Eye Injury Claims and Loss of Vision Compensation

Compensation Amounts for Eye Injury Claims

If you have suffered an eye injury in an accident that wasn’t your fault and are contemplating making a claim, it’s likely that you’ll be wondering how much money you can expect to receive if your claim is successful.

Compensation amounts are bespoke sums of money that are decided by the courts. When deciding how much compensation to award, the judge will considers the severity of the eye injury, the impact it has had, and perhaps will continue to have, on your life.

They will also consider whether you have incurred any costs that need to be reimbursed.

For this reason, estimating how much money you could be entitled to without all the facts of your case is impossible . 

However, the Courts base their valuations on predetermined ranges for each body part so it is possible to understand approximately which range of figures your injury may fall into.

About Eye Damage Claims

The eye is one of the body’s most complex organs. Although structures within the eye provide some protection against hazards in our environment, eye damage can occur.  When it does, the impact on our vision can be life changing. If you have suffered an eye injury or eye damage because of someone else’s negligence or incompetence, then it is right to claim compensation; contact us today to find out more.

Eye Anatomy

The sense of sight is produced when light from the environment enters the eye, and is processed by both the structures within the eye itself, and the brain. The eye contains many structures, all of which work in tandem to process the light that enters is and enables us to see.

On the outside of the eye, the white and colour we see is coated by a transparent dome called the cornea. Light enters through the cornea, and is then intercepted by the iris, which controls how much light is permitted to enter the internal structures of the eye. The iris is the coloured circle in the middle of the eye and, in the middle of it, sits the pupil, a small black circle that changes in size depending on how much light is available, and how much light is needed by the eye. The change in size of the pupil is controlled by tiny, light-sensitive muscles that exist in the iris.

The light then passes through the lens, a clear structure that exists within the eye. The lens and the cornea work together to refract (bend) the incoming light onto the retina, which is a light-sensitive layer of tissue that sits towards the back of the eye. The layer is coated with thousands of special cells called photoreceptors, the function of which is to turn the light into electrical signals that can be passed to the brain and interpreted as sights.

The retina contains two types of photoreceptor cells: rods and cones. When the light reaching the eye is plentiful, such as in daylight or a well-lit environment, the cones are activated. These photoreceptors work well in strong light, and can produce colour visions. Rods, on the other hand, come into play when the light available is at a minimal level; they are not capable of producing colour vision, and the quality of the vision they produce is lower than that produced by cones. Both serve to process the light in their own ways, turning it into electrical information, and passing it to the brain via the optic nerves.  The optic nerves are two bundles of more than one million neuron fibres each that sit at the back of the eye and carry information from the eye to the brain.

Eye Injuries

The eye can be damaged in a number of different ways.

Scratches on the Cornea

Scratches on the cornea, the clear, outer layer of the eye, are the most common eye injury. When foreign bodies enter the eye, such as when handling items such as wood or sharp fragments of metal without adequate personal protection equipment, such as goggles, the body’s natural reaction is to rub the eye in the hope of dislodging the item. Often, however, the act of rubbing makes the incident worse, and the cornea becomes scratched and wounded. As well as being painful, scratches to the cornea can cause temporary impairment to one’s vision; they are also, as with all wounds, at risk of infection if not cared for properly. Injuries to the cornea can also occur in road traffic accidents, when debris from the crash hits the face.

Chemical Burns to the Eye

Chemical burns to the eyes are serious injuries that require immediate medical intervention. In the workplace, those working with dangerous chemicals should be given training and personal protective equipment by their employer to reduce the risk of harm. Tragically, chemical burns to the eyes have also occurred as a result of assaults. If you have received a chemical burn to the eye because of someone’s else’s behaviour or negligence, you could receive compensation; contact us today to discuss your case.

Retina Trauma

Damage sustained to the retina can occur as a result of either blunt force trauma, or penetrating force trauma. Causes of retinal injury include road traffic accidents, assault and battery (which can cause damage to the retina, and the face), and injuries in the workplace. Damage to the retina is extremely serious, as it usually involves some degree of vision loss; any symptom of impaired vision occurring after a blow or injury to the eye should be assessed for signs of potential damage to the retina.

Symptoms of Eye Damage

The symptoms of eye damage can vary depending on which part of the eye has been injured. Typically, symptoms include pain, and some degree of visual disturbance, whether it be blurred vision, or an inability to see.

The visits to medical professionals to diagnose and help repair damage to the eyes can be lengthy and expensive, and you may need to take off work.  If this has already happened to you because of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to claim compensation to help you reimburse for the financial losses you have incurred, as well as for your pain and suffering.

If you have suffered eye damage in an accident of any kind that wasn’t your fault, you have the right to make a claim compensation, and our knowledge and experienced professional eye damage injury claims solicitors are available to help guide you through the process.

Contact us today to discuss your case and begin your claim.