Eye Injury Compensation Claims

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Eye Injuries At Work

The eye is probably the most important and sensitive feature of the human anatomy. Though eyes are protected naturally by eyelashes and the sockets of the skull in which they sit, injuries in this area are common, painful, and in extreme cases life-altering. It is estimated that around 120,000 people sustain eye injuries every year in the UK, most often in sporting accidents, car accidents and industrial accidents.

Types Of Eye Injury

One of the most common forms of eye injury is known as 'foreign bodies', where a small object has entered and become lodged in the cornea (the outer surface of the eye). Symptoms in this context include blurred vision, sensitivity to light, pain and associated tears, as the eye naturally attempts to expel the object. This type of injury affects certain industries, particularly those where metals are being hammered or materials are being ground down. Under pressure small shards, slivers and splinters may fly off and enter the eye at high speed. Personal protective equipment, especially goggles, are essential when undertaking any work of this kind, and it is an employer's duty to ensure they are provided.

Typical Causes Of Eye Injuries

Injuries may also be caused when the eyes come into contact with chemicals, caustic liquids, steam or fumes. Such injuries can be particularly severe, causing burning pain, loss of vision and redness. Kitchen workers for example may be exposed to hot fat and steam in the course of their work, both of which can cause serious damage if they enter the eyes. Exposure to extreme light can also cause severe trauma to the eye, following an explosion or during a process such as welding for example. Workers must be provided with protective goggles and/or headwear by employers where exposure to potentially harmful substances and extreme light is commonplace. Direct blows to the eye can cause the most serious kinds of injury in this category. Slips, trips or falls in the workplace often result in a person hitting the floor or another object. Upon impact, the cornea may become scratched, cut or ruptured. One specific condition resulting from a direct blow to the eye is Traumatic Iritis, involving damage and subsequent inflammation of the coloured part of the eye surrounding the pupil. This condition can be very difficult to treat, and in extreme cases the symptoms can be permanent and result in complete loss of sight.

Eye Injury Compensation Awards

Apart from the provision of suitable protective equipment, employers also have a duty to ensure that workers are adequately trained in how to best protect their eyes in the workplace. Safety procedures must be understood and adhered to, with suitable supervision of hazardous procedures provided where necessary. Eye injury compensation awards vary enormously, and depend essentially on the severity of the injury and its ongoing ramifications. Minor eye injuries from which a full recovery is made relatively quickly will result in compensation awards of between £1,000 and £4,000. Where vision is permanently affected, but short of blindness, eye injury compensation will scale up to £25,000. Total blindness in one eye will lead to compensation of up to £34,000. The most serious type of eye injury results in blindness in both eyes. Compensation for this type of injury will be anything up to £155,000. It is important to remember that these compensation award estimates reflect compensation for the actual injury itself, and do not include other factors for which an injured person may be compensated, including loss of earnings and the cost of medical treatment.

Bartletts Solicitors are specialists in the field of eye injury compensation claims. We work on a no win no fee basis meaning if you win your case you keep 100% of damages awarded, and if you lose you do not pay a penny.

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