Loss Of Sight, Vision Or Blindness Compensation Claims Guide – Average Payouts – How Much Can I Claim?

How Do You Claim Compensation If Your Sight Is Damaged In An Accident?

By Olivia Charlene. Last updated 11th March 2021. Welcome to our blindness compensation claims guide. In this guide, we’ll look at some injuries that could result in loss of sight, causing either partial or full blindness. In addition, we’ll discuss how making loss of sight compensation claims can be made if the injury a result of third-party negligence. Ultimately, we aim to provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed choice about your situation.

Even though we have tried to provide as much information as possible in this guide, there may be questions that remain unanswered. After all, every claim is unique. If this is the case, please call our team on 0161 696 9685 to discuss your case with a specialist for free. They can provide the answers that you need and explain how our panel of personal injury lawyers could help you claim the compensation that you’re eligible for.

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A Guide To Claiming Compensation For Lost Sight, Vision Or Blindness

This blindness compensation claims guide was designed for victims suffering from total blindness, blindness in one eye or a minor injury that has still resulted in a loss of vision. This guide aims to show you that if you were to suffer such injuries due to the negligence of a third party, you may be able to make loss of sight compensation claims for yourself.

Loss of sight compensation claims

Loss of sight compensation claims

We will begin this guide with a general introduction to accidents that can result in some sort of impaired vision. We look at why the victim could be eligible to make a claim, and who might be liable to pay them damages. We follow this up with some key statistics related to blindness in the UK.

The next part of this guide is given over to examples of some of the common causes of accidents and injuries that could affect a person’s vision. We cover medical negligence as a cause, as well as common injuries such as head trauma. You will find information about damage to the eyes caused by exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals as well. Workplace accidents are covered, as well as accidents that take place in a public place. We finish this part of the guide with a look at some of the long-term effects of eye injuries.

The final part of this blindless compensation claims guide is related to some of the financial considerations when making a compensation claim. We have provided a table that you can use to look up your eye injury and find out how much compensation you could possibly claim for. We have included a list of some of the common kinds of damages that a claimant could receive, making up a part of their overall compensation settlement. Finally, we take a look at the process of making a claim using a No Win, No Fee lawyer. We explain how this mitigates some possible losses and enables you to gain access to legal help without paying any upfront fees to a solicitor.

If you have any questions about the claims process, your claim itself, or the contents of this guide, please speak to one of our advisors by phone on 0161 696 9685. They can answer any questions you might have, and also tell you how we can help arrange for a personal injury lawyer to process your claim for you.

What Is An Accident Causing Lost Sight Or Blindness

There are many kinds of eye injury that can result in full blindness, loss of sight in one eye, or just a temporary loss of sight. It isn’t just eye injuries that can cause blindness either. Traumatic head or brain injuries can damage the sight of the victim, and some illnesses can leave the victim blind. However, for the purpose of this guide, we will be discussing injuries caused by some kind of accident that damaged the sight of the victim.

For the victim to be eligible to make a compensation claim for the damage to their eyesight, a third party needs to be at least partially to blame.  This means that for accidents in which you were partially responsible for the outcome, for instance, a failure to wear the safety goggles provided, you could still claim against the third party involved, although at a decreased level of liability.

For a claim to be possible, you will need to be able to prove that a third party contributed to the accident that caused you harm. If you can’t do this, then it is unlikely you would receive any compensation at all. If you are unsure whether you are eligible to make a claim or not or are not sure if you have adequate proof to show a third party is liable, please speak to our team on 0161 696 9685. One of our advisors will evaluate your claim for you.

Statistics Highlighting Lost Sight, Vision And Blindness

The statistics for this section were first published by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). Of course, these do not relate to people who have become blind through some kind of accident. They are intended to give a general idea of how blindness is a fairly rare and debilitating medical condition in the UK, and subsequently could be deemed to be serious enough to warrant a significant compensation settlement. Some statistics, which are best estimates only, include:

  • A total of 7 million people live without sight in the UK.
  • Of that 7 million, 107,000 people in Wales live without sight.
  • 171,000 people in Scotland live without sight.
  • 51,000 people in Northern Ireland live without sight.

So, we can see that a very small percentage of the population is blind, to a degree. The most common causes of loss of sight in the UK are:

  • 48% – due to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
  • 5% – due to the onset of glaucoma.
  • 16% – due to cataracts developing.
  • 9% – due to other kinds of eye diseases.
  • 8% – due to being diabetic.
  • 2% – due to some form of refractive error.

So, we can see that cases of blindness as a result of accidents and injuries in the UK are few—not even enough to make this list above. However, this isn’t to say that they can’t still happen. If you need more information about making loss of sight compensation claims, please call us today on 0161 696 9685.

Causes Of Lost Sight, Vision Or Blindness

We already listed the main causes of blindness, loss of vision in one eye or temporary loss of vision in the previous section. However, now it is time to look at some of the kinds of injuries that could damage the eye. Damage to eyes or vision could be caused by:

  • Mistakes made by a medical professional that harms a patient’s vision.
  • Traumatic head injuries that result in brain damage.
  • Exposure to harmful, caustic chemicals and chemical burns.
  • Workplace accidents damaging the eyesight of an employee.
  • Accidents that occur in a public place, damaging the eyesight of a member of the public.

In the sections below, we will take a more detailed look at each one of these scenarios, and try to show how victims could have valid grounds to make blindness compensation claims.

Medical Negligence Causing Lost Sight

Every medical professional in the UK, including your GP, optician and pharmacists, are expected to meet a duty of care to avoid causing avoidable harm to their patients. If they fail to uphold this duty of care, negligence could be construed to have occurred. A basic definition of what would be considered medical negligence is:

  1. The doctor had a duty of care to the patient to provide a good standard of practice and care and not cause them unnecessary harm.
  2. A patient was harmed by the doctor, either directly or indirectly, because the doctor failed to meet their duty of care towards the patient. This is known as a breach of duty.
  3. As a result of the breach of duty, the patient has suffered an injury. Had the doctor taken alternative action, they would have met their duty of care and the patient would not have been harmed.

However, the claimant must be able to prove that negligence took place in order for their claim to have any chance of success. If you have had your sight damaged by a doctor or any other medical professional, call us on 0161 696 9685 for free legal advice on how to claim compensation for loss of sight.

Head Injuries Causing Lost Sight

It isn’t only injuries to the eyes that can result in blindness or reduced vision. Trauma to the head can cause brain damage, which in itself could result in loss of sight or impaired sight. Traumatic head injuries can be sustained in accidents such as:

  • A road traffic accident.
  • A slip, trip or fall accident where the victim hit their head.
  • Falling from a great height.
  • Being struck by a moving object.

All of these kinds of accidents, and more, could result in traumatic head injuries that impair the sight of the victim due to brain damage. If you were to be injured in such an accident and your sight was affected, you could be able to make loss of sight compensation claims if you can prove a third party was to blame. Please speak to our team for more information.

Chemical Burns And Injuries Causing Lost Sight

Exposure to harmful chemicals, as well as other substances such as smoke, can cause permanent damage to the eyes. Often, these can give grounds to make blindless compensation claims. In some cases, short exposure to a caustic chemical could result in a temporary impairment to the victims’ vision. Such as blurred vision, or the inability to open their eyes fully. In the worst case, exposure to a chemical, such as acid, could result in a chemical burn that damages the victim’s eyes to such an extent that they will never see again.

If you were to suffer either impaired vision or complete loss of sight because a third party exposed you to a dangerous chemical, then you may have grounds to claim eye injury compensation. One of our team members can tell you more about this on 0161 696 9685.

Accidents At Work Causing Lost Sight

Eye injury at work claims could be possible for employees that can prove that their employer failed in their legal obligation to provide them with a safe place to work. And as a direct or indirect result of this failure, the employee became the victim of an accident that resulted in their sight being impaired or lost altogether.

Our team can advise you on how best to proceed with a workplace accident claim. If you call us and explain how you were harmed, we can help you move forward with a claim today.

Public Place Accidents Causing Lost Sight

In the same way that every employer is legally obliged to provide its workforce with a safe place to work, all operators of public premises, such as shops, restaurants, shopping malls, airports, or train stations, for instance, must ensure they are safe to use at all times.

When a member of the public is harmed because the place’s owner or operator has failed to make it safe, they could be able to claim compensation for blindness if they can prove a third party was to blame. Our team can help with blindness compensation claims and the like. Give them a call to learn how.

Long Term Effects Of Injuries To The Eyes

The level of compensation awarded for eye injury payouts depends upon the pain and suffering the claimant has gone through, as well as any long-term or permanent effects.

Blindness or even partial loss of sight is a serious disability that is likely to last for the entire life of the claimant. Any compensation awarded would take into account both the severity of this disability and also the duration. For example, the largest payments would likely be for a young person, who will be disabled due to being blind for potentially 70 or 80 years. To find out whether you could claim for long term impairment to your sight, please speak to one of our advisors today.

Lost Sight, Vision Or Blindness Compensation Calculator

You may be able to find an online personal injury claims calculator that can help you to estimate how much compensation you might receive. We find they can be a little difficult to use, so instead, we’ve put together this table detailing the potential payouts for different injuries. These figures are based on the Judicial College Guidelines, a legal publication that sets out compensation awards made by the courts. 

InjurySeverityCompensationNotes
EyeTotal blindnessIn the region of £379,100Complete loss of sight.
EyeBlind 1 Eye, Reduced sight 1 eye£90,100 to £168,730Complete loss of sight in one eye, with reduced sight in the other and a risk sight deteriorating further in the future.
EyeTotal loss of one eye£51,460 to £61,690The level of compensation awarded will depend on the age of the claimant, and also whether there are cosmetic effects and also if they have suffered psychological harm.
EyeLoss of sight in one eye£46,240 to £51,460There could be some form of sympathetic ophthalmia. Higher levels of compensation will be paid for injuries that resulted in some level of scarring around the eye.
EyeMinor£3,710 to £8,200These would be minor eye injuries, such as being hit in the eye, exposure to caustic chemicals, smoke or liquids. This would cause short term pain and interference with vision.

For a slightly more accurate estimate of how much you could be able to claim, we can arrange for a lawyer to value your claim for you. Simply call us on on 0161 696 9685 to find out more.

Special Damages You Could Claim If Your Vision Is Damaged

If you win your eye injury claim, then you will receive a compensation settlement made up of different kinds of damages.

Special damages are paid to the claimant to compensate them for financial losses and other non-physical losses. The level of damages the claimant can expect to receive will be driven by documented proof of the loss. Therefore, you must present bills, invoices, and receipts,  to support your claim. Some of the things you can claim for include:

  • Out of pocket expenses such as travel tickets.
  • Loss of earnings due to missing work.
  • Lowered income in the future due to not being able to work as effectively or even at all.
  • The cost of hiring a nurse to care for you at home.
  • To pay for private medical treatment you could not get for free from an NHS medical facility.

General damages are paid to the claimant to compensate for both psychological and physical harm they have suffered. The amount of compensation the claimant receives will be driven by the level of pain and suffering they went through, the long-term prognosis for a full recovery, or whether they had to undergo traumatic treatment. Our compensation calculator section has provided some potential general damages figures. These damages are paid for reasons such as:

  • Permanent disabilities or impairments.
  • Long and painful treatment.
  • Psychological damage.
  • Pain and suffering.
  • Shock and trauma.

If you would like to find out what kinds of damages you could be able to claim for based on your unique circumstances, please speak to one of our advisors.

Steps To Take If Your Vision Is Harmed In An Accident

If you are injured in an accident that was not your fault, then as long as you can prove a third party was responsible, and you are within the 3-year personal injury claims time limit, then you could have a valid claim. There are some things you can do to prepare for making such a claim, for example:

  • Take photos of the scene of the accident. If your vision has been damaged as a result of the accident, try and get a family or friend to help you take photos.
  • Collect contact details for any witnesses.
  • If your injury occurred in the workplace, seek to get the accident recorded in the accident book.
  • Save all bills, receipts, and invoices for things you paid for that you intend to claim back.

Our team can help you to correlate the evidence that you have, and prepare it ready for submitting to support your claim. Speak to them today on 0161 696 9685 to get started.

Why Talk To Legal Helpline About Your Claim?

The panel of solicitors we work with has over 30-years of experience with accident and injury claims. They will do all that they can to win you the maximum level of compensation possible when working on your claim. They will keep you fully updated on what they are doing on your behalf, and ensure you understand the legal process that is being followed.  And if ever you have a query, they’ll be on hand to take your call.

No Win, No Fee Compensation Claims For Loss Of Sight, Vision Or Blindness

The lawyers that we work with can offer to handle your claim under a No Win, No Fee agreement. This kind of contract for legal services is also known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). With a CFA in place, you will have secured the legal help that you need to make your claim, and also mitigate some of the financial risks of doing so. You won’t have to pay fees upfront, and you won’t have to pay fees while the solicitor is working on your claim. If the claim is unsuccessful, your solicitor won’t expect to collect the fees they have incurred.

If the lawyer does win your claim for you, they might ask you to pay a small contribution toward their costs. This is known as a success fee This success fee would be deducted from any compensation payment they receive for you. The success fee is capped by law.

Start A Claim For Loss Of Sight, Vision Or Blindness

Do you believe that you have a valid cause to make an eye injury claim? Are you ready to go ahead with a claim, but need some help and advice first? Whatever legal help you need, contact our team by clicking here to request a callback at a time that suits you, or call us on 0161 696 9685. One of our advisors will be available to provide you with any assistance you need.

Blindness Compensation Claims FAQ

Here are some popular questions about loss of sight compensation claims.

How are injury claims calculated?

Personal injury claims are calculated using the extent of each claimant’s suffering. Typically, this is done through a medical assessment with an independent expert.

How much compensation do you get for losing an eye?

As each claimant’s case is different, they must be valued individually. Therefore, it’s hard to say how much compensation you could get without an assessment. Please call us today for a free consultation and you could get an estimated payout figure.

Resources If Your Vision Is Harmed In An Accident

You might like to check these external links.

These other guides could also be useful:

Thanks for reading our blindness compensation claims guide.

Guide by MR

Edited by REG