Eye injuries at work can have devastating effects, not only on an individual’s vision but also on their overall quality of life and ability to work. They can be one of the most severe injuries a person can suffer. Even slight damage to the eye can cause a significant reduction in the quality of your vision.

Unfortunately, there are occasions where an eye injury is so severe that it leads to long term or partial blindness. You may be able to make a claim for eye injury at work compensation if your employer’s negligence was the main cause of your injury. 

Common accidents that can lead to an eye injury at work

As your eyes are a sensitive part of the body, they can be easily damaged. Some of the most common accidents that occur in the workplace include:

•  Insufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Lack of safety equipment is a common cause of eye injuries at work. Employers must keep their employees safe by providing protective clothing and equipment, such as goggles and face shields.

• Allergies – There are specific jobs that require exposure to food, flowers, spices, perfumes, detergents and other substances that can cause an allergic reaction called ‘allergic conjunctivitis’. These may cause your eyes to swell, which can cause irritation, pain and burning of the eyes. It is your employer’s duty to ensure you will not be exposed to any substances which may cause an allergic reaction.

• Building Site/ Construction/ Factory Accidents- In many work environments and jobs involving demolition, construction work, or engineering, there is likely to be a lot of flying debris. Employees are at high risk of the flying debris pieces going into their eyes, which can cause severe eye damage.
• Radiation Exposure – Some jobs involve working with radiation. Working with radiation for long periods can expose lab workers to a number of risks. Over-exposure to radiation can cause long-term, permanent damage to the eyes.

•  Improper Use of Dangerous Machinery – Many types of machinery used in the workplace can be dangerous if not used correctly. Employers must provide adequate training to employees to ensure they can use dangerous machinery effectively and safely. Injuries to the eyes are commonly caused by a lack of training on the machinery and improper use of machinery.

• Accidents Caused by Colleagues- Eye injuries are commonly caused by fellow employees. Your colleagues may act dangerously in the workplace and not follow safety rules. This negligence and irresponsibility can cause multiple injuries and will make work an unsafe place to be.

Your employer’s responsibilities

Your employer has a duty of care to ensure that your workplace is as safe as possible. Your employer is obligated to provide a safe place of work under the Health and Safety at Work. Act of 1974. The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations (1992) and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 impose a duty on your employer to ensure that the work environment is always clean and maintained to a high safety standard.

Your employer must ensure your safety in the workplace by following strict health and safety at work legislation. If your employers fail to carry out their duties in a satisfactory manner, and as a result, you sustain injuries in the eye, you may be able to claim for eye injury at work compensation. 

If you have suffered an eye injury at work due to an employer’s negligence, contact us today to determine if you could make an eye injury compensation claim.

Types of eye injury

Many common eye injuries can occur as a result of an accident in the workplace. Here are the most common eye injuries:

• Swelling of the eye
• Eye penetrated by foreign bodies
• Scratched cornea
• Chemical substances in the eye
• Bleeding in the eye area
• Bleeding around the eye area
• Inflammation of the iris
• Eye fractures
• Blindness or partial blindness in one or both eyes
• Loss of one or both eyes

Each listed type of eye injury varies in severity. Some of the listed points are minor eye injuries. Minor eye injuries, such as swelling, may take a short time to heal. Whereas other eye injuries, such as bleeding in and around the eyes and eye fractures, will need medical attention straight away.

More severe eye injuries may lead to blindness. If you have suffered any eye injuries, you might be entitled to some degree of compensation in the event that negligence can be proven.

Will I lose my job if I make a claim?

There are often worries associated with making a claim against an employer. Many will be worried that the result will be negative and that they may be dismissed or treated negatively as a result. We can assure you that your employer will not be legally allowed to terminate your employment or treat you negatively just because you are filing a claim against them.

Your employer should have appropriate insurance in place to cover instances of any of their employees being injured due to their negligence or breach of statutory duty. Your employer will not suffer any direct, personal financial loss if they have adequate insurance in place.

What should I do if I suffer an eye injury at work?

If you were unfortunate enough to have been involved in an accident due to negligence, and you suffered an eye injury because of it, you will have grounds to claim compensation. Before you start your claim, we would recommend that you do the following:

• Request first aid treatment straight away to minimise the damage to your eye. Seek medical attention as soon as possible of you have suffered a severe injury.
• Report the accident to your supervisor or manager as quickly as possible.
• Ensure that you ask your employers for the accident to be recorded in the accident book as soon as the accident has happened. Write an accurate description of the accident in the accident book. Your employer is legally required to keep a log of all accidents, and you should check any entries to ensure they are accurate, as this may be substantial evidence in your case.
• If possible, take photographs and prepare a sketch of the accident area and any equipment.
• Ensure you take the contact details of any witnesses to the accident.
• Try to find out if there have been any similar accidents or any complaints relevant to your accident in the past.
• Seek medical advice from your GP or hospital for ongoing symptoms.
• Keep a record of any expenses you incurred.
• Always seek legal advice before agreeing to anything with your employer or their representative regarding the accident.

How much eye injury at work compensation will I receive?

Compensation for an eye injury is based on the pain, suffering and loss of amenity (general damages) as well as any financial losses suffered as the result of the accident (special damages).

It is difficult to determine the amount of compensation you will receive without knowing all the injury details. As many injuries are complex, especially those that are ongoing, it may be necessary to obtain a medical evaluation of your injuries before estimating your injuries’ value.

The valuation of your general damages will be based on recent case law, as well as guidelines set out by the Judicial College.

The subject of special damages relates to incurred and expected costs in the future due to the eye injury. Your additional losses can include the following:

• Loss of earnings.
• Future loss of earnings.
• Medical expenses.
• Travel expenses.
• Additional equipment required

Why choose Beacon Law?

Beacon Law provides a team of highly qualified personal injury solicitors and legal professionals with many years of experience in personal injury matters. We offer a high level of service to all our clients and work hard to ensure you receive the highest-level service for your accident at work claim. We are specialist personal injury claims solicitors with expertise in all types of claims, including road traffic accidents, slips, trips, falls, and criminal injuries. All of our claims are managed on a no-win, no-fee basis.

Beacon Law is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. To find out more about how we can help you achieve a successful claim, and help you with your legal fees, visit our funding section on our website.

To find out more about making a workplace accident, take a look at our FAQ’s.