A man was yesterday awarded €323,405.83 damages after he suffered a 53 per cent disability 10 years ago when a tyre he was inflating exploded.

Brian Micallef, then aged 23, who was working at Brian Tyre Services, sustained serious injuries, including to his face as a result of the incident.

In 2003, the civil courts placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of his employers and Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo yesterday decided on the amount of damages to be awarded to Mr Micallef.

Five doctors, a dentist, an orthopaedic surgeon, an ophthalmologist, a cosmetic surgeon and an ear, nose and throat specialist had evaluated Mr Micallef's disabilities and agreed that, globally, he had sustained a 53 per cent disability.

Mr Justice Caruana Demajo took into consideration Mr Micallef's salary three years before the incident because no other proof of what he had been earning at the time of the accident had been submitted. He awarded Mr Micallef €323,405.83 in compensation.

Lawyer Robert Abela appeared for Mr Micallef.