Have You Or A Loved One Suffered An Eye Injury In An Accident That Wasn’t Your Fault? You May Be Entitled To Make An Eye Injury Claim.
Eyes are one of the most important organs in the body. The ability to see is crucial to an individual being able to coordinate, guide and stabilising their bodies for daily tasks and movements. We use our sight for almost every daily task – you are using your eyes right now to read this article! Unfortunely, our eyes are also very fragile and susceptible to injury in day to day life. Loss of eyesight is probably one of the most overwhelming conditions a person can suffer, due to the far reaching effects which it has on daily activities.
If you have suffered an eye injury because you were in an accident that was not your fault, you should speak to the Free Legal Justice team today, as you might be entitled to claim financial compensation from the person who wronged you.
Whether you are simply looking for friendly advice after being involved in an accident, or are all set to make an eye injury claim, our team of injury claim specialists is here for you. With years of injury claim know-how and experience, our panel of solicitors and trained team members will listen to what you have to say, and guide you through the entire compensation claim process.
How Do Eye Injuries Happen?
Eye injury claims can arise as a result of a workplace accident, an accident in a public place or a car accident. Free Legal Justice has dealt with each of these types of personal injury claims before, and we are well placed to advise you on your potential eye injury claim.
- Workplace Eye Injury Claims
A work accident is an occurrence during the course of work, which leads to some form of physical or mental occupational injury. Work accidents can be caused by a combination of unsafe behaviour and dangerous working conditions. When work accidents happen, it is crucial that an employer has adequate safety processes and policies in place to deal with the accident. It is not always obvious who caused the accident at work, or who is responsible for whatever caused the eye injury. In most cases your employer is ultimately liable for the harm you have suffered, and will have beached the duty of care that he or she has towards you because they failed to ensure your health and safety at work. If an employer does not comply with this duty, and their failure to do so results in an accident or eye injury at work, there will be sufficient grounds for the employee to make an eye injury claim.
Eye injuries can happen in a number of industries. In the construction industry for example, an eye injury can happen if a sharp tool or piece of equipment hits an employee in the face, or if small sharp items fly into an employee’s eye. In factories and laboratories, an employee can easily sustain an eye injury as a result of dangerous equipment, tools, and chemicals that could make contact with the eye. In these industries, and any other line of work that might involve hazardous machinery or toxic substances, an employer will have a duty of care towards employees to take the necessary health and safety measures to prevent accidents from happening in the workplace.
No matter what industry you are in, or what your risk profile is, your employer generally has a duty to ensure:
- the safety of the physical space at your place of work, including maintaining fire exits and escape routes;
- the safety and efficacy of the systems and processes in place at work;
- the state of plant and equipment at your place of work, including testing any electrical equipment that employees might use at the place of work;
- the security and safety of the working practices, including first aid and emergency plans; and
- that there is adequate training to employees, including health safety training as well as job-specific training;
- to continuously conduct risk assessments; and
- that there is sufficient protective equipment at your place of work. This includes ensuring that sufficient and reasonable amounts of protective gear, first aid supplies, and protective uniforms are available to employees where applicable.
If a co-worker is to blame for a work accident that has caused your eye injury, it is likely that you are entitled to make an eye injury compensation claim against your employer. This will be a claim for compensation for the injuries you have sustained, and pain and suffering you have endured, as a result of the accident caused by an employee under the control or responsibly of your employer. If your eye injury was caused by the negligence of another employee, you should not worry that this person will be personally liable to pay you eye injury compensation. As a result of a principle known as vicarious liability, your employer will be responsible for all actions of their employees, whether negligent or otherwise. This means that an employer will be liable for the eye injury that an employee has suffered at work. You don’t have to feel nervous or anxious about making a claim for compensation against your employer – all employers are required by law to take out liability insurance to cover claims by employees that have suffered injuries at work. The insurance company will take over any claim made against your employer and settle all costs associated with the claim.
If you have suffered an eye injury at work because of the negligence of another employee or because your employer has negligently breached his or her duty of care, you may have an eye injury claim.
- Car Accident Eye Injury Claims
In simple terms, a car accident is any type of incident that involves a car. Car accidents can happen for a variety of reasons and can lead to a variety of accident claims. A car accident could involve a situation where two cars collide with one another, or where a car collides with a motorbike or bicycle, and also include incidents where a pedestrian is injured by a car.
It isn’t just drivers who can claim for injuries sustained on the road – car accidents can cause injuries to all sorts of people, including passengers, drivers, and innocent bystanders. All of these people may have been affected by the car accident in some way, and may have a potential compensation claim. Eye injuries sustained in car accidents can be anything from eye fractures, bruising, and swelling, to penetration by broken glass. Eyes are sensitive and can easily be damaged in the blunt force and impact of a car accident.
If you or a loved one have been involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, and suffered an eye injury as a result, you should contact Free Legal Justice as soon as possible for a free valuation of your eye injury claim. Please have as much information as possible ready for your free consultation with Free Legal Justice, including details such as:
- How the car accident happened, and nature of the harm you have suffered because of the car accident;
- Location of the car accident;
- Your car and license registration details;
- The full names, contact numbers and license details of the individuals involved in the car accident;
- Details of any police dockets or emergency services reports; and
- Details of the insurance providers for the other parties involved in the car accident.
Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the necessary information right away. Our accident claims team will still be able to explain to you the merits of your car accident claim based on the information that you can provide. Free Legal Justice will do what we can to help you obtain any other information that you might need in order to make a successful compensation claim. The important thing is that you get in touch with our claims team as soon as possible, so that we can get started on your case and help you get the maximum compensation that you deserve, in the shortest possible time.
- Public Place Eye Injury Claims
Free Legal Justice is highly experienced in handling personal injury compensation claims which have happened in a wide range of public places, including theme parks, shopping malls, restaurants and bars, parks, schools, theatres, carnivals and music concerts.
If you have suffered a personal injury whilst in a public place and you believe it was due to negligence of another individual or body, you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries. Councils, shop owners, businesses and public bodies all have a duty to take reasonable measures to prevent the public from being injured on the premises under their control.
If your accident was on a council owned property, such as a public walkway or a council house rented out to a member of the public, then you may be able to make a personal injury compensation claim against the local authority if the accident was due to their negligence.
Common Eye Injury Claims
As you have seen, there are various places and ways that eye injuries can happen, and the resultant eye injury compensation claims can be instituted for a variety of reasons. Different types of eye injuries can affect a person’s sight in various ways, some being a temporary disruption of the senses, and others resulting in complete permanent loss of vision. Some of the more common eye injuries that the Free Legal Justice team deals with are:
Scratched Cornea
The scratching of the transparent layer at the front of the eye, known as the cornea, is a common type of eye injury. This type of injury is easily sustained in everyday life. You can scratch your cornea by simply rubbing your eye when a foreign body is on your hand or near your eye, or by accidentally poking someone in the eye with a finger or a piece of equipment. If something has made contact with your eye, and effectively scratched the cornea, you will most likely experience increased sensitivity to light and eye redness. If you have any of these symptoms it is a good idea to seek medical attention as soon as possible- the scratching of the cornea can have a major impact on your sight if this injury is not treated as soon as possible. It can also make your eye more prone to infection if left for too long.
If your scratched cornea was due to negligence, you should speak to a legal professional about your rights to make an eye injury claim.
Eye Penetration By Foreign Object
It is easy for something to fly in and penetrate your eye. This is a fairly common cause of eye injury claims. If a foreign object does penetrate your eye, it is crucial that you seek medical attention as soon as possible. Foreign objects in the eye can be extremely dangerous and can cause permanent damage to the eye. Generally, penetration by a foreign object can be treated relatively quickly and sight will return after a short period, but if a metal, or a sharp material like glass penetrates the eye, this can cause complete loss of sight.
Chemical Substances In The Eye
If a hazardous chemical substance splashes into your eye by a mistake, or if there is some form of explosion or spraying incident whereby a chemical substance enters your eye, you need to seek medical help immediately. The type of treatment that you will need will depend on what substance came into contact with your eye, but regardless of the type of chemical or other hazardous substance that entered your eye, it is important that you seek medical help as soon as possible.
Swelling Of The Eye
Swelling of the eye can be as a result of some form of physical contact with the eye- for example, if you are assaulted, or if some heavy machinery or tool makes contact with your eye. Physical contact with the eye can lead to significant bruising and swelling of the surrounding area. In most cases this bruising and swelling will not be serious, but it is a good idea to visit a doctor to ensure that no internal damage has ensued from the incident. In some cases internal damage can be treated relatively simply, but in other cases, such as a detached retina, an eye operation may be required.
Delays in eye injury treatment or eye surgery gone wrong
Medical malpractice claims would often involve injuries sustained due to a medical professional’s delay in dealing with retinal detachments, late diagnosis of glaucoma, and laser eye or cataract surgery that has botched. To succeed with cases of this nature, it will be necessary to prove that had the doctor diagnosed and provided treatment earlier, there would have been a much greater likelihood that the sight, or at least partial sight, would have been preserved.
Other common eye injuries include bleeding in and around the eye area, inflammation of the iris and serious eye fractures which can have a long-term impact upon a person’s sight.
What Is My Eye Injury Claim Worth?
The amount of compensation that you might receive in an eye injury claim can vary considerably depending on the nature and severity of your personal injuries. Whether you think your injuries are very minor or extremely serious, Free Legal Justice has a panel of experts who are experienced in claiming for everything from minor to serious eye injuries. Our knowledgeable solicitors will be able to assess the value of your eye injury claim once we have received the details of what happened in the accident, who got hurt, and how they got hurt.
As a victim of an accident where another person is legally to blame for your injuries, you may entitled to a compensation claim for the costs of any medical bills, additional expenses and loss of income due to your injuries. There are many components that can form part of your claim, and the total amount will vary based on the seriousness of the injuries and the overall impact of the injuries on your life.
An eye injury claim includes a compensation claim for general and special damages. General damages can be described as compensation for personal injuries, while special damages are compensation for all the out of pocket expenses incurred by the victim of an accident. One of our injury claims experts will explain to you in detail what you can include as general and special damages should you decide to proceed with an eye injury claim.
General Damages In Eye Injury Claims
The general damages portion of your eye injury claim will be calculated by comparing the official Judicial Board Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases against the full medical report compiled by an independent doctor. This is a guideline which sets out how much victims of accidents can be claim as general damages for different levels of injury. The final amount of compensation will be dependent on factors such as how serious the injury was, complicating factors surrounding the injury, as well as the length of the recovery period.
Severity Of Eye Injury | Details | Estimated Compensation |
Most Severe | Total blindness and deafness | Around £265 000 |
Extremely Severe | Loss of sight in one eye with severely reduced vision in remaining eye | Around £265 000 |
Severe | Total blindness | Around £175 000 |
Severe | Loss of sight in one eye with severely reduced vision in remaining eye
Risk of further deterioration will be considered in calculation of compensation | Between £63 000 and £118 000 |
Moderately severe | Loss of sight in one eye with moderately reduced vision in remaining eye
Risk of further deterioration will be considered in calculation of compensation | Between £42 000 and £69 500 |
Moderately severe | Total loss of one eye
Age and cosmetic effect of injury will be considered in calculating compensation | Between £36 000 and £43 000 |
Moderate | Total loss of sight in one eye
Level of scarring around the eye will be considered when calculating compensation | Between £32 250 and £36 000 |
Moderate | Serious but incomplete loss of sight in one eye
Risk of further reduction in vision and of reduction in vision of remaining eye will be considered when calculating compensation | Between £15 500 and £25 750 |
Minor | Minor but permanently impaired vision in one eye
Risk of further reduction in vision and of reduction in vision of remaining eye will be considered when calculating compensation | Between £8 250 and £13 750 |
The special damages portion of your eye injury claim will include any additional expenses that you’ve incurred as a result of the eye injury. This is a rather broad category of damages, and can range from loss of past and future income, to costs of therapy and remedial sessions, additional traveling expenses, childcare expenses, nursing and care expenses, and even certain household adaptations that you have had to make to help you live with your injuries. Keep record of any kind of additional costs you have incurred related to the incident, and our injury claims solicitors will explain to you which of these amounts may form be included in your special damages claim.
It is important to know that special damages can only be claimed with proof of the expenses that you have already incurred or will incur in future, for example by presenting receipts, reports, payslips and other documentation relevant to the damages. Our injury claims team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer any questions you have about the calculation of your general and special damages.
What Will It Cost Me To Make An Eye Injury Claim?
Many people have been injured as a result of an incident that was not their fault, and although they want nothing more than to receive fair and just compensation for their injuries, the thought of landing up with a massive legal bill at the end of the day puts them off doing anything about their personal injury claim.
There is good news. Free Justice Legal has various funding options, which allow clients to continue to make their compensation claims without the stress of financial risk hanging overhead. We offer No Win no Fee agreements to all our clients with valid personal injury claims, meaning that you will never pay us any legal fees in advance. Put simply, a No Win No Fee Agreement is a way for you to take legal steps necessary to claim compensation for wrongful injuries, even if you don’t have the financial resources to do so on your own. A No Win No Fee agreement means that we cover all the upfront legal costs of running your claim, and will only get paid if we help you to win your case and receive financial compensation for your claim.
Our highly skilled solicitors are happy to offer No Win No Fee agreements to clients seeking rightful compensation for personal injuries, because they are extremely confident in their legal abilities and in their claim success rates. If we win your case, we will charge you a success fee of 25% of the total compensation received, as payment for all the work that we have done on your case. Your dedicated solicitor will make sure to chat about the success fee with you before you institute your compensation claim.
Whether you were injured at work, in a public space such as a shopping mall or in a street, or in a car accident, we can help you to claim rightful compensation for your eye injury, and get you the justice you deserve. Our dedicated and friendly team is available around the clock to answer any questions you have about what happened, why it happened, what your next steps are, and whether you can claim compensation for the personal injuries you have suffered. Best of all, this professional advice effectively comes free of charge!
At the end of the day, making compensation claim with Free Legal Justice is a financially savvy way to take the legal steps necessary to get the justice you deserve. Free Legal Justice carries the risk of your claim being unsuccessful. If your compensation claim is unsuccessful, we will not charge you any anything for the work done on your case. Contact Free Legal Justice today on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317 and get the compensation you deserve as soon as possible.
Are There Time Limits To Making Eye Injury Clams?
There is a standard 3 year time limit for making personal injury claims. The calculation of the 3 year time period starts on the date that the accident happened, alternatively from the date that your eye injuries occurred or was diagnosed. If you have not made a claim within 3 years of either of these dates, then it is possible that you will be prevented from making a case and you may not be entitled to a claim for compensation.
As usual, there are some exceptions to the three year rule. If you are instituting a claim on behalf of someone younger than 18 years old, or a protected person in the eyes of the law, the time limitations may by calculated differently. Speak to a Free Legal Justice team member for advice on the time period of your claim.
What Information Do I Need To Make My Eye Injury Claim?
Generally, to be able to assist you in your eye injury compensation claim, we will need to know:
- how you sustained the eye injury,
- where you were at the time of the incident, be it on the road, at work or in a public place.
- Who else was present when you suffered the eye injury, either as witnesses or as individuals involved in the accident; and
- We’ll need the details of your injuries, any medical diagnosis and the impact that this has had on your life both physically and financially.
Based on the information you give us, a member of the Free Legal Justice team will be able to assess your eye injury claim and advise you on the merits of your case. If we think you have a valid claim, we will also be able to give you an estimated value and advise you on the next stages in the process.
Contacting Free Legal Justice For Your Eye Injury Claims
Contact Free Legal Justice at any time of day, on any day of the week, by filling out the short online form and waiting for us to call you back for free, or by calling one of our friendly personal injury claims handlers on 0800 567 7074. If you would like to discuss your case from the comfort of your own home, please request a complimentary home visit from one of our friendly accident claims handlers, so that we can start your eye injury claim without delay.
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