Claiming Compensation For An Eye Injury At Work
Sustaining an eye injury at work could cause significant problems. Even minor eye injuries can leave you unable to work, drive or enjoy normal hobbies. However, more serious injuries can result in permanent vision problems or, in the worst cases, total blindness.
In some circumstances, compensation for an eye injury could be sought if the harm you have experienced is linked to your employer breaching the duty of care they owe. We explore the eligibility criteria for starting a personal injury claim following a workplace accident in more detail throughout our guide.
Additionally, in this article, we’ll explain how an accident at work could lead to an eye injury. We’ll also review how much compensation for an eye injury might be awarded.
To help you clarify your options, we offer a free initial consultation in which you’ll receive free legal advice from a specialist advisor. If you’d like to talk to us about claiming eye injury compensation, please:
- Call 0151 375 9916.
- Use our contact form to make an online enquiry
- Discuss your case with one of our online advisors via the live chat feature below.
Choose A Section
- Eye Injury At Work – When Are You Eligible To Claim?
- What Accidents Could Lead To Eye Injury At Work?
- How Much Eye Injury Compensation Could You Receive?
- Claiming Compensation For An Eye Injury At Work
- Claim Eye Injury At Work Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Learn More About Eye Injury Claims
Eye Injury At Work – When Are You Eligible To Claim?
While you’re at work, reasonable steps must be taken by your employer to try and keep you from being injured. This is their duty of care which they owe to employees. Your employer’s responsibility regarding workplace safety is set out by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
As such, you may have grounds to make a personal injury claim for an eye injury at work if:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care at the time and place of the accident;
- They breached this duty of care; and
- As a result of the breach, you sustained a temporary or permanent eye injury in an accident at work.
The three criteria above lay the foundation of negligence in personal injury claims. If negligence can be proven, one of our solicitors could help you seek compensation for a personal injury.
If you’re in any doubt about your chances of making an eye injury claim, why not call the number above to discuss your case with an advisor?
What Accidents Could Lead To Eye Injury At Work?
There are several steps an employer could take to prevent an accident causing an eye injury at work. For example:
- Train you to do your job safely.
- Provide eye protection or other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary.
- Maintain equipment and machinery.
If there has been a failure to do so, and this leads to you sustaining an injury to your eye, it could mean that your employer has been negligent. In turn, this may allow you to make an eye injury compensation claim for any subsequent suffering.
Examples how an accident leading to an eye injury could occur include:
- You could be struck in the eye by a foreign object because a safety shield was missing from a piece of machinery.
- You may have been splashed in the eyes by chemicals because you weren’t provided with safety goggles.
- After falling from a height because of a damaged ladder or scaffold, you could have sustained a facial fracture to the eye.
If you’ve suffered harm in any other type of accident and would like a free assessment of your options, please call our team today.
How Much Eye Injury Compensation Could You Receive?
The eye injury compensation settlement awarded following a successful claim can include up to two heads of loss. General damages are designed to provide compensation for the pain and suffering of any physical or psychological injuries, or both. Special damages may also be paid if you’ve incurred financial losses because of an eye injury at work.
Workplace Eye Injury Compensation Amounts
You can use our compensation calculator or refer to the table below which lists amounts from the guidelines provided by the Judicial College.
| Injury Type | Severity | Compensation Bracket | Further Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye | Total blindness | Around £268,720 | Complete loss of sight in both eyes. |
| Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Sight in the Other (i) | £95,990 to £179,770 | Where there is serious risk of deterioration in the functioning eye. | |
| Loss of One Eye | £54,830 to £65,710 | Award is based on cosmetic and psychiatric impact. | |
| Complete Loss of Sight In a Single Eye | £49,270 to £54,830 | The amount awarded may be based on scarring and the risk of sympathetic ophthalmia. | |
| Minor Vision Impairment (One or Both Eyes) | £9,110 to £20,980 | Covers permanent vision problems like sensitivity to light and blurred vision. | |
| Minor Eye Injury | £3,950 to £8,730 | Injuries including being struck in the eye or splashed by liquids causing initial pain and temporary vision interference. | |
| Transient Eye Injuries | £2,200 to £3,950 | A complete recovery within a few weeks. | |
| Skeletal | Multiple Fractures of Facial Bones | £14,900 to £23,950 | Facial deformity of a permanent nature will be present. |
Solicitors can use these guidelines to help determine settlement amounts in personal injury claims. However, the amounts are not set out in stone as each claim is unique.
To get a better understanding of how your eye injury has affected you, your solicitor will arrange an independent medical review. During your appointment, an eye specialist will examine your injuries and consider how they have affected you. The report that comes from the meeting can also be used to value your injuries.
Eye Injury Claim Calculator – Special Damages
You could also receive compensation for any financial expenses connected with your eye injury under special damages including:
- Lost earnings.
- Travel expenses.
- Medical expenses (including private ophthalmology work).
- Care costs.
If you decide to work with one of our solicitors, they’ll review what expenses you might be able to claim back to try and ensure you are compensated fairly. However, you should ensure you provide evidence to prove these losses.
To get a free valuation of your potential claim, please contact an advisor on the number above. They could also connect you with a solicitor if it’s found your case is eligible.
Claiming Compensation For An Eye Injury In The Workplace
It is vital to build a strong case that is backed by as much evidence as possible as insurance companies could be likely to deny liability if there isn’t enough proof.
Therefore, if your claim goes ahead, you should try to provide as much of the following as possible:
- Photographs that show the accident scene and any visible eye injuries.
- Details of any witnesses who were present when you were injured.
- Accident report forms or emails sent to your employer about the accident.
- Discharge letters or other information from the hospital about your eye injury.
- CCTV footage (or other forms of video evidence) to help prove that the accident occurred.
Additionally, to help recover any costs associated with your eye injury, you should provide financial evidence to your solicitor. This could be in the form of bank statements, receipts or wage slips.
As part of our free initial consultation, we are happy to review any evidence you’ve already obtained. Therefore, why not call our advice line and let us consider your case today?
Claim Eye Injury At Work Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis
Should your claim proceed, your solicitor will provide a No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement. This means you won’t pay any fees for the solicitor to start work on your case, as the claim continues, or if the case fails. If the case succeeds, the solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. This is taken as a percentage which has a legal cap.
If you have evidence that you’re eligible to be compensated for an eye injury at work, why not reach out to us to discuss your case? We offer free initial legal advice as part of a no-obligation discussion about your claim.
You can start the process now by:
- Calling our team on 0151 375 9916.
- Filling out our contact form.
- Using our free online chat service.
Learn More About Eye Injury Claims
Here are a few more resources that might help if you’re considering claiming compensation for a workplace eye injury.
More of our helpful guides:
- Find out what to do after an accident at work and whether you could claim compensation.
- Read our guide discussing your rights after an accident at work including whether you could be eligible to make a claim.
- Learn if you could be eligible to make a back injury at work claim and seek compensation.
More external resources:
- Guidance on personal protective equipment from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- Information about eye injuries from the NHS.
- Learn if you could be eligible to receive Statutory Sick Pay with this government guide.
We hope this guide on eye injury at work claims has helped. Please get in touch if there’s anything else you’d like to know.