05 Feb Eye injury claims
Injuries which impact your eyesight can have a profound effect on everyday life. If your eyes were hurt in an accident caused by a third party, you may want to pursue a personal injury claim. Whether you’ve experienced superficial injuries or serious sight problems, eye injury claims can help you receive adequate compensation for your suffering.
When to pursue eye injury claims
Eye injuries can be caused in a number of ways, from slips and falls to chemical exposure. To pursue a claim, two things are required. You must have sustained an injury and that injury must have been caused by the negligence of someone else.
Eye injury claims most often arise as a result of:
Whatever the circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury.
Eye injury claims in work or public places
Eye injuries commonly arise because of:
- Slips and falls
- Falling objects
- Inadequate training in the workplace
- Unhealthy workplace environments
Employers and building occupiers have a duty of care to follow safety regulations and ensure reasonable care has been taken to remove potential hazards. If they haven’t done so and this leads to an incident which causes an eye injury, they may be liable.
To pursue a personal injury claim in this situation, you must make a submission to PIAB. If the respondent admits liability, the Board will then issue a recommendation for compensation. If you aren’t happy with this figure, you can issue legal proceedings.
Eye injuries caused by medical negligence
Incidents of medical negligence can also lead to eye injury claims. Medical professionals can be at fault for an injury if they:
- Fail to diagnose a patient correctly or in a timely manner
- Make a mistake during treatment of eye conditions
- Cause damage during cosmetic eye surgery
- Incorrectly prescribe or administer medication which causes damage to the eye
- Carry out laser eye surgery on an unsuitable candidate
Medical negligence may happen because of a new doctor’s lack of experience or a senior doctor’s lack of knowledge on modern practices. Sometimes it can even be caused by an admin mistake.
To make a medical negligence claim, you need to show that an eye injury wouldn’t have occurred if you were in the hands of a competent professional. But if the standard of care was up-to-scratch and your injury was unavoidable, you cannot make a claim.
PIAB doesn’t deal with medical negligence claims so legal proceedings are issued straight away.
How much compensation will I receive?
The amounts awarded for successful eye injury claims vary depending on:
- How severe the injury is
- How much it affects your day-to-day life
Compensation starts at around €9,800 for minor eye injuries which have a minimal effect on vision. This figure increases to around €138,000 where the vision in one eye is lost.
What about cases of blindness?
Where complete blindness is concerned, several factors are considered when calculating compensation:
- Age
- Occupation
- Lifestyle
- Cosmetic aspects
Have you suffered from an eye injury caused by someone else’s negligence? Contact our expert personal injury solicitors today.
