Loss of Sight Compensation
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Our specialist solicitors support claims for loss of sight or eye injury compensation in adults and children.
If your sight has been affected due to personal injury that was not your fault, or medical negligence, we understand the fear and difficulties you face and can help.
Compensation can help you to access the support you need to put your life back on track. Whilst it cannot undo the harm done, it can help you to move forward.
We understand the complex emotions that accompany making a claim and adjusting to your injury. We’re here to support and advise.
If you are unsure if your eye injury could have been avoided or if there is a question mark over whose responsibility it was, we can help uncover the truth.
Get in touch for an initial, free, no-obligation discussion about making an eye injury claim.
How much compensation will I get for loss of sight?
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 cases where the injury is lifelong, such as due to birth injury, the compensation award is often elevated.
What is eye injury compensation value likely to be?
If you are eligible for eye injury compensation, much like in the case of sight loss, compensation will be made up of general damages and special damages.
Special damages are specific to you and cover financial losses you have personally suffered or will suffer – such as:
- costs of attending treatment
- accessing support
- loss of earnings.
General damages are assigned in accordance with standard guidelines and are intended to compensate for loss and suffering.
Guidance amounts for eye injury include:
Cases of serious loss of vision in one eye without likelihood of impact on the other eye, plus cases of constant double vision, blurred vision or sensitivity to light requiring constant wearing of dark glasses – £19,800 to £33,000 plus special damages.
Minor permanent vision impairment in one or both eyes – £7,620 to £17,550 plus special damages.
We build a case for special damages based around the exact impacts, losses and costs you face as a result of your eye injury.
WE ACTED FOR HENRY, WHO HAD SUFFERED DAMAGE TO HIS RIGHT EYE AT BIRTH BECAUSE OF NEGLIGENT MANAGEMENT.
We secured £60,300 in damages for eight-year-old Henry whose eye was damaged at birth because of medical negligence.
Henry was struggling at school and the money enabled his parents to secure specialist one-to-one support for him.
All names have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals
Can I claim loss of sight compensation?
You can claim compensation if your loss of sight was due, wholly or in part, to what someone else either did or did not do.
This could be an accident that you were not fully or at all responsible for, a workplace incident that you should have been protected from or failings in medical care.
Personal injury eyesight claims may relate to road crashes, injuries caused by animals, or any other circumstance where you were hurt due to someone else’s negligence.
Medical negligence can lead to blindness, eye loss and eye damage. In the financial year 2019-2020 alone, the NHS paid almost £26.5m in compensation for blindness.
Clinical negligence claims may arise, for example, from surgical error, delays in diagnosis or treatment or inadequate treatment by an optician, ophthalmologist or general practitioner.
Medical negligence issues may commonly arise in relation to diagnosis, care or management of cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, amblyopia and strabismus.
To claim compensation for sight loss, it is necessary for there to have been negligence by a third party and for that negligence to have caused harm. If treatment were delayed for an eye condition but the outcome would have been the same without the delay, there would not be a legitimate claim.
If you think you may have a claim, or are unsure whether you do or not, our specialist solicitors can help. Contact us today.
Loss of sight and eye injury claims FAQs
We are happy to help with any questions you may have about claiming compensation for loss of sight and eye injury. We can provide better, more specific answers when we better understand what happened to you. Please do get in touch.
You may also find the following FAQs helpful:
What are the costs involved in bringing a claim?
Will I have to go to court and give evidence?
What are the time limits for bringing a claim?
If you are suffering sight loss or blindness, we’re here to help.
Other organisations that provide support to people with eyesight issues and blindness include*:
Royal National Institute of blind People
Royal Society for Blind Children
*Links are provided for information and are not necessarily recommendations.
