Losing your visions can be one of the most catastrophic events that can occur to any of us. It can enforce several restrictions as to where we can go and what we can do and can compromise the quality of our lives to a considerable extent. If you or your loved ones have lost their sight because of the negligence of a medical practitioner or someone else, you may have grounds to file a claim for loss of vision and receive compensation to continue your life. Before you start any form of legal proceedings however, it is always a good idea to check the standing of your negligence claim with a medical solicitor.
Impact of an accident-related loss of sight
- Loss of vision frequently results in financial stress since you have switch jobs or stop working altogether, which ultimately affects your income and quality of life.
- Visions loss will require you to adapt to your change in circumstances, e.g. learn to manoeuvre a Braille, wear specially-designed glasses or even make changes to your home structure.
Emotional Impact
These are the physical impacts of injury; however, there are psychological aspects as well. A serious injury as severe as vision loss can result in feelings of frustration, anger and shock and takes time for the sufferer to adapt to the circumstances.
This is where compensation comes into play. Finances are not the problem here, and there is no amount of settlement in the world that can help you recover your eyesight, but the monetary compensation can help in other ways.
- These include paying for any high-quality treatment or care, aids or equipment and any additional costs.
- If you have lost your eyesight due to an accident or injury for which someone else is responsible, then you may be able to claim compensation for them.
How do your classify Vision Loss?
Loss of sight has two categories: the first according to its extent and the second its severity:
1. Extent: Total Or Partial
Total Loss of Vision
Known as blindness, a person's completely devoid of their sense of vision.
This typically results when a person's CNS or eyes cannot receive/process the different light waves as visual pictures and convert them into electric signals for the comprehension of the brain.
Partial Sight Loss
Partial loss of sight refers to the loss of vision or loss of receptor cells in one or more of the visual fields. The person retains at least some ability to see.
For example, someone who was blinded in one eye could be considered as having sustained a partial loss of vision as they still have some vision intact. This could also mean injuries in particular areas of eyes compromising the vision fields (such as blind spots, tunnel vision or blurred vision).
Severity: Permanent or Temporary
Permanent Sight Loss
Vision loss that is irreversible is the result of permanent damage either to the retinal layer of the eye or to the particular regions of the brain that are involved in handling visual perception.
Permanent loss of sight can result from various causes like a brain tumour, a clot in the blood vessels f the eye or retinal detachment due to several reasons.
Temporary Sight Loss
Vision loss of a temporary nature may last for a very short period of time or even a comparatively longer one but tends not to last for a couple of months without returning.
Possible causes of temporary vision loss include migraines, bright flashes of light or even standing up too quickly when blood pressure is low.
Common Loss of Sight Compensation Claims
If your loss of vision resulted from a no-fault accident, it is tremendously likely you would be entitled to compensation. A no-fault accident is terms used to refer to accidents that are not your fault, and which were caused because of someone else's act. This could mean an accident at work, on the road, or in any commercial locations like a restaurant, supermarket, or shop. Medical negligence can also be categorised as a no-fault accident.
Vision Loss at Workplace
Employees that work in workshops or manufacturing are most vulnerable to eye injuries at the workplace. Flying debris, grit, and other harmful particles frequently cause of loss of vision at work. Exposure to certain noxious chemicals, as well as burning, and scalding can also result in loss of vision to workers in a workplace setting.
Loss of Vision from Head Injuries
Severe head trauma can often result in loss of vision. This can result from a road traffic accident, an object falling from a great height, fall from a height, or a criminal assault. If your vision loss resulted from head trauma because of someone else's negligence or mistake you may be entitled to file a claim for compensation.
Medical/Clinical Negligence
Medical negligence can result from wrong prescription of drugs, complications that occur during any kind of ophthalmological surgery, as well as birth accidents are some examples of loss of vision that result from medical negligence. A delay or failure in diagnosing potential eye problems due to underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), or hypothyroidism can also be classified as medical/clinical negligence.
What can a Negligence Claim do for you?
If you or loved ones are is in this situation, we understand the degree of our loss. Constant support or care seems necessary for anyone who is adjusting to life after sustaining devastating loss of vision. At Medical Solicitors, we specialise in high-level injury cases and our expertise has allowed us to secure multi-million-pound compensation awards for our clients offering them life-long financial stability for their losses.