Lorry driver sues Specsavers for £200,000 after failed eye test left him ‘depressed’

A lorry driver has sued Specsavers after a failed eye test left him so ‘depressed’ he may be unable to work again.

Francis Hodibert failed a mandatory HGV drivers eye test at his local branch of the opticians.

However his license was returned six months later following another test by a consultant opthalmologist.

Documents submitted to the High Court show that Mr Hodibert, 62, failed his visual field test and was therefore stripped of his license by the DVLA

HGV drivers are required by the DVLA to undergo the standard distance eyesight test but also a visual field and peripheral vision test using a specialist machine.

But despite having his permission to drive reinstated in January 2023, Mr Hodibert saying his failed test was due to mistakes made by Specsavers staff.

The truck driver from Slough, Berkshire has put in a claim for more than £200,000 for the ordeal, which he says severely impacted his professional and personal life and left him with anxiety.

Setting out his case, Mr Hodibert’s barrister Michael O’Neill said that Specsavers had carried out the test in a way that produced false results and therefore submitted an inaccurate report to the DVLA.

He wrote: ‘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 license.

‘Following such testing, the defendant reported superior field defects, as a consequence of which the claimant’s license was revoked by the DVLA in September 2022.

‘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 license 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 license were caused by the negligence of the defendant, its servants or agents.’

He added that Mr Hodibert had been examined by a doctor and had submitted a medical record to back up his claims of depression.

‘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’, he wrote.

‘It is uncertain that he will ever make a sufficient recovery to work again.’

Specsavers has indicated it will fight Mr Hodibert’s case.

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