A lorry driver is suing Specsavers after a failed eye test left him so depressed he may never work again. Francis Hodibert, 62, from Slough, Berkshire, failed a mandatory HGV drivers eye test at his local branch of the opticians in 2022, leading to the revocation of his licence by the DVLA.
However, his licence was reinstated in January 2023 after a separate test by a consultant ophthalmologist. Mr Hodibert claims the failed test was due to mistakes made by Specsavers staff, who carried out the visual field test in a way that produced false results and submitted an inaccurate report to the DVLA.
In documents submitted to the High Court, Mr Hodibert’s barrister, Michael O’Neill, stated that the inaccurate results and subsequent licence revocation were caused by the negligence of Specsavers. The ordeal has left Mr Hodibert with anxiety and depression, and he is claiming more than £200,000 in damages.
Mr O’Neill added that Mr Hodibert’s condition is such that he is unable to work as an HGV driver or at all, and it is uncertain he will ever recover sufficiently to work again. Specsavers has not yet commented on the case.
