Eye Injury Compensation Claims: A Short Guide

Eye injuries can be devastating, affecting not only your vision but also your quality of life and ability to work. Whether caused by an accident at work, a road traffic collision, or a defective product, these injuries often lead to long-term consequences, including partial or full loss of sight.

If you’ve suffered an eye injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation to help cover medical costs, loss of earnings, and the pain and suffering caused by the injury.

How Are Eye Injuries Caused?

Beacon Law have dealt with a range of eye injury compensation claims for minor eye injuries, as well as very serious injuries.

Eye injuries can be caused by many different types of accidents, such as Medical Negligence, a Road Traffic Accident or an Accident at Work.

To be successful in claiming compensation, you must be able to prove that the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence or breach of duty.

Regardless of the type of accident, as long as we can prove you have suffered an eye injury, that the accident was somebody else’s fault and that your accident occurred in the last three years, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

Common Types of Eye Injuries

• Corneal Abrasions: Scratches or abrasions to the clear surface of the eye (cornea), which can occur from flying debris, dust, or sharp objects. These are common in workplace accidents, particularly in industries like construction or manufacturing.
• Chemical Burns: Exposure to harmful chemicals, such as industrial cleaning agents or hazardous substances, can result in serious damage to the eye’s surface and deeper tissues. These injuries are prevalent in workplace incidents or due to defective products.
• Blunt Trauma Injuries: Impact to the eye from a forceful blow (e.g., during a road traffic accident, assault, or workplace incident) can cause swelling, bruising, or more severe damage like a ruptured eyeball or detached retina.
• Penetrating Injuries: Foreign bodies puncturing the eye, such as shards of glass, nails, or metal fragments, can lead to permanent damage or vision loss. These injuries are common in construction sites, road accidents, and incidents involving defective tools.
• Detached Retina: Trauma to the eye or head can cause the retina to detach from the back of the eye, potentially leading to partial or complete vision loss if not treated promptly.
• Orbital Fractures: Fractures to the bones surrounding the eye socket are often the result of high-impact accidents, such as falls, sports injuries, or car crashes. These injuries may require surgery and can cause lasting vision impairment.
• Optic Nerve Damage: Injuries that affect the optic nerve can lead to partial or total blindness. This can result from head trauma, excessive pressure on the eye, or a penetrating injury.
• Eye Infections: Inadequate hygiene practices or improper medical treatment can lead to infections, which may cause long-term damage or vision loss. These claims sometimes arise from medical negligence cases in which medical professionals have acted negligently, such as laser eye surgery.
• Thermal Burns: Exposure to extreme heat, sparks, or flames in the workplace or during an accident can cause burns to the eye, leading to scarring and vision loss.
• Loss of Eye : In severe cases, traumatic injury may necessitate the surgical removal of the eye, profoundly affecting a person’s daily life and mental well-being.

What Should I Do After Suffering an Eye Injury?

If you sustained an eye injury at work, you should report the accident to a supervisor or manager and ensure that the incident has been logged appropriately in an accident report book. Employers have a duty of care to their employees and must follow strict guidelines if an accident at work occurs. If the accident did not happen at work, you should report the incident to the person or company who you believe is responsible.

If you suffered your injury in a road traffic accident, contact your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident.

You should seek appropriate medical attention for your injury from a GP or hospital straight away. If your eye injury is severe, seek urgent attention at hospital.

Keep receipts for any medical treatment which you have had to pay for so that you can recover the expenses if you decide to make a claim.

If you would like to make a claim, or if you would like to discuss the claim process with a personal injury solicitor, contact Beacon Law today using the contact forms on our website, or call us on 0330 1332 857.

You should be aware that there is a strict time limit of 3 years from the date of the accident for making a personal injury claim. This can be extended in special circumstances; however, we would advise that you start your claim as early as possible to avoid your claim becoming statute-barred.

How Much Compensation for an Eye Injury?

It is difficult to determine the amount of compensation for an eye injury without firstly knowing the seriousness of the injury and all facts of the case.

In determining the value of eye injury compensation claims, it is necessary to assess the severity of the injury, the amount of time it will take for you to recover from the injury, and the impact the injury has had on your day to day life and your future.

We will seek compensation for any additional losses sustained as a result of the accident as well as compensation for your pain and discomfort. Different types of losses include compensation for loss of earnings if you have not been able to work due to the impact of the injury and out of pocket expenses, including any fees you have required to pay for treatment or managing your eye injury. We may also be able to negotiate for interim payments to help any financial burdens you incur whilst the claim process is ongoing.

What is the Eye Injury Compensation Claims Process?

Eye injury claims follow the same claims process as other personal injury claims.

The claims process includes obtaining evidence of the accident and your injury and submitting these to the party at fault, with the main goal being to establish liability and the cause of the accident, proceeding to reach an agreement on the amount of compensation you are entitled to.

Medical evidence, such as GP records and Hospital records, will be required to demonstrate the treatment you have received for your accident. This will act as evidence of the accident. We can assist you in obtaining these records and also obtain a specialist medical report on your behalf. This will mean that you will meet with a medical expert who specialises in the field on eye injuries, who will assess the extent of your injury, the impact on your life and the likely cause of the injury. This will help in strengthening your case.

All communications with the party at fault will be made through us. We will submit the evidence to them arguing why we believe it supports your case and we will negotiate a settlement on your behalf. Every step of the claims process will be carried out under your instructions and you will be kept up to date throughout the claims process.

How Much Do Eye Injury Compensation Claims Cost?

Making a claim should not leave you out of pocket. You will not be required to pay any of our legal fees if your claim fails, as long as you are honest with us and co-operate throughout the legal process. This is because we offer a specialist ‘No Win No Fee’ basis agreement to all our potential clients.

This is a big benefit of choosing Beacon Law as it means that you are not likely to end up with more losses than those you have already suffered due to your accident. If you are successful, our fees will be deducted from your compensation award on conclusion of your case.

Why Choose Beacon Law to Handle Your Eye Injury Compensation Claims?

Beacon Law are a team of specialist personal injury solicitors. We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and are registered in England and Wales to provide legal assistance.

We always act with your best interests in mind and provide a friendly, professional service at all times.

For more information on claims for eye injuries, contact us today to have a free, no-obligation conversation with a specialist solicitor, please contact us either by calling 0330 1332 857 or my completing the contact form at the top of the page.

A simple discussion with us about your case and it’s merits does not mean you are obliged to proceed with your claim, so please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about your claim, we are happy to help.