Royal Navy technician sues Ministry of Defence after he loses eye in accident
A Royal Navy technician is suing the Ministry of Defence for £200,000 after losing an eye when a helicopter antennae plunged into it.
Surgeons desperately tried to save Elliott Courtman's eye but had to remove it, as he suffered such a penetrating injury in the accident.
The 27-year-old man was lashing down a Merlin Mark 2 helicopter on the UK’s flagship Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier in darkness when the horror happened.
Following this, Mr Courtman developed an infection in the eye socket when an implant was fitted, for which he needed further surgery before the prosthesis was replaced, his claim at the High Court states.
The Ministry of Defence has now admitted to a breach of their duty of care to Mr Courtman following the accident on June 26, 2020, in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
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Mr Courtman suffered a penetrating injury to his left eye in a helicopter accident (Facebook)The government department cannot agree a financial settlement and now the High Court will decide, Mail Online says.
Mr Courtman claims he now suffers from reduced visibility, regularly collides with objects, has difficulty with the perception of depth and cannot work with dangerous moving objects. The former technician, from Chichester, West Sussex, says he needs to wear protective glasses and goggles and his physical appearance has been dramatically altered.
It is reported Mr Courtman is also at risk of becoming completely blind from the accident which can lead to a condition called sympathetic ophthalmia, which would result in the loss of sight in his right eye. He has also suffered psychologically from the injury which ended his career in the Royal Navy, reports say.
Members of the public gather to witness the arrival of the HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth (Getty Images)Mr Courtman claims he cannot now get a well-paid job and his seeking damages because of this. Mr Courtman was just 21 when he joined the Royal Navy in March 2018 to serve as a Royal Naval Air Service [RNAS] engineering technician.
He was selected for the fast-track promotion scheme around one year later.
He was also a keen soccer player and captained the RNAS Culdrose football team.
Mirror has approached Ministry of Defence for comment.
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