We understand that no amount of compensation can truly make up for something as serious as a loss of sight. What it can do, however, is mark the fact that you’ve been let down and help you to start getting your life back.

Whether your loss of sight was caused by medical negligence, an accident at work, an assault or some other event, if another party was to blame you could be in a position to claim compensation. Any money awarded could reimburse for the financial impact of losing your sight and give you the time and space needed to come to terms with the physical and psychological effect.

If you’ve suffered some loss of sight and think another party could be to blame then get in touch with the team at Beacon Law. We’ll provide an initial consultation free of charge and, if we think you’re eligible for compensation we’ll explain how the process works and immediately set about working to get the compensation you deserve.

How much compensation can I claim for loss of sight?

The amount of compensation you can claim for loss of sight will vary depending upon factors such as:

• Whether you have lost sight in one or both eyes
• The degree of sight loss you’ve suffered and whether it is temporary or permanent
• The impact the loss will have on the quality of rest of your life
• The financial impact caused by loss of earnings and expenses directly linked to your loss of sight

When all of this is taken into account the amount paid in compensation could range from a few thousand pounds for a partial and temporary loss of sight in one eye up to hundreds of thousands to cover the permanent loss of sight in both eyes and the impact it will have on your life.

When a loss of sight claim is successful, the money paid in compensation is made up of general damages and special damages. These are calculated as follows:

General Damages

General damages are made up of compensation paid to reflect the nature and severity of your loss of sight. They are paid on the basis of:

• How severe your loss of sight is
• The pain and distress caused by your loss of sight
• Whether the loss of sight is permanent or temporary, and how much sight you are expected to recover
• The degree to which the loss of sight stops you living your life as you did, i.e. pursuing family life, hobbies and interests

The amounts awarded in general damages for loss of sight claims will be based on guidelines set out in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication lists a range of payments for specific injuries, such as the following:

• Total loss of sight in one eye – £60,130 to £66,920
• Injury which leads to total blindness – Up to £327,940
• Temporary loss of sight – £4,820 to £10,660
• Total sight loss in one eye and the other at risk of deteriorating in time – £117,150 to £219,400

If you make a loss of sight claim with Beacon Law we’ll estimate the amount of general damages you could receive once we’ve ascertained the full extent of the injuries to your eyes. We’ll communicate this amount clearly, and keep you fully informed if our estimate goes up or down as more details of your situation emerge.

The one thing you can be certain of is that we’ll work tirelessly to ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation your situation warrants, to give you the best possible chance of putting your life back together.

Special Damages

Special damages are meant to deal with the financial impact of your loss of sight. In simple terms they are intended to ensure that your financial situation following any loss of sight is the same as it would have been if the injuries had never happened.

This will involve an amount for any earnings or pension lost because you can’t work in the way you used to, as well as direct reimbursement of expenses which are directly linked to your loss of sight. These expenses could include the following:

• The cost of medical treatment already given and any predicted for the future
• The cost of care required due to your injuries, and any likely care costs going forward
• The cost of any special equipment you need to purchase to live with your loss of sight
• Any money spent on adjusting your home to take account of your loss of sight
• Any travel costs directly linked to your loss of sight, such as journeys to and from medical appointments
• Any money you have to spend on counselling or therapy to try to come to terms with your loss of sight

When we handle a loss of sight claim we make sure that the client is able to keep track of every expense which wouldn’t have arisen if they hadn’t been injured and lost their sight. We take on the work of tracking and noting expenses of this kind – advising on steps such as keeping bank statements, wage slips and receipts – so that you have the space to concentrate on regaining your equilibrium and making any recovery possible.

Steps to starting your loss of sight compensation claim

We know that taking legal action is probably the last thing you want to think about after suffering any loss of sight. We understand how daunting the thought of gathering evidence and building a case can seem, and that’s why we combine our legal expertise with an understanding and empathetic approach.

We break the loss of sight claims process into simpler individual steps, and we’ll guide you through these steps using clear, jargon-free language:

If you lose your sight in an accident in a public place or at work, during an assault or following a road traffic accident, the first thing you should do is seek medical treatment for your injuries. Prompt medical attention will give you the best possible chance of making a recovery, at the same time as creating an official record of your injuries.

You should also report the incident which led to your loss of sight to the relevant authorities, whether this is your employer, the people responsible for the safety of a public place, or the police.

If possible, you should try to collect evidence at the scene of any incident, such as photographs or video footage. We understand that this could be difficult following an eye injury, and even if nobody is accompanying you and able to collect photographic evidence on your behalf, we can still build a claim to show that you’ve been the victim of negligence.

Contact Beacon Law with the details of your case. We treat each client as an individual in a difficult and upsetting situation, rather than simply a case number. We’ll take the time to listen to the details of your situation, explain if we think you have the right to make a loss of sight claim and, if you do, set about putting that claim together.

We like to work quickly, because the sooner you get any compensation you deserve, the easier it will be for you to start living the rest of your life.

We’ll take a detailed statement from you including how you came to lose your sight and the impact this loss has had on all aspects of your life

We’ll arrange a medical evaluation with a trusted independent expert of our choosing. This will help us to put together a complete account of the extent of your sight loss as well as the chances of any recovery in the future.

With your permission we’ll also access your medical records, particularly those detailing the treatment you received at the time you lost your sight and any treatment needed since or planned for the future

We’ll set about gathering the evidence to show that your loss of sight was caused by the negligence of another party. This evidence could include, but isn’t limited to, the following:

• Statements from any witnesses to an accident which caused your loss of sight
• Photographic evidence of the scene of any accident which caused your loss of sight
• If available, CCTV footage of the incident which led to your loss of sight
• The contact and insurance details of any people involved in a road traffic accident leading to a loss of sight
• Any accident or incident reports – i.e. accident books or police reports – relating to an accident taking place in a public space or workplace
• Records relating to employment, and the money you were earning before your loss of sight
• Receipts and other documentation covering any expenses directly linked to your loss of sight
• Details of any care provided free of charge by friends and family
• Your own personal diary of the incident leading to your loss of sight, and the impact losing your sight has had on your life. This should include symptoms, treatment, and the physical and psychological impact of losing your sight. Keeping a diary of this kind will help you to record thoughts and events as they happen and are still fresh in your mind.

Once we have a full understanding of your loss of sight – including how it happened and the full impact it has had – we’ll contact the other party to inform them of your intention to claim compensation. Our experience is that many parties admit liability at this stage, making it possible to start negotiating an amount of compensation.

We use our skill in dispute resolution to settle loss of sight claims as quickly as possible, using our track record to convince the other party that we wouldn’t be making a claim if it wasn’t viable.

Once the other party has admitted liability we’ll negotiate a fair compensation payment. This is where the fact that we have more than 200 years of combined legal experience comes to the fore – we understand exactly how much compensation you’re entitled to and will never settle for anything less than 100% of that amount.

In some cases the serious nature of your loss of sight and discussions over things like longer term care and/or treatment may mean it takes longer to negotiate a compensation amount. If this happens we will apply for interim payments to cover the costs you have to meet until the final compensation amount is paid.

Any interim payments made will then be deducted from the final agreed compensation amount.

In a small minority of cases it is impossible to agree liability or a fair settlement, and your claim has to be decided in court. If this happens our expert team will be besides you throughout, presenting your case clearly, persuasively and with a keen eye for detail.

What qualifies as a loss of sight claim in the UK?

In order for any loss of sight claim to be eligible, the following criteria need to be met:

• The other party had a duty of care to you
• They failed to meet that duty of care
• Because of this failure you were injured in a way which caused loss of sight

As long as these criteria are met then you could be able to make a claim for compensation. The degree of sight loss doesn’t matter as far as eligibility to claim is concerned, though it will impact on the amount of compensation that could be awarded.

The degree of sight loss involved in a claim is usually referred to by stating that the claimant is sight impaired and blind, or sight impaired and partially sighted. These classifications are based on assessments of the following:

• Visual acuity – this refers to the ability of a person to see detail
• Visual field – this refers to the amount that a person can see in their peripheral vision when staring straight ahead

The medical evaluation to ascertain the degree of sight loss will be carried out by an ophthalmologist or an optician. In more severe cases, when a patient is severely sight impaired, they will issue a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI), which will enable the patient to register as blind with a local authority and social services.

The degree of sight loss will then inform the amount of general compensation awarded in any successful sight loss claim.

Common causes of loss of sight claims

There are a wide range of incidents which could potentially cause sight loss and be the basis of a sight loss claim. Among those which we most commonly deal with at Beacon Law are the following:

• Assault – an assault could cause an injury to the eyes which leads to loss of sight. Loss of sight claims based on a criminal assault of this kind will be made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
• Accident at work – an accident in the workplace could cause loss of sight in any of the following ways:
• Head injury caused by a fall from height or being hit by falling objects
• Penetrative injury to the eyes caused by shards of glass, metal or wood in a workplace, and a lack of the proper protective eyewear
• Chemical burns caused by acids and other corrosive chemicals, most commonly when not handled safely in the workplace
• Exposure to intense sources of light – such as sparks, lasers and welding torches – without the right protective eyewear in place
• Any accident at work which happens because your employer fails to meet the safety standards set out in Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, such as carrying out risk assessments and providing training and safe equipment, could mean you can claim compensation for your injuries.
• Medical negligence – loss of sight could be caused by a failure to diagnose a medical problem in the eyes, or mistakes made during a procedure such as laser eye surgery
• Sports injury – a blow to the head or face during some contact sports could cause sight loss
• Road traffic accident – head injuries sustained in a road traffic accident – as a driver, passenger, cyclist or pedestrian – can cause loss of sight and could be the basis of a compensation claim

Time limits for filing a loss of sight compensation claim

There is a time limit in place for loss of sight claims of 3 years from the date on which the incident which caused the loss of sight happened. If the loss of sight was caused by working conditions which were impacted over a longer period of time, the 3 years will run from the date on which you become aware of the connection between those working conditions and the loss of sight.

Once the 3 years have passed, you can no longer make a loss of sight claim for compensation, with the following exceptions:

• You were under 18 years old when the injury happened. If this is the case the 3 year period will run from your 18th birthday to your 21st
• You were ‘mentally incapacitated’ during the 3 year period and so unable to make a claim. If this is the case the 3 years will run from the date on which you regain mental capacity

In all cases we would recommend starting the loss of sight claims process as quickly as possible. The details of what happened to you will be fresher in your mind, and the sooner we can start working on your claim, the sooner you are likely to get any compensation you’re entitled to.

Why should you choose our firm for your loss of sight claim?

You should choose Beacon Law to work on your loss of sight claim because of our track record of making successful claims, our commitment to seeking 100% of any compensation available and the way we treat every client as a person and not just a case number. We’re a family run firm and we believe that empathy is as important when dealing with a loss of sight claim as legal expertise, and the good news is that we offer plenty of both.

We’ve got a combined total of 200 years of experience to call on, so we know exactly how to gather evidence, build a successful claim and target the maximum compensation possible. We’ll do all of this in a way that takes the stress and hard work out of your hands, leaving you free to concentrate on coming to terms with your loss of sight.

We also work on a no win no fee basis, meaning you pay nothing up front or as we handle your claim, and will get to keep at least 75% of any compensation awarded. We think a loss of sight claim should be based on fairness, and not whether you think you can afford to seek justice.

If you do make a claim with us we’ll work quickly and keep you fully informed of what’s happening through each stage of your claim. We speak human being, not legal jargon, and are always on offer to provide one to one support and answer any questions.

If you’ve suffered a loss of sight because someone else was negligent then contact us today. We’ll do whatever we can to help you claim the compensation you’re entitled to.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do compensation amounts differ between total and partial loss of sight?

The amount of compensation awarded as general damages for a successful loss of sight claim is based on the severity and nature of any injury. This means that a partial loss of sight will generate less compensation than a total loss of sight.

Both amounts will also be impacted by whether – and how quickly – you are expected to make a recovery. We’ll keep you fully informed regarding what we estimate the final compensation payment should be throughout the claims process.

Is it possible to claim for loss of sight stemming from an old injury?

In the majority of cases you need to make a claim for loss of sight within 3 years of the injury which caused it. If the injury is older than 3 years there is very little chance that you’ll be able to claim compensation.

One exception to this rule would be if you were under 18 at the time of the injury, in which case the 3 year limit would run from your 18th birthday to your 21st. The other possible exception is if you were deemed ‘mentally incapacitated’ at the time of the injury and so unable to seek compensation, in which case the 3 years would be counted from the date upon which you regain the capacity to make a claim.

Will I have to attend court for my loss of sight compensation claim?

You will only have to attend court for your loss of sight compensation claim if the other party denies liability, or refuses to negotiate a fair compensation settlement. In both cases the team at Beacon Law will be by your side in the court, presenting the strongest possible case and ensuring that the court is fully aware of how your loss of sight has impacted you.

What is the typical duration for resolving a loss of sight compensation claim?

A claim for loss of sight could take as little as 9 months if the other party admits liability straight away. Claims in which the other party denies liability, or in which the injuries are more complex and require lengthier medical evaluation could take longer than 12 months.

If liability has been established, and the delay is caused by problems reaching a final settlement, we will apply for interim payments to cover your on-going costs – i.e. medical bills – until a final amount is agreed.