Toddler suffers serious injuries after opening a bottle of caustic soda

Out shopping with his mum, Saira, Ayman Faisal was strapped into his buggy with the hood up when Saira noticed he went quiet suddenly. She checked on him and saw he had a bottle of something in his hands. Whatever it was caused him to start bleeding and turned his mouth purple. The terrifying reality of what happened then dawned on Saira when she discovered he had somehow managed to open a bottle of caustic soda, commonly used to clean drains, and ingest the contents.

He spent a month in intensive care and six weeks at a children’s hospital before being able to return home. Sadly, his injuries were long lasting, and since 2013 he has been unable to breathe without the help of a tracheostomy - an opening at the front of the neck which is fitted with a tube to the windpipe. He is also unable to speak and needs to be fed through a feeding tube to his stomach.

Trading standards went to the scene of the incident to investigate how this happened and found 10 bottles of caustic soda without child locks on sale. Soon after, Saira decided to take legal action to get justice for her son.

Once our specialists got on the case, the manufacturer admitted that the child resistant lock on the bottle had been faulty. The shop owner was found liable for ignoring the warning to keep the product out or reach of children.

Saira only had good things to say about her legal team. She saw them as extended family members rather than legal professionals. It was clear the effort they went to ensure Saira and Ayman got the justice they deserved.

Our personal injury specialists are on hand to offer a wealth of experience and emotional support if you’ve suffered injuries in a public place. Contact our specialist team today for expert advice.