In this guide, we’ll explore everything that you might need to know about pursuing an eye injury compensation claim. An injury to the eye can be life-changing and can cause a number of severe consequences, from permanent scarring to vision loss.
No matter how major or minor your injury is, if it was caused by the negligent actions of someone else, you may be able to claim compensation. This guide will outline the criteria that your claim needs to meet in order to be valid, as well as how an eye injury could occur.
We’ll also discuss how to sue for eye injury compensation and explore one of the most important steps in the process. Then, our guide will cover compensation in personal injury claims, and how your potential payout could be valued.
Finally, we’ll talk about No Win No Fee agreements. Our panel of expert solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis, which can potentially be a financially beneficial option for some claimants.
Contact Us
Our team of helpful advisors are ready to answer any questions you might have. If you want to learn more, or if you’re ready to get started, contact our team today by:
- Calling us on 0800 408 7827
- Using the live chat feature
- Contacting us online
Browse Our Guide
- What Is An Eye Injury Compensation Claim?
- What Accidents Could Lead To An Eye Injury Claim?
- How Do I Prove An Eye Injury Compensation Claim?
- What Is The Time Limit To Claim Eye Injury Compensation?
- How Much Compensation Could My Eye Injury Claim Be Worth?
- Can I Claim Compensation For An Eye Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- Learn More About How To Claim Personal Injury Compensation
What Is An Eye Injury Compensation Claim?
To make an eye injury compensation claim, you need to be able to prove that negligence occurred. But what is negligence?
In personal injury law, negligence occurs when:
- Someone owes you a duty of care
- They breach this duty
- You are injured as a result
All three of these factors need to be in play for it to be negligence. You can be owed a duty of care at different times by different people; this just means that they have a legal responsibility to keep you safe. We’ll talk a bit more about when you could be owed a duty of care in the next section.
If you aren’t sure whether you are eligible to make a personal injury claim, contact our advisors today. They can offer more insight through a free consultation.
What Accidents Could Lead To An Eye Injury Claim?
An eye injury can occur anywhere, but you need to be owed a duty of care to make a claim. As we mentioned earlier, this means that someone else has a responsibility for your health and safety. For example:
Can I Make An Eye Injury Claim After An Accident At Work?
While you are working, your employer owes you a duty of care, as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This legislation states that your employer needs to do all they reasonably can to keep you safe while you are working.
For example, this might include providing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). If you work in a factory, you might need protective eye gear to prevent eye injuries. It’s your employer’s responsibility to provide this. If they don’t, this could result in debris from the assembly line hitting you in the face and damaging your eye.
To learn more about whether or not you could make an accident at work claim, contact us today.
Can I Claim For An Eye Injury Caused by A Road Traffic Accident?
You’re also owed a duty of care on the roads. This applies to all road users, who must ensure that they avoid causing damage or harm to either themselves or to others, and also need to follow the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988.
For example, a road user could breach their duty of care by speeding through a red light and crashing into oncoming traffic. This could result in the windshield smashing and a piece of glass lacerating your eye.
If you’d like to find out whether or not you could make a road traffic accident claim, contact our team today.
Can Eye Injury Claims Be Made After An Accident In A Public Place?
While in public, you are owed a duty of care by whoever is in control of that space. This is set out in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 (OLA), which states that those who are in control of public spaces need to make sure that visitors are kept reasonably safe.
For example, if a member of the public reports that a shelf in a supermarket is faulty, the person in control of that space should make sure that it is fixed or removed from use. If they fail to do this, and this causes the shelf to collapse on you while shopping, this could result in an eye injury.
Our advisors can provide more information on claiming for an accident in a public place when you get in touch.
How Do I Prove An Eye Injury Compensation Claim?
It’s important that you are able to prove that your eye injury is the result of someone else’s negligent actions. To do this, you can collect different kinds of evidence, including:
- Photographs of your eye injuries, if they are visible
- Medical records or charts that show how severe the injury is, and what kinds of treatments you’ll need to recover
- The contact details of anyone who witnessed your accident, which will allow their statements to be taken at a later date
- CCTV footage of the accident
- Reports from an accident book
This might seem complicated, but you don’t have to do it alone. Should you choose to work with one of the expert solicitors on our panel, they can help you gather evidence and make your eye injury compensation claim stronger.
What Is The Time Limit To Claim Eye Injury Compensation?
You need to start your eye injury compensation claim within the required time limit. This is set out by the Limitation Act 1980, which outlines how long you have to start proceedings.
For a personal injury claim, you’ll need to start the claims process within three years of suffering your eye injury. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
For example, the time limit doesn’t apply to those injured while under the age of 18. Instead, a litigation friend can make a claim on their behalf up until their 18th birthday. If they turn 18 and no claim has been made, then they’ll have three years to start one for themselves.
Another example is those who don’t have the required mental capacity to claim for themselves. In these cases, the time limit doesn’t apply at all. Instead, like in the example above, a litigation friend can make a claim on their behalf.
How Long Can An Eye Injury Claim Take?
The amount of time it could take for your claim to conclude can depend on a number of factors, including:
- How much evidence you have
- How severe your injuries are
- Whether the other party accepts liability
- Whether or not the claim goes to court
To learn more about time limits and to find out if you are within the limitation period to make an eye injury compensation claim, contact our team.
How Much Compensation Could My Eye Injury Claim Be Worth?
In general, personal injury compensation can be split into two heads. The first heading is called general damages, and this covers your eye injuries, as well as any psychological injuries they cause. They also cover loss of amenity, which covers the effect that your injuries have on your quality of life.
General damages are awarded to all successful claimants. When this head of your claim is calculated by your solicitor or anyone else working on your claim, they might use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG can be helpful because it provides guideline compensation brackets for different injuries and illnesses, including eye injuries.
Below, you can see a few examples of eye-related JCG entries. Please be aware that these are only guideline figures, and the top entry hasn’t been taken from the JCG.
| Injury | Severity |
|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries + Special Damages, like lost wages | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Total Blindness and Deafness | In the region of £493,000 |
| Total Blindness | In the region of £327,940 |
| Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Vision in the Remaining Eye (i) | £117,150 to £219,400 |
| Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Vision in the Remaining Eye (ii) | £78,040 to £129,330 |
| Total Loss of One Eye | £66,920 to £80,210 |
| Complete Loss of Sight in One Eye | £60,130 to £66,920 |
| Eye Injuries Causing Incomplete Loss Of Vision (f) | £28,900 to £48,040 |
| Eye Injuries Causing Minor Impairment Of Vision (g) | £11,120 to £25,600 |
| Minor Eye Injuries | £4,820 to £10,660 |
Can I Claim For Lost Earnings Caused By An Eye Injury?
Yes, if your injuries have caused you to lose out on wages, then these could potentially be included as part of your eye injury compensation. These would fall under special damages, which is the second head of claim that you could be eligible for.
Special damages cover the financial losses that were caused by your injury. For example, this might include lost earnings, as well as the cost of:
- Childcare
- Housekeeping
- Professional nursing care
- Prosthetics
- Cosmetic aids
- Travel
- Counselling or therapy
- Prescriptions
- Private medical expenses
These are only a few of the costs that could be covered under special damages. Contact our team of advisors today to learn more about what your personal injury compensation could include.
Can I Claim Compensation For An Eye Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis?
One thing that holds a lot of people back from pursuing compensation is worry over legal fees. However, if you choose to make an eye injury compensation claim with a solicitor from our panel, they could help you on a No Win No Fee basis.
Our panel works under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which is a kind of No Win No Fee arrangement. Under this kind of agreement, you can access the services of a solicitor without having to pay any fees for their work:
- Upfront
- As the claim is ongoing
- At all if the claim fails
These services can be invaluable throughout the claims process. For example, a solicitor can help you gather evidence and find ways to strengthen your claim. They can also help you negotiate a settlement and give in-depth explanations of legal jargon and the claims process.
If you make a successful claim for eye injury compensation, then you will pay a success fee. This is paid to your solicitor directly from your compensation, but it’s taken as a small percentage that comes with a legal cap.
Contact Us
If you’d like to find out how a solicitor from our panel could help you, contact our team of advisors today by:
- Calling us on 0800 408 7827
- Using the live chat feature
- Contacting us online
Learn More About How To Claim Personal Injury Compensation
For more helpful personal injury claim guides:
- Find out how to claim for a scald injury
- Get information on hand injury claims
- Learn how to claim for a break or fracture
Or, to get more help:
- Learn about Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
- Information on how to request CCTV footage
- NHS information on eye injuries
Thank you for reading our guide on how to sue for eye injury compensation.