Palma Court ruled against the company that operates a well-known nightclub in Magalluf, Calvià, ordering compensation for damages suffered by a young visitor who attended a private party where ultraviolet paint balls were fired. An employee used a specialized pistol to shoot the paint balls, and one of these projectiles exploded in the face of an 18-year-old Scotsman who had traveled to Mallorca with a group of six friends for his first visit to the island. The impact caused catastrophic injuries by rupturing both eyeballs, and despite undergoing multiple surgeries, the young man lost his sight and is now legally blind.
The court condemned the nightclub to pay the victim 150,000 euros in damages. That amount represents only a portion of the total compensation owed to the young man, as the insurance policy covering the venue provided partial coverage. The court noted that the insurer had already contributed a share, but the policy did not cover the entire loss, leaving a remaining balance for the company to settle directly.
The incident occurred in the early hours of July 12, 2018, during a themed celebration the club promoted for its guests. The event, labeled at the time as the festive program “Fiesta,” featured a display that involved releasing fluorescent paint spheres at attendees using a purpose-built weapon. Investigations indicated that safety measures were not adequately implemented and that the organizers did not clearly communicate any risk of serious harm from the paint balls.
Dillon, the Scotsman, was suddenly struck in the face as the balls were dispersed toward the crowd. The impact hit both eyes at once, causing an immediate rupture of the eyeball that left him unable to recover his sight. Emergency medical responders transported him to Son Espases Hospital, where ophthalmologists documented the extent of his injuries and confirmed the severity of the damage caused by the incident.
His mother traveled to Mallorca at once and later arranged for specialized care in Glasgow, Scotland. Despite the best efforts of medical teams in Britain, doctors were unable to restore his vision. The victim subsequently filed a civil claim seeking one million euros in damages from the nightclub operator. The court of first instance initially restricted the award to a modest sum of 2,600 euros, arguing that blindness had not been proven as a consequence of the event.
The appellate process later increased the compensation, recognizing the established medical evidence of blindness from a Son Espases Hospital report. The court found that while the plaintiff had presented several claims, some aspects, such as the direct link between the loss of vision and changes in family life or necessary home adaptations for a visually impaired individual, had not been fully proven, yet the core finding of vision loss remained well-supported. The judgment thus affirmed a substantial settlement while acknowledging gaps in the plaintiff’s documentation. The ruling has been cited in discussions about venue safety, the duties of entertainment operators, and the distribution of liability between a business and its insurer, reminding operators of the real consequences when safety protocols fail. The case is referenced in ongoing debates about consumer safety at nightlife venues and the responsibilities of event organizers to prevent avoidable injuries. [Citation: Court records, local press reports; legal summaries issued after the decision]