A man from Little Horton in Bradford is reportedly seeking injury compensation after he suffered serious burns which were believed to have been caused by chemicals in his sofa.
Stefan Wasylkiw said that he sustained the injuries back in December 2009, when he was sitting on the sofa he had happily owned for nine months watching the news. Speaking to the Bradford Telegraph & Argus newspaper, he described what happened:
“I had just had breakfast and I was sat on the sofa watching the news and the next thing I was jumping about, screaming and crying.
“I didn’t know what was happening and then I saw a purple film coming down over my left eye.”
The 53-year-old visited a burns specialist for the injuries to his eye and arm, who suspected that he had chemical burns from a substance known as dimethyl fumarate. The doctor explained that sachets containing this substance are sometimes put in some sofas made in China, in order to kill bugs during shipping, but if the sachets burst they can cause burns.
Mr Wasylkiw is now seeking injury compensation, but he may face a long wait as his personal injury lawyers track down the manufacturing and importing history of his sofa.
