No Win, No FeeThe impact on the life of anyone who has lost their eyesight will always be massive. While the loss of any of the senses will be hard to deal with, sight loss will affect all aspects of your life in some way. If you’ve lost your sight following an accident or incident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to make a loss of sight compensation claim for the suffering caused.
If you’d like free legal advice about claiming, you can speak to one of our specialists for a no-obligation consultation. They’ll answer any questions you think of and explain your chances of being compensated. If they’re high enough and one of our personal injury lawyers takes on your claim, you’ll receive legal representation on a No Win, No Fee basis. That means there won’t be any legal fees to pay unless you are paid compensation.
There’s lots of useful information about loss of eyesight compensation claims within this guide or you can call 0800 652 1345 to speak with us directly.
Types of loss of vision you could claim compensation for
Our sight is precious and it is hard to comprehend what it’d be like to lose it. Loss of eyesight can have a massive impact on your day-to-day life and also increase the risk of further injuries from falls and collisions. As such, it may be possible to seek compensation for any type of vision loss that resulted from an accident or incident caused by someone else, including:
- Blurred vision.
- Peripheral vision loss (where you can’t see things out of the corner of your eyes).
- Black spots, lines or patches in your vision.
- Double vision.
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
- Complete blindness in one or both eyes.
Whatever type of vision loss you’re dealing with, please contact us to see if you might be entitled to make a compensation claim.
Can I claim compensation for loss of eyesight?
As we get older, it’s not unusual for our eyesight to deteriorate but fortunately conditions like long-sightedness, glaucoma and cataracts can be treated if spotted early enough. Generally, the natural loss of sight will not lead to a compensation claim. However, you may be entitled to compensation if:
- The party you wish to claim against (the defendant) owed you a duty of care; and
- Their negligence led to an accident or incident; and
- You suffered a loss of eyesight as a result.
We believe that it’s easier to prove your vision problems were caused by someone else if you work with a specialist personal injury solicitor. If one of ours agrees to work on your case, they’ll try to find the evidence and medical proof of how you have suffered and who was to blame. Later on, we’ll explain what types of proof could be used for loss of sight compensation claims.
How do I prove a duty of care existed?
Various pieces of legislation can be used to establish a duty of care if you do decide to claim. Rather than trying to become a legal expert yourself, you can check if you were owed a legal duty of care by calling our team.
Essentially, though, laws like the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, the Road Traffic Act 1988 and others mean that a duty of care is likely to exist while you’re working, driving or in a public place.
Common accidents that cause loss of eyesight
Here are some common accidents that could result in loss of sight compensation claims:
Workplace accidents
Your employer must carry out regular risk assessments of the workplace to try and keep you as safe as possible. They must also provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where needed, train you properly and ensure all equipment is maintained properly.
Failure to do so could allow you to claim compensation if you’ve suffered any form of sight loss caused by:
- Exposure to dust, debris or chemicals.
- Foreign objects penetrating the eye (glass, falling objects etc).
- Broken machinery.
- Exposure to bright lights and lasers.
Car accidents
High-speed collisions or accidents involving shattered glass can cause severe eye injuries. Flying debris, broken glass fragments, or impact trauma to the face can result in vision impairment or loss.
Sports incidents
Certain sports, particularly contact sports such as rugby or those involving high-speed projectiles, can pose a risk to eyesight. Blows to the eye area, eye-gouging, and impact from balls or equipment can cause damage to the eye and lead to vision loss.
Public place accidents
In theory, many types of accidents in a public place could lead to temporary or permanent sight loss. As such, loss of sight compensation claims might be possible following accidents in shops and other public places because of someone else’s negligence.
Medical negligence
Medical professionals such as opticians, doctors and surgeons have a duty of care to provide a suitable standard of care at all times. If they fail to do so and you’re vision has been affected as a result, you may be able to claim compensation. For example, you could claim if:
- A doctor failed to spot the early signs of diabetes that led to diabetic retinopathy.
- If your sight was damaged because of botched laser eye surgery.
- Where your vision has been impaired because your optician failed to check for a family history of glaucoma and other conditions.
Claims could also be possible for a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or if a medical professional failed to send you for specialist tests. Please call if you’d like to discuss your options with a specialist.
Whatever type of incident has caused you to lose your sight (even if it’s not listed here), please contact us so that we can review your chances of being compensated.
Can I claim compensation on behalf of someone else who suffered loss of sight?
In some cases, it might not be possible for someone who has lost their sight to claim compensation themselves. This includes:
- Children – as they cannot represent themselves until they are 18 years old.
- Adults who lack the mental capacity to deal with the claim on their own.
In these situations, one of our personal injury solicitors could help you to become the claimant’s litigation friend. If you’re approved, you’ll be able to deal with the solicitor directly and manage the claims process.
To find out more about claiming on someone else’s behalf, please speak to one of our specialists today.
How much compensation for loss of eyesight can I claim?
Whether your sight loss is partial, complete, temporary or permanent, the impact on your life can be massive. As well as any physical suffering, you are likely to be impacted financially and psychologically. As such, any loss of sight compensation claim should take this into account.
If you proceed with a claim, you may be entitled to claim compensation for:
- Any physical discomfort, pain and suffering.
- Anxiety, depression and other forms of psychiatric suffering.
- Loss of amenity i.e. how your sight loss has affected participation in your normal hobbies or activities.
- Lost earnings.
- Future reduction in earnings if your loss of vision prevents you from earning at the same level in the future.
- Medical expenses, care costs and travel expenses.
- The cost of modifying your home to make it easier for you to cope with your sight loss.
It is important that you fully consider the devastation caused by vision loss before filing your claim as once it’s been settled you can’t go back. If you work with a solicitor from our panel, they’ll help you with this process to try and ensure you’re compensated fully.
Loss of eyesight compensation payouts for general damages
To help put a value to your claim you’ll require an independent medical assessment of your eyesight. Your solicitor will therefore arrange for you to meet with an independent medical expert (usually locally). In the meantime, however, there are guidelines (published by the Judicial College) for general damages compensation for injuries affecting sight:
- In the region of £327,940 compensation for total blindness.
- £78,040 to £219,400 compensation for loss of sight in one eye and reduced vision in the remaining eye.
- £60,130 to £66,920 compensation for complete loss of sight in one eye.
- £28,090 to £48,040 compensation for a serious injury to one eye that has caused some loss of vision.
- £11,120 to £25,600 for a minor eye injury that will cause permanent problems with vision.
- £4,820 to £10,660 for minor eye injuries causing temporary vision problems.
- £2,690 to £4,820 compensation for temporary or short-lived injuries lasting just a few weeks.
To see if we could help you claim compensation for loss of sight whether temporary or permanent, in one eye or both, please get in touch today.
Providing proof for a loss of sight compensation claim
If you claim compensation for an accident that led to the loss of sight, you’ll need proof to show what happened. This will help your solicitor to prove how you’ve suffered and who was to blame for your injuries.
Examples of proof that might be used for a loss of sight compensation claim include:
- Accident reports. Some accidents that result in blindness need to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Their report could be used to support your loss of sight claim as could police reports and accident report forms if you were injured in a public place.
- Witness statements. Your solicitor could use statements from witnesses who saw your accident or friends and family members to confirm how you’ve been affected.
- Medical reports. The medical notes from the hospital where your injuries were initially treated will be requested and they’ll be used in conjunction with reports from third-party medical experts.
- Photographic proof. If anyone took pictures at the accident scene, they could be a useful way of proving what caused the incident.
- Video footage. Bodycam, CCTV or dashcam footage can also be a useful tool to help prove who caused the accident to occur.
- Financial records. Wage slips, benefit statements and receipts could all be used to help claim back any costs linked to your sight loss.
If you work with a solicitor from our panel, they’ll try to find any proof needed to support your claim. So, please feel free to get in touch even if you don’t yet have the proof listed above.
No Win, No Fee claims
Our panel of solicitors offer a No Win, No Fee service for loss of sight compensation claims. If one agrees to represent you, they’ll send you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) for you to sign.
Once your solicitor receives your signed paperwork, their main goals will be to:
- Get to work right away and start collating any proof.
- Contact the defendant to let them know about the loss of sight claim.
- Deal with the defendant, their legal team or insurer on your behalf.
- Keep you posted with regular updates during the claims process.
- Negotiate on your behalf and try to counter any arguments raised.
- Aim to ensure that you are fully compensated.
If you claim on a No Win, No Fee basis, it essentially means that:
- You don’t need to pay for your solicitor’s work upfront.
- If the loss of sight claim is lost, you won’t pay any legal fees at all.
- A success fee will be deducted from any compensation payment to cover your legal fees if the claim is won.
When using a CFA to fund a personal injury claim, the maximum success fee you’ll pay is 25 per cent of your compensation.
To check if you could claim compensation for sight loss on a No Win, No Fee basis, please call today.
Loss of sight compensation claim time limits
So that you don’t miss out on any compensation you may be entitled to after losing your sight, we suggest that you contact us as soon as possible. There is a 3-year time limit that will usually begin from the date you lost your sight. Starting the claims process as early as possible can make it easier for proof and medical reports to be collected to support your claim.
As losing your sight can also cause immediate financial problems, interim payments could be paid before your claim is finalised to help cover care costs, lost income and medical expenses. This might be true if the full value of your claim is still to be agreed upon but the defendant in your claim has admitted liability for your eyesight problems.
Finally, if you’re claiming because your child has lost their eyesight, their 3-year time limit doesn’t start until they are 18 years old. As such, you can start a claim at any time before they become an adult.
Start a loss of sight compensation claim today
If you or a loved one has suffered full or partial loss of sight in an accident that was not your fault, call our team on 0800 652 1345 to discuss your options. Your advisor will listen to what happened and provide free legal advice about what you might do next.
There’s no obligation to make a claim with us but if your case is accepted, a personal injury solicitor from our panel will represent you and you won’t pay a penny in legal fees unless compensation is awarded. Their No Win, No Fee service will usually make the whole claims process less stressful.
If you’d like to know anything else about loss of sight compensation claims, you can call or speak to an advisor online today, or arrange your free consultation here.
