We all know how important our eyesight is, and any form of eye injury due to substandard medical care is stressful, scary and, in some cases, life changing. Unfortunately, there are rare instances where eye treatments do result in injury, in which case you may have an eye injury claim.
If you believe you have a medical negligence eye claim, please get in touch today. Our friendly and compassionate team will unpack your case with you and help you seek the compensation you deserve.
About Eye Injury Compensation Claims
What types of treatment could result in an eye injury claim?
There is a range of medical treatments and surgical eye procedures that could result in eye injury, including:
- Laser eye surgery
- Glaucoma treatments
- Retinal detachment treatment
- Eye muscle surgery
- Corneal transplant
- Blocked tear duct procedures
- Vitreo-retinal surgery
- Cataract surgery
- Eye trauma treatment
- ‘Foreign body in eye’ treatment
- Missed, incorrect or delayed diagnosis
- Sub-standard care pre- or post-procedure
You may also have an eye injury claim if you have suffered eye trauma and an ED doctor fails to refer you to an ophthalmologist for immediate assessment and surgical repair.
Complications from eye injury may not be apparent for months and, in rare cases, can result in sight loss, so patients must be kept under review.
How much eye injury compensation could I receive?
The severity of your eye injury is one factor that will determine how much compensation you receive. The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) give a general indication of the value of your claim, as laid out below:
| Eye Injury Claim | Compensation Value |
| Complete blindness and deafness | In the region of £403,990 |
| Complete blindness | In the region of£268,720 |
| Sight loss in one eye with reduced vision in the other eye, and risk of deterioration in the remaining eye | £95,990 - £179,770 |
| Sight loss in one eye and reduced vision in the other eye and/or further problems, including double vision | £63,950 - £105,990 |
| Total loss of one eye | £54,830 - £65,710 |
| Complete sight loss in one eye | £49,270 - £54,830 |
| Serious but incomplete loss of vision in one eye | £23,680 - £39,340 |
| Minor yet permanent impairment of vision in one eye | £9,110 - £20,980 |
| Minor eye injuries | £3,950 - £8,730 |
| Transient eye injuries | £2,200 - £3,950 |
What does eye injury compensation cover?
A medical negligence eye claim can cover a wide range of factors depending on the severity of your injuries and the impact these have on your life. Here are some factors to consider:
- Pain, suffering and loss of amenity: Also known as General Damages, this eye injury compensation claim would cover any pain and suffering you experienced as a result of the negligent treatment. This includes both physical suffering and emotional suffering. Loss of amenity describes the impact of the injury on your enjoyment of life. For example, you may have to give up playing sports or doing hobbies that you love.
- Loss of earnings: If your treatment impacts your ability to work, your eye injury claim should account for loss of earnings. It is likely that you will need to stop working for a while whilst you recover from the physical injury and emotional stress. If your eye injury is severe with permanent implications, such as permanent sight loss, you may need to find and retrain for a different job, or stop working entirely. The total eye injury settlement amount should account for both past and future income.
- Additional care and treatment: It is likely that you will need additional care and treatment as a result of your eye injury. You may need help from professional carers, family members or friends to assist you at home. You may also need to make additional visits to an ophthalmologist, with time and money spent on travel to appointments. If you are struggling with the emotional and psychological stress of your injury and the substandard treatment, you may benefit from therapy as well.
- Adaptations to lifestyle: With an eye injury, you may need to make changes to your lifestyle, whether temporary or permanent. For example, it is likely that you will be unable to drive for some time after the injury. If your injury is more severe with sight loss implications, you may need to adapt your home to make it easier to navigate, move house, learn Braille, learn how to work with a guide dog, learn how to use a screen reader, and more.
Is there a time limit for eye injury claims?
The medical negligence claim time limit is three years from the date of your substandard treatment or from the date you realised your treatment could have been negligent. There are exceptions however, so please contact our team if you have any questions about your eye injury claim time limitation.
How do I begin an eye injury compensation claim?
The earlier you begin your claim, the better chance you have of building a compelling case. To begin an eye injury compensation claim, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Once we’ve listened to your story, a senior member of the team will provide free, no obligation advice on the next best steps. After screening your case, if we recommend further investigating your eye injury claim, we will most likely offer a No Win, No Fee Agreement. We will then instruct medical experts before submitting a Letter of Claim to the medical care provider. You can learn more about our complete process in our guide.
About Eye Injuries
Traumatic eye injuries describe events where the eye or the area surrounding the eye become damaged. This can have a long-term or even irreversible impact on your vision and/or the appearance of your eye, especially if medical treatment is delayed or sub-par.
What are the types of traumatic eye injury?
Types of traumatic eye injury include:
- Corneal Abrasions: A corneal abrasion is a small scratch on your cornea, which is the transparent part of your eye, covering the iris and pupil. Corneal abrasions are typically not serious and your cornea should heal on its own. However, you should still have an ophthalmologist or optometrist assess your eye injury as soon as possible to rule out anything more serious.
- Retinal Detachment: Retinal detachment occurs when the retina (the lining of the back of the eye) breaks away from its normal position. Symptoms include a sudden change and increase in the number of “floaters” (the odd little dots and lines which appear in your vision), sudden flashes of light and sudden deterioration of vision. Delayed diagnosis or delayed treatment can lead to permanent loss of sight.
- Orbital Fracture: An orbital fracture occurs when one or more of the bones around your eyeball break, which can cause the eye socket to collapse. Symptoms include bruising, pain, swelling, changes in vision and facial numbness. This type of traumatic eye injury will require immediate medical attention, and you may need surgery to repair the break.
- Penetrating Injuries: A penetrating eye injury is where the cornea and/or sclera (i.e. the outer coat of the eye) is punctured, and you should seek medical attention right away. There may be a requirement for surgery and, although rare, your other eye may become inflamed.
How long do eye injuries take to heal?
The time it takes for an eye injury to heal depends on the severity and type of traumatic eye injury you have suffered. A minor corneal abrasion may heal on its own within a few days, however you will need up to four weeks to recover from retinal detachment surgery. If there are complications with your eye injury or eye injury treatment, you may need even more time to recover.
What is blunt eye trauma?
Blunt eye trauma, also known as ocular trauma, happens when your eye is subject to a sudden forceful impact. Blunt eye trauma can cause injury to your eye.
What are the signs of an eye injury?
The symptoms of an eye injury will vary depending on the type of injury you have suffered and the part of the eye affected. However, these are common signs of an eye injury which you should be aware of:
- Severe eye pain
- Changes to your vision, such as increased blurriness or double vision
- Blood or other discharge coming from your eye
- Increased sensitivity to light and headaches
- Changes in eye appearance
- Abnormal pupils
- Sudden increase in “floaters”
- Redness
- Excess tears
- Swelling
- Problems with eye movement
- Decreased vision
- Loss of vision
You should see a medical professional as soon as possible if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Get in touch
If you believe you have an eye injury compensation claim, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our highly experienced team of medical negligence solicitors. You can reach out to us for an informal chat about your potential claim, and we’ll provide free, no obligation legal advice on the best course of action to take. If we believe we can take on your medical negligence eye claim, we will most likely offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (also known as ‘No Win, No Fee’), so you have nothing to lose financially in speaking to us.
To learn more about medical negligence eye claims, you can explore our successful eye claim case studies or read our medical negligence claim guides. Alternatively, if an eye injury has left you with impaired vision, please have a read of our loss of sight resource guide full of helpful advice and support group information.