Eye Injury & Visual Impairment Claims

An eye injury or anything that impairs your vision can have a very serious impact on your life, including your ability to work and your general lifestyle. Where this injury or impairment is due to medical negligence, claiming compensation can help to pay for treatment, special equipment and other costs, such as loss of income.

Eye injury and visual impairment claims are often complicated, meaning specialist legal advice and support is essential to give you the best chance of a successful claim. There are also strict time limits for making a claim, so it is recommended to contact a specialist solicitor as soon as possible.

Wolferstans’ medical negligence solicitors have secured substantial settlements in a wide range of cases related to eye injuries and visual impairment over the years. This experience means we know exactly what to look for to build the strongest possible case from the outset, making sure no detail is missed.

With our particular expertise in eye injury and visual impairment claims, we can offer a highly accurate valuation for your claim, meaning you have a realistic idea what to expect and do not run the risk of settling for less than your claim may truly be worth.

We have a strong track record of resolving claims through non-confrontational dispute resolution, meaning we can typically allow you to avoid the need for a court hearing and get compensation faster and at lower cost.

We offer a free initial no obligation consultation during which we will be able to tell you if you have a claim worth investigating further.

To arrange your consultation please contact the new client team on 01752 292204.

Our eye injury claims & visual impairment claims service

We help clients all over England and Wales to claim compensation for eye injuries and visual impairment, including in cases related to:

Surgical errors during eye surgery
Errors during Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery, brain surgery or other surgery in the vicinity of the eye
Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of medical conditions affecting the eye e.g. detached retina and glaucoma
Prescription errors leading to eye injury or visual impairment
Mismanagement of diabetes leading to visual impairment
Loss of or reduction in sight due to Head and Brain Injury

How eye injury & visual impairment claims work

Our clinical negligence lawyers aim to make claiming compensation for an eye injury or visual impairment as easy and stress-free as possible, so will confidently and empathetically guide you through every step of the claims process.

A typical eye injury or visual impairment claim will involve:

Building your case e.g. applying for medical records, collecting witness evidence and consulting independent medical experts.
Contacting the relevant healthcare provider with the details of your claim.
Ensuring the defendant responds to your claim in a timely fashion.
Assessing the defendant’s response and advising you of your options.
Negotiating with the defendant and/or using alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation or independent evaluation, to secure a suitable settlement.
Submitting your claim to the relevant court and representing you at a court hearing where required to resolve the matter.

Find out more about the process of making a clinical negligence claim.

Funding an eye injury or visual impairment compensation claim

If you have reason to believe your eye injury or visual impairment is as a result of medical negligence, cost considerations should not put you off pursuing compensation. As long as we believe your claim has a reasonable prospect of success, we will find a funding plan that works for you.

For most of our clients, the best way to fund a claim is with a conditional fee agreement, more commonly referred to as a ‘no win, no fee’ deal. This means you only have to make a contribution towards your legal fees and expenses if your claim is successful, so there is no up front cost to start a claim.

With a no win, no fee eye injury or visual impairment claim, the amount you pay if your claim succeeds will be based on a percentage of the compensation secured. This means you will always get the maximum benefit from your claim.

A common alternative for funding visual impairment and eye injury claims is legal expenses insurance. This is often included as an optional extra with home insurance, as well as some bank accounts and credit cards, and maybe be a good way to fund a claim, depending on the circumstances.

To discuss your options for covering the cost of a visual impairment or eye injury claim, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Find out more about funding a medical negligence claim.

Our expertise in eye injury claims & visual impairment claims

With years of experience in eye injury and visual impairment claims, we have built a reputation for achieving success under even the most challenging circumstances. Our clinical negligence team have secured substantial damages in a wide range of cases, meaning we know exactly what is needed to make your case as strong as possible from the outset.

Wolferstans is accredited by the Law Society for Clinical Negligence, recognising our particular expertise in this area. We are also Lexcel accredited by the Law Society for excellence in legal practice management and client care.

Various members of our medical negligence team are also on the Law Society and AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) Specialist Clinical Negligence Panels and have been accredited by APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) as Clinical Negligence Specialists and Brain Injury Specialists.

Find out more about our medical negligence claims team.

Common questions about eye injury & visual impairment claims

In most cases, there is a 3-year time limit to bring an eye injury claim or visual impairment claim. This 3-year period may be counted from when the negligence occurred or when it first became apparent, depending on the circumstances.

There are various exceptions to the standard 3-year limit, however, and knowing exactly what the relevant time limit is and whether it has expired can be complicated. It is therefore recommended to speak to a specialist medical negligence lawyer no matter how much time has gone by.

Exceptions to the 3-year time limit for medical negligence claims include:

For people under 18, their parents or guardians have until they turn 18 to bring a claim. If this is not done, the claimant will than have a further 3 years (until they turn 21) to bring their own claim.
For those who lack mental capacity to bring a claim, there is no time limit for someone else to bring a claim for them.

Compensation for an eye injury claim or visual impairment claim will depend on how serious the damage is and the impact this has on the claimant’s life.

There are two types of damages you can normally claim:

Special damages for specific financial losses up to the date of settlement (e.g. the cost of treatment, buying special equipment and any loss of earnings).

General damages for expected future financial losses (e.g. for future treatment and on-going care costs), and non-financial losses (e.g. compensation for pain and suffering and changes to your lifestyle).

The thought of having to attend a court hearing is off-putting to many people thinking of pursuing a medical negligence claim, however, in most cases, it is not necessary.

The majority of medical negligence claims are actually settled out of court, usually either with a settlement before court proceedings are initiated or with a pre-trial settlement once court proceedings have been started.

As well as allowing you to avoid the stress of appearing in court, this is also usually a faster and less costly way to resolve claims.

If your case does end up going to court, however, we will ensure you have the sensitive, practical support you need to make the process as stress-free as possible and help you to secure the right result.

Further information about eye injury claims & visual impairment claims

For more information about eye injury and visual impairment compensation claims and all types of medical negligence claims, please take a look at our news, blogs and our series of helpful leaflets covering specific issues.

Start an eye injury or visual impairment claim with us today

To arrange a free initial no obligation consultation and find out more about starting a visual impairment or eye injury claim: