According to the BBC, Mr Susanto, an Indonesian man was riding a motorcycle when the cigarette exploded in his mouth. The makers of the cigarette, a company called PT Nojorono Tobacco, have offered him compensation for his injuries and he accepted a payment of £5 million rupiah and all his medical costs from them.
£5 million rupiah sounds like a lot doesn’t it? Well actually it’s a mere £335! That is a shockingly low figure given the gravity of Mr Susanto’s injuries. If he were in the UK and suffered such an injury then he would be entitled to a much higher level of compensation. According to the Judicial Studies Board guidelines, he could have been entitled to up to £15,000 compensation for the loss of several teeth.
Police are investigating the cause of the cigarette blast but, perhaps unsurprisingly, Mr Susanto has now decided to quit smoking following the incident. A spokesman for Clas Mild cigarettes, the brand Mr Susanto was smoking at the time of the accident, insisted that there were no plans in place to recall the product.
That Mr Susanto accepted such a small sum shows the importance of having a solicitor to run your case. A solicitor will ensure that you get the correct amount of compensation relative to your injuries and, if instructed under a no win no fee agreement, can ensure that you get your personal injury compensation in its entirety.