to provide a safe environment for all our residents to live in,” the spokesperson said. “We immediately inspected the railings with our contactors and they are of a standard type and designed to fence off the bin areas.”
The spokesperson also commented that the compensation claim Ms Metson has filed is currently being reviewed. However Ms Metson states that she “hasn’t heard a single thing” from the Old Ford Housing since the incident.