Workplaces are generally quite safe but some industries are riskier than others. Luckily, staff are protected by legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. As a result, employers must try to identify risks to health and safety and implement measures to reduce any that’s found. For example, if a risk assessment identifies that metal filings caused by drilling could cause problems, protective eye equipment could be provided to reduce that danger. If preventative measures aren’t taken, and you suffer an eye injury at work, it’s possible you could have grounds to claim compensation.

In this guide on eye injury at work claims, we’ll explain what types of accidents could pose a particular risk. We’ll also show you how the claims process works and what level of compensation could be awarded for injuries to the eyes.

Our team are here to support you if you do consider making a claim. We will listen to what’s happened in a free case review and give you legal advice. We could even appoint a personal injury solicitor if your claim appears to have a reasonable chance of success. If that happens, we’ll make the claim as stress-free as possible because our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis.

To find out more about claiming for an eye injury following an accident at work, please continue reading. If you’re ready to discuss your claim already, though, please call 0800 6524 881 to get in touch today.

Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation For An Eye Injury At Work?

There is no doubt that eye injuries can cause a lot of worry and anxiety. The thought of long-term reduced vision is very scary especially when you consider the impact it could have on your ability to continue working. That’s one of the reasons you may wish to seek damages if you are involved in a workplace accident. To be eligible to claim compensation for eye injuries at work, you’ll need to demonstrate that:

• Your employer breached their duty of care by being negligent in some way; and
• As a result of that negligence, an accident happened whilst you were working; and
• You suffered an eye injury during the accident.

We will cover what types of accidents could lead to compensation claims shortly. Before we do, it is important to point out that all claims require evidence to support them which we shall look at in the next section.

Evidence To Support A Compensation Claim For An Eye Injury At Work

If you do sustain an eye injury at work, we’d suggest that you:

• Seek immediate medical treatment. In addition to first aid, you should have the injury to your eye assessed by a medical professional. This could be at a minor injuries unit or A&E. At a later date, you could ask for the medical records to help show the extent of your eye injury.
• Report the accident. Legally, employers need to report any incidents they are aware of. If you obtain a copy of the accident report, you could use it to help prove the date, time and location of the incident.
• Photograph the cause of the accident. Ideally, you should attempt to capture the cause of the accident before it is repaired, if possible. For example, if the reason you injured your eye was that a drill’s protective shield was missing, a photo could help to prove this.
• Talk to witnesses. Where possible, ask any witnesses for their details. Your personal injury solicitor might want to contact them at a later date for their version of events.
• Ask for CCTV footage. If your accident at work was captured by security cameras, you’re well within your rights to ask for a copy. Bear in mind, though, that some firms will only retain this for a few days or weeks so act fast.
• Keep a diary of expenses. As part of any compensation claim for an eye injury in the workplace, you could ask for any costs linked to your injuries to be paid back. Therefore, note down all of your spending and keep any receipts.

We can let you know if you have enough evidence to proceed when you call. If you need anything else to support your claim, we’ll let you know.

Scenarios That Might Lead To Workplace Eye Injuries

There are various ways in which your eyes could be injured in the workplace. Again, if an accident happens because of your employer’s negligence, you could receive compensation for any suffering. Some examples of accidents or reasons why such accidents could affect you include:

• Where chemicals splash into your eyes because you hadn’t been trained properly on how to mix them.
• If you’re a welder and your eyes were damaged because you weren’t given a weldeing mask that was unfit for purpose.
• An eye fracture caused by a heavy hook hitting you in the face when unloading a lorry.
• Where parts of a broken machine fly out in a factory accident and hit you in the eye.

Regardless of the type of eye injury you sustain, if the accident that caused it could’ve been avoided, you could be eligible to claim compensation. Why not get in touch if you like us to review your chances of being paid damages.

How Much Compensation Will I Get For An Eye Injury At Work?

When calculating how much compensation for an eye injury at work you could claim, your personal injury solicitor will usually divide the claim into two heads of loss. They are:

• General damages – where you claim for any pain, suffering, and loss of amenity. As well as any physical symptoms, you could also claim for psychological injuries like stress or anxiety.
• Special damages – to cover any costs, losses or expenses you’ve incurred. This might be necessary if you’ve had to pay for non-NHS treatment, a carer to help you, or medication.

As part of your claim, a medical assessment is required. This will be conducted by an independent eye specialist. They’ll examine your eyes, read through your medical history and ask a series of questions. Once they have finished, they will put together a report which sets out your prognosis.

Importantly, our solicitors can usually arrange local medical assessments to reduce the need to travel too far.

Average Compensation For Eye Injuries At Work

Now let’s look at what level of compensation for eye injuries could be awarded. To help with this, we’ve included some payout amounts below based on figures from the Judicial College. This is the system legal professionals use to help set settlement levels.

• £2,200 – £8,730 compensation for minor eye injuries at work.
• £9,110 – £20,980 compensation for minor eye injuries at work but leaving permanently impaired vision.
• £23,680 – £54,830 compensation for the loss of sight in one eye.
• In the vicinity of £268,720 in compensation for total blindness.

As you can see, each eye injury is compensated based on its severity. Therefore, an injury causing blurred vision for a few weeks will receive a lower settlement than an injury causing loss of sight in one eye. We’ll be able to offer a more personalised estimate for your case once it has been assessed thoroughly.

Time Limits For Claiming Eye Injury At Work Compensation

It is important to point out that compensation claims for workplace eye injuries have time limits. In most cases, you’ll get 3-years to begin your claim. This could be extended, though, if your eye problem was not diagnosed until a later date.

Ideally, we’d suggest you should start your compensation claim as soon as possible. This will enable your solicitor to spend time gathering evidence to support your case. Additionally, you’ll probably have an easier time recalling how the accident took place.

Claiming Compensation For An Eye Injury At Work Using A Personal Injury Solicitors

The effect on your life caused by an eye injury can be devastating. In some cases, it could prevent you from driving, working, and generally enjoying life. Therefore, it’s really important that you get your compensation claim right. While it is unlikely that your settlement will reverse the effects of your eye injury, it could make coping a lot easier.

We believe that having a specialist solicitor on your side is key to achieving the maximum level of compensation. If we take on your claim, one of our solicitors will fight your corner to try and ensure you are compensated properly. They’ll take on all aspects of communication to avoid you being overwhelmed by legal or medical questions. They’ll also provide regular updates about how your case is going as well.

Importantly, your solicitor will never settle a claim just to say they’ve been successful. Instead, they will review any compensation offer with you to check that it fully compensates you for your suffering. If necessary, they may go back to your employer’s insurer to ask for the settlement to be increased.

We are ready to help you claim. If you would like to take action because you’ve suffered an eye injury at work, please call today. Our specialist advisors can be reached on 0800 6524 881. During your call, you’ll receive free advice and a no-obligation review of your claim. For any claim for eye injury at work compensation we accept, you’ll benefit from our No Win No Fee service.