Loss of sight compensation claims

The amount of compensation you receive for loss of sight depends on factors relating to the extent of your sight loss, the help you need and the specific financial impact it has on you.

A portion of damages are claimed according to set guidelines to compensate for pain and suffering. This is known as general damages.

For total blindness the guideline general damages amount is in the region of £224,680, according to Judicial College Guidelines.

In addition, a special damages claim will be made on your behalf. This may far exceed the general damages element. It is intended to compensate for the specific financial impacts of your injury – such as loss of earnings, carers, house adaptations and so on.

Guideline general damages amounts for other eye injures include:

Compensation for loss of sight in one eye, with reduced vision in the other eye where there is a serious risk of deterioration of the remaining eye – £80,300 to £150,370 plus special damages.

Complete loss of sight in one eye – £19,800 to £33,000 plus special damages.

Your total claim could run to several thousand pounds or even reach hundreds of thousands or more, depending on your own circumstances.

In the UK, you generally have three years to file a claim from the date of the negligent act or from the date when you became aware of the injury, whichever is later. There are some exceptions to this rule, for example, if you or a loved one you are making a claim on behalf of were under 18 at the time of the injury, you would have three years from your / their 18th birthday to make a claim. If the person that was injured lacked capacity before or as the result of the incident there is no time limit.

We can usually advise quite quickly if you are likely to have a valid claim through a phone assessment. It is usual for these cases to take two to three years to settle, but whenever possible we’ll seek financial support to assist you in your life and recovery from the beginning of the claim.

Some cases can take longer but we will do our best to secure interim payments for you. These are payments you can receive from the other side to help you meet immediate needs. That means you don’t have to wait for the settlement of your claim to start putting the support you need in place.

Yes, as long as we can prove that the loss is over and above what you would have experienced naturally because of the pre-existing condition. If for example, you were suffering from a pre-existing condition and an injury at work meant you lost your eyesight a lot sooner than you would have otherwise have done, we would be able to make a claim for you. On the other hand if the progression of your pre-existing condition meant that you would have lost your eyesight regardless of the accident, there is less likely to be a claim.

As this is really complicated we can only answer this question fully on a case by case basis. Don’t allow the fact that you have a pre-existing condition to stop you from talking to an expert. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

You can appeal a Court’s decision to turn down your claim but there would need to be good grounds for doing so and there are usually strict time limits in which to take this step.

No – but acting in person with no legal representation is likely to put you at a significant disadvantage in the legal process and leave you at risk of being undercompensated.

Some cases can take longer than others to settle but we will do our best to secure interim payments for you. These are payments you can receive from the other side to help you meet immediate needs. That means you don’t have to wait for the settlement of your claim to start putting the support you need in place.

Depending on the agreement we make you may then receive your compensation as a lump sum (all at the same time) or in periodical payments that you will be receiving for a number of agreed years or the rest of your life. These are all things that your lawyer will explain to you in detail.