Eye Injury Compensation Claims

If you have sustained an eye injury and it was caused by somebody else’s negligence, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation. The eye injury claims experts at JMW Solicitors can support you throughout the process of a compensation claim and give you the best possible chance at successfully recovering the compensation you are owed.

We have worked with many people who have experienced an eye injury by helping them get the compensation they deserve. An eye injury can lead to physical and emotional pain, and long-term problems that will require treatment, care and adjustments to your surroundings and your lifestyle. A successful eye injury claim delivers compensation that will cover the associated costs and help you to move forward more comfortably.

To start your eye injury compensation claim, contact us on 0345 872 6666 or fill in our online enquiry form and we will get back to you.

How JMW Can Help

At JMW, our personal injury solicitors are dedicated to helping you achieve the best possible outcome. We have worked on many major cases and secured millions of pounds in compensation for people who have been injured due to somebody else’s negligence.

JMW's solicitors have been recognised by the Legal 500 and the Chambers and Partners guide for the high-quality service we provide. Our specialist eye injury solicitors have represented many clients through the claims process, and we have a thorough understanding of the evidence you need to make an eye injury claim and secure the maximum amount of compensation.

The basis of your claim is formed by the severity of your injuries (including whether the injury affects one or both eyes) and the circumstances in which it occurred. Our solicitors will arrange a medical examination as part of the claims process to establish the exact cause of your eye injury. This will help us to understand the likely cost of any medical treatment you have needed or may require in the future, and we will take into account care, rehabilitation and equipment.

Meet Our Team of Eye Injury Compensation Solicitors

Our personal injury team at JMW is made up of dedicated and experienced professionals, here to offer compassionate support and expert guidance to help you through your eye injury compensation claim.

What Are the Common Causes of Eye Injuries?

Eye injuries can result from many different types of incidents, from road traffic accidents to collisions with moving vehicles, incidents involving heavy machinery, and accidents in the workplace. You can claim compensation if the accident occurred due to someone else's negligence. For example, if health and safety procedures were not followed and safety goggles were not provided when they should have been, this could entitle you to make an eye injury claim and seek compensation from your employer.

The most common eye injuries the team at JMW has dealt with include:

• Blunt force trauma
• Chemical burns
• Cuts and scratches
• Fractures and breaks
• Foreign objects entering the eye
• Exposure to bright lights

In addition to these physical injuries, certain complications can arise following trauma to the eye. One such rare but serious condition is sympathetic ophthalmia. This occurs when a penetrating injury to one eye triggers an inflammatory response in the uninjured eye. The immune system mistakenly begins attacking both eyes, which can lead to blurred vision, light sensitivity, and, if untreated, permanent sight loss. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical, and if the condition develops as a result of an accident caused by another party’s negligence, it may also form part of a compensation claim.

Regardless of how you have been injured, if it was caused by someone else through no fault of your own, you will be able to make a claim for compensation. Our solicitors will be able to advise you on the likelihood that an eye injury compensation claim will be successful based on a discussion of your circumstances. Even if you were partly responsible for the accident, it is sometimes possible to pursue eye injury compensation.

When Is an Eye Injury Someone Else's Fault?

Eye injuries often occur in accidents caused by other people, and it is this element of fault that entitles you to compensation. If you sustained an eye injury at work, your employer may be found liable for failing to provide necessary personal protective equipment or to handle hazardous chemicals with the necessary care. We have also seen cases where the management of leisure facilities has been negligent in their provision of safety facilities or failed to provide sufficient warning of risks, leading to accidents during sporting activities.

Compensation can also be claimed from the management of public places, individuals or manufacturers if a faulty product is involved. For example, an eye injury sustained in a public place may be the responsibility of your local council, especially if the necessary safety standards have not been met. You do not need to have sustained serious injuries or vision loss to make a compensation claim. Speak to the experts at JMW for advice on starting the process.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim for an Eye Injury?

The consequences of eye injuries can be complicated and the issues they cause can vary greatly from person to person. For example, an adult may have to change their career if they are unable to do the same job due to their injuries, while the lifetime implications of living with an injury or damaged eye could become problematic for a child as they grow older.

Compensation is divided into two elements, the first of which is general damages for the pain and suffering caused by your injury. The amount of general damages you can claim for an eye injury depends on the severity and is based on the Judicial College Guidelines, which set suggested amounts for compensation for different types of injuries. Traumatic eye injuries that affect both eyes, or those that result in partial or complete blindness, will result in more compensation than eye injuries from which you will make a full recovery, or those which only affect one eye.

As a general guide, ranges for compensation for an eye injury include:

You can find a more detailed breakdown of compensation for different injuries in JMW’s compensation calculator.

Please note: Figures shown are approximate, based on experience and previous settlement amounts attributed to an individual's pain and suffering. Final settlement awards may be worth more or less than the stated amount, depending on the injury and individual personal circumstances.

The numbers listed above are not the entirety of the compensation you could be owed. The other aspect of compensation is special damages, which accounts for the financial losses associated with your injury. These are the expenses and losses that arise from the injury itself and are calculated on a case-by-case basis using the evidence you can provide.

Costs that can be factored into special damages when you claim compensation include:

• Medical expenses, such as:
• Private treatment, ophthalmology appointments, surgery, corrective procedures, or laser treatment
• Prescription charges for eye drops and medications.
• The cost of glasses, contact lenses, or specialist eye protection.
• Assistive equipment such as magnifiers or vision aids.
• Loss of earnings - if the injury stops you working or affects your ability to perform your role, you can claim for lost earnings for the time you needed off work. If you will have to work fewer hours or take a lower-paid role as a result of your injury, or if long-term vision problems will restrict your employment options, you can claim for future lost earnings.
• Costs for care provided by family, friends, or paid carers. You may also be able to claim for long-term therapy or rehabilitation.
• Travel expenses linked to your attendance at medical appointments or treatment.
• Home or vehicle adaptations if reduced vision affects your independence and you need accommodations such as specialist lighting, handrails, aids to support safe living or adaptations to your vehicle to aid mobility.
• Damage to personal items, if the accident damaged your belongings. Broken glasses and other belongings can be part of your claim.

Special damages must be supported with documentary evidence, and we may speak to independent experts to estimate future losses or costs. When we begin to build a case for your personal injury claim, we will look at evidence such as receipts and invoices, wage slips, employment records, bank statements and your medical records to build the strongest possible case and secure the maximum compensation.

What Is the Eye Injury Claims Process?

If you have experienced a severe eye injury in an accident that wasn't your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. In fact, even minor eye injuries can entitle you to make a claim, although the severity of your injuries will affect how much compensation you can receive. In these cases, the first step of the claims process is to contact a solicitor to discuss your circumstances.

At JMW, we offer a free initial consultation to talk about your accident and the injuries it caused. During this conversation, we take the time to understand the full extent of how your injuries occurred and their impact on your life. That allows us to determine whether we believe you're entitled to claim compensation and, if so, how much you could be owed.

If you decide to move ahead, we will begin gathering evidence on your behalf. We need to prove that your eye injury was connected to someone else's negligence, and provide evidence for the eye injury compensation we believe you are entitled to.

Once we have gathered the evidence we need, we will send a letter of claim to the party we believe was responsible for your eye injuries, or their insurance provider. They will have a few months in which to investigate and decide whether or not they accept that they were liable for the accident. In most cases, the liable party accepts responsibility for the accident, and we proceed directly to negotiating over how much compensation you should receive.

In rare cases, the other party will dispute liability. If this happens, we will proceed to court and present the evidence we have collected before a judge to try to secure the compensation you are owed. In most cases, even when court proceedings have been initiated, the claim is settled out of court before the first hearing. We will continue to try to settle the claim and negotiate a fair compensation amount throughout the process.

Learn more in our guide about the process of making a personal injury claim.

With JMW, you can make an eye injury compensation claim on a no win, no fee basis. This means that there are no up-front costs, and you will not need to pay any legal fees unless we successfully secure personal injury compensation on your behalf. This means that there is no financial risk involved in starting the process, or in getting in touch to learn whether you are entitled to make an eye injury claim.