If you’ve suffered an eye injury that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to make an eye injury compensation claim. Whether it occurred in a road traffic accident, workplace incident or due to medical negligence, Watermans is here to help. Our personal injury solicitors are here to help you claim the compensation you deserve.
Start Your Eye Injury Claim with Confidence
An eye injury can have a profoundly negative impact on your life, especially if it results in impaired vision or total blindness. These eye injuries often result in long-term consequences, affecting your independence, work, and mental well-being.
If your vision has been affected due to an event outside your control, our legal expert can help you understand your rights and the support available to you.
At Watermans, our eye injury lawyers offer expert guidance through every step of the claims process. We’ve supported thousands of Scottish clients in securing the personal injury compensation they need to rebuild their lives.
Contact our legal team today for straightforward advice on the eye injury claims process.
Understanding Compensation for an Eye Injury
Eye injury claims can vary widely depending on how the injury occurred, the severity of the injury, and how it has affected your daily life. In this section, we break down the most common types of causes and symptoms to help you understand the grounds for making a claim.
Common Causes of Eye Injuries
Eye injuries can occur in many ways. The most common causes include:
- Road traffic accidents: Injuries can arise from airbag deployments or shattered glass
- Workplace accidents: Can involve foreign bodies such as debris, hazardous substances, blunt force trauma and radiation.
- Medical negligence: Such as delayed treatment, misdiagnosis or surgical negligence.
- Public liability incidents: These include slips, trips or exposure to chemical burns
- Sports injuries: Such as impacts from balls, bats, backpacks and projectiles
- Assaults and physical altercations
Some people suffer minor eye injuries that heal quickly, while others face severe eye injuries such as permanent vision loss, full or partial blindness.
Common Symptoms of Eye Injuries
The severity of an eye injury can range from transient eye injuries to complete blindness. Here are some of the most common eye injury claims we handle:
- Corneal abrasions: Scratches on the surface of the eye, often caused by contact with dust, grit or fingernails
- Orbital (eye socket) fractures: Breaks or cracks in the bones surrounding the eye, usually caused by road traffic accidents or hits from a fist or ball
- Subconjunctival haemorrhages: Broken blood vessels on the white of the eye, typically caused by trauma or pressure
- Blurred vision or double vision: Visual disturbances that may result from trauma, swelling or nerve damage
- Impaired or reduced vision: A partial loss of sight that affects your ability to see clearly or perform everyday tasks
- Partial or full blindness: Loss of sight in one or both eyes may be temporary or permanent, severely affecting your quality of life
- Chemical burns: Eye injuries caused by exposure to hazardous substances such as cleaning products or industrial chemicals
In some cases, victims may lose sight in one eye or suffer permanent damage to their remaining eye, particularly when medical treatment is delayed.
Scottish Legal Guidance on Eye Injury Claims
Personal Injury Claim Time Limits
In Scotland, most personal injury claims must be made within three years from when the injury occurred or was diagnosed. There are exceptions, such as when the injured person lacks mental capability or if the injury occurred to a child.
If the accident happened abroad, you may still be able to claim compensation, but different time limits could apply.
What the Law Says
Scottish law allows you to claim eye injury compensation if another party’s negligence caused your injury. This applies to:
- Employers who failed to provide protective eyewear or training
- Drivers who acted recklessly or failed to stop at the scene
- Medical professionals who misdiagnose or delay treatment
- Organisations that allowed unsafe conditions in public or private spaces
You don’t need to be completely blameless to make a claim. If you were partly responsible, you may still be eligible to claim compensation. However, the total compensation amount may be reduced to reflect your responsibility.
Are You Eligible to Claim Eye Injury Compensation?
If you’re uncertain about your claim eligibility, here are a few key considerations to keep in mind. These apply whether your eye injury was mild, such as blurred vision, or more severe, such as permanent sight loss. You may be eligible to claim compensation if:
- You suffered a preventable injury affecting your eye or vision
- The accident occurred within the last three years
- You have evidence that a third party’s negligence caused or contributed to the injury
- The third party owes you a duty of care
- You sought medical attention immediately after the accident or injury transpired
You do not need a severe eye injury for a loss of sight claim. Even minor eye injuries can result in claims if they cause pain, temporary vision problems or financial loss.
What Evidence Will You Need?
Strong evidence helps support your sight loss claim and increases the chances of success. This may include:
- Medical records and medical reports from your GP or hospital
- An independent medical assessment arranged by your personal injury lawyer
- Photos of visible damage or symptoms
- Details of how the accident occurred
- Witness statements or incident reports
- Evidence of loss of earnings or care costs
Our specialist solicitors are dedicated to simplifying the compensation claims process. Review our personal injuries page for more information on the various injuries we assist with.
Eye Injury Claims Process
Making a claim can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time or the claim is against someone you know. To simplify the process, we’ve outlined the necessary steps to guide you through it. By breaking down the process into manageable steps, we aim to reduce stress and ensure you feel confident every step of the way.
- Free preliminary legal advice: We’ll listen to your concerns and offer free legal advice in the initial consultation, and assess whether you can claim compensation for an eye injury.
- Case review: If your case is accepted, we’ll begin gathering evidence.
- Medical evidence: We’ll organise an independent medical assessment to understand the extent of your eye injury.
- Compensation calculation: We’ll calculate how much compensation you may be entitled to based on pain, financial losses and future impact.
- Negotiation: Our team will negotiate a settlement with the third party’s insurer or legal representatives.
- Payout: Once agreed, you’ll receive your compensation payout, usually within a few weeks.
If the claim fails, you won’t have to pay legal fees under our no-win, no-fee agreement.
How Much Compensation Could I Receive?
The amount of compensation awarded for an eye injury claim depends on:
- The severity of the injury (e.g. partial blindness vs complete blindness)
- The effect on your daily life, career and independence
- Loss of earnings from time off work or job changes
- The cost of medical treatment or long-term care
- Psychological effects such as depression or anxiety
Compensation payouts can vary widely. For example:
- Minor eye injuries like corneal abrasions that do not cause lasting damage may receive between £3,000-£6,650
- Transient eye injuries can result in £1,675-£3,000
- Total loss of one eye can exceed £41,675-£50,000
- Complete loss of sight in one eye can range from £37,450-£41,675
- Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the other may result in £73,000-£136,700
- Total blindness (one or both eyes) may result in £204,250 (single sense) to £307,000 (if combined with deafness)
Our personal injury solicitors will fight to ensure you receive the maximum compensation. Explore our help & advice page for more information.
What Should I Do Next?
If you believe you’re eligible to claim eye injury compensation, take the following steps:
- See a doctor: Always get medical help, even if your symptoms seem minor.
- Document the accident: Record how the injury transpired, take photos and collect contact details of witnesses. The more evidence you have, the stronger your loss of sight compensation claim.
- Contact Watermans: Our team of specialist eye injury solicitors will help you determine if you’re able to claim sight loss compensation and guide you through the legal process.
Start your eye compensation claim with confidence. Call us on 0131 555 055 today and take the first step toward compensation.
FAQs
As daunting as making a claim may be, we’ve answered the most common questions we’ve received to ease your concerns.
Can I claim compensation for eye injuries if I lack mental capability?
Yes. If the injured person lacks mental capability or is a child, a family member, guardian or power of attorney may claim compensation on their behalf. This includes situations where the person may later regain mental capacity.
Are there any exceptions to the three-year time limit?
Yes. Under Scottish personal injury law, the standard three-year deadline generally applies from the date of the injury or when the effects first become noticeable. However, there are key exceptions to this rule:
- Criminal assaults: If it was due to a violent assault, you typically have just two years to make an eye injury compensation claim.
- Under 16s: No time limit applies until the child reaches the age of 16. After this, they have three years to claim.
- Lack of mental capacity: If the injured person cannot make decisions for themselves, there’s no time limitation. If they later regain capacity, the three-year period starts from that moment.
Other rare exceptions include injuries from foreign accidents or defective products, but these are exceptional and depend on jurisdiction. It’s always best to contact a solicitor as soon as possible to clarify the time limit that applies to your case.
Can I claim if my employer was responsible for the accident?
Yes. In Scotland, employers have a non-delegable duty of care to provide a safe working environment, including the provision of proper protective equipment and training. If they fail and you have suffered an eye injury, you can pursue compensation for the harm suffered.
Will my job be affected by my eye injury compensation claim?
No. It’s unlawful for an employer to treat you unfairly or dismiss you for exercising your legal right to pursue compensation for your eye injury. Your claim is generally made against the employer’s liability insurer, not your employer directly. Discussions with your solicitor are kept confidential.
Can I claim if my eye injury happened in a public space?
Absolutely. If you’re injured in a public area, like a pavement or a shopping centre, it may have been caused by someone’s negligence. This could include unsafe conditions, poor maintenance, or inadequate lighting.
In such cases, you may be able to make a public liability claim. These claims are typically brought against the organisation or authority responsible for maintaining the area. In Scotland, such claims fall under the law of delict, which deals with civil offences and negligence. Liability is assessed based on whether the party responsible failed to take reasonable care to prevent harm.
Watermans: Trusted Eye Injury Lawyers in Scotland
At Watermans, we understand the devastating impact of eye injuries. That’s why we make the injury claims process as straightforward and stress-free as possible.
We’re not just legal experts, we’re people-first professionals who care about your recovery and future.
Why Choose Watermans?
When you choose Watermans as your legal support, you get:
- Specialist eye injury lawyers with proven success across Scotland
- No win, no fee representation—you don’t pay legal fees unless you win
- Straightforward, honest advice tailored to your situation
- A compassionate team that puts you first
- Support for claims related to road accidents, workplace accidents and medical negligence
Contact our experienced personal injury solicitors for straightforward advice on the eye injury compensation claims process.