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Eye Injury Claims

If you have suffered an eye injury as the result of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim. Our lawyers are experts in all areas of personal injury and can provide specialist injury claim advice on a cost-free, confidential basis.

Contact The Legal Line on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online, to find out how we can help you. You keep 100% of your compensation. We will not charge you a penny in legal fees.

Eye Injuries
Eye Injury Causes
Treating an Eye Injury
Loss of Sight / Blindness
Eye Injury Compensation
Injury Claim Solicitors
Successful Eye Injury Claims

Eye Injuries

Even the most superficial eye injury can be extremely painful, as our eyes are very sensitive. Luckily the vast majority of eye injuries will heal within a few days and require minimal treatment, however some can be very serious and may even lead to a loss of sight. This can be devastating for anyone affected and will usually mean a complete change to their life.

Eye injuries can occur under a variety of circumstances, for example through accidents at work, road accidents, sports accidents, building site accidents, military accidents or accidents caused by faulty products.

Types of eye injury that can occur include:

• Eyelid Injuries
• Injuries to the Cornea
• Damage to the Retina
• Abrasions
• Bruising to the Eye Area
• Orbital Fractures (eye socket)
• Lacerations to the Eye Area
• Eyeball Lacerations
• Eye Infections
• Penetrating Eye Injuries
• Thermal Burns
• Chemical Burns

An eye injury may result in redness, irritation, pain, swelling, bleeding, light sensitivity, burning sensations and problems with vision. With more serious injuries, there can be scarring, disfigurement or long term pain.

Whatever the severity of your eye injury, if it was caused by the negligent actions of someone else, or their failure to act when they owed you a duty of care, we are here to help you with your personal injury claim through every step of the way.

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Eye Injury Causes

Perhaps the main cause of eye injuries is flying objects. This might include balls used in sports games, small pieces of debris such as fragments of metal, glass or wood, or sharp penetrating objects. Other common causes of damage to the eyes include exposure to chemicals or very bright light, burns from fires or explosions and blows to the face and head.

At work, eye injuries can be caused by escapes of air under pressure either from the air itself or foreign bodies carried by the jet of air, grinding wheels that fracture or even metal splinters from hammering metal on metal. In road traffic accidents, glass from shattered windscreens and side or rear glass panels can be a real hazard. Wearing a seat belt can prevent serious facial and eye injury.

Eye injuries can also result from medical negligence, for example surgical errors or mistakes made during laser eye treatment.

Many eye injuries are preventable through the use of safe practices whether in a social, domestic or work environment. At work, risk assessments should be carried out and machines, processes or areas could and should be designated as high risk areas where the risk of eye injury is detected. Personal protective equipment should be worn and precautions taken to eliminate or control the risk should be implemented in addition to other safety measures. For example goggles, visors or protective glasses should be worn for certain types of work (wood and metalwork, welding etc) and sports should always be played within the relevant rules and using the correct equipment.

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Treating an Eye Injury

It is always advisable to seek medical attention if you suffer an eye injury where there is bleeding, a lot of pain or swelling or you experience problems with your vision. If there is a penetrating object it should be left in place so that a doctor can remove it, to avoid causing any additional injury.

Minor injuries can sometimes be treated at home, for example by using irrigation to wash out any small foreign bodies or cold compresses for minor bruising and swelling.

Unfortunately, some eye injuries will require surgical intervention or extensive medical treatment. In a small number of cases the eye may even need to be removed.

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Loss of Sight / Blindness

If a person suffers a direct eye injury, or in some cases a blow to the head, this can lead to a partial or total loss of sight. One or both eyes may be affected and if most or all of the sight is lost the impact on the injured person can be catastrophic.

Blindness can affect a previously sighted person’s confidence, leaving them feeling vulnerable, and they will require a lot of support in adapting their life to their new needs. They may have to completely re-learn most normal tasks and often will be unable to work in the same capacity as before. This can result in a loss of earnings and pension contributions and there can also be costs for care, assistance, housing modifications and equipment. More details can be found on our serious injuries page.

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Eye Injury Compensation

There are two elements to an eye injury compensation award. The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and any loss of amenity (perhaps an inability to take children to school, look after your garden or cook meals). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after an accident or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.

The second element of a compensation award, for your losses and expenses, (known as special damages) aims to put you back in a position financially as if the accident had never occurred. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to your eye injury so that these can be reclaimed.

In serious cases, where a person is no longer able to continue their employment, this can be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also affect the calculations. If the person is still able to work but not in the same role as before, particularly if they held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer, an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that an injured worker's prospects on the open labour market may be limited.

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Injury Claim Solicitors

At The Legal Line, our lawyers are experts in all areas of personal injury, with extensive experience in recovering compensation for the victims of eye injuries. We also have a dedicated serious injuries unit, providing assistance to the victims of catastrophic injuries.

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Successful Eye Injury Claims

Details of some of the many cases handled by our specialist personal injury solicitors on behalf of injured people can be found in our news and client stories sections, or by following the links below:

Serious Eye Injury Caused by Lack of PPE and Unsafe Equipment

Personal Injury Claim for Accident in Public Place

Compensation Claim for Eye Injury Victim

Clinical Negligence Compensation for Victim of Laser Eye Surgery Error

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