In this guide, we’ll be discussing when you could be eligible to begin a personal injury claim for an eye injury at work. As you move through this guide, you will find information about the criteria that need to be met in order to have valid grounds to pursue compensation, including the limitation period for beginning legal proceedings. Also, we will provide information on the different aspects of the claims process, including the steps you can take to gather sufficient evidence as a way to strengthen your claim.
Eye Injury At Work Claims Guide
Employers owe a duty of care to their employees. If this isn’t adhered to, it could lead to an accident in which an employee sustains an injury in the workplace. We will provide examples of how this could happen further down in our guide.
Additionally, we will explore the personal injury settlement that could be awarded following a successful claim and the way in which awards are calculated.
Furthermore, we will discuss the benefits of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor and the services they can offer to help you seek compensation for your injuries.
If you have any further questions in regards to your potential accident at work claim, then you can use the following contact information to learn more:
- Call on 0800 073 8802
- Talk with our advisors through the live support bubble
- Enter your details into the contact us form
Choose A Section
- When Are You Able To Claim For An Eye Injury At Work?
- How To Claim For An Eye Injury At Work
- How Could An Employee Sustain An Eye Injury In The Workplace?
- Calculating Eye Injury Compensation Amounts
- Claim For An Eye Injury At Work Using Our Professional And Experienced Solicitors
- Learn More About Eye Injury Claims
When Are You Able To Claim For An Eye Injury At Work?
You may be able to make a personal injury claim for an eye injury at work if you can satisfy the following criteria:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care during the time and location of the accident.
- They breached this duty of care.
- You experienced physical or psychological harm as a result of the breach.
Together, the above criteria forms the basis of negligence.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 outlines how employers owe a duty of care. This means that they have to take reasonable and practicable steps to ensure the safety of the workplace, environment, equipment and facilities to prevent injury to employees. This involves managing and removing any risks posed by hazards.
If your employer fails to do so, it could lead you to experience harm as a result, such as an eye injury.
Is There A Time Limit To Making An Eye Injury Claim?
In addition to meeting the criteria laid out above, you need to ensure you begin legal proceedings within the limitation period set out in The Limitation Act 1980. This states that you generally have three years from the date of the accident to begin your personal injury claim. However, there are certain exceptions that can apply.
To discuss whether you could be eligible to make a claim and how long you have to do so, get in touch with a helpful advisor on the number above.
How To Claim For An Eye Injury At Work
As part of the personal injury claims process, there are different steps you could take to strengthen your case. For example, you should begin collecting evidence to help prove liability as well as provide details on the harm you have sustained and the way it has affected your life.
Examples of the steps you could take to gather sufficient evidence include:
- Request CCTV footage of the accident.
- Keep a diary about your injuries, including the details about the way they have affected you emotionally and physically as well as any treatment you have received.
- Ask for copies of your medical records. This can include any prescriptions and a copy of any test results.
- Take photographs of your injury and the accident site. The latter can illustrate any hazards that may have caused or contributed to the accident.
- Take a note of any witness contact details as they may be able to provide a statement later on.
- Keep a record of any financial losses, such as receipts and payslips.
If you are unsure how to collect evidence, you may benefit from working with one of our expert personal injury solicitors. They can assist you with the different stages of the claims process and guide you through seeking compensation for an eye injury at work.
To learn whether you could be eligible to have one of them represent your case, get in touch using the contact details provided above.
How Could An Employee Sustain An Eye Injury In The Workplace?
Employers have a duty of care to take steps considered both reasonable and practicable in order to prevent injury to employees at work and while carrying out their work-related duties.
Examples of the different steps they could take include carrying out regular risk assessments and acting on any findings, providing training to employees and providing necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).
A failure to do so could see an employee sustain an eye injury. For example:
- Your employer may have failed to provide you with eye-protection, such as goggles, when working on a construction site. As a result, you get dust in your eye when cutting up materials.
- Your employer fails to carry out a risk assessment before instructing you to work with hazardous substances. As a result, no steps are taken to manage the risk of splashing liquids causing you to sustain an eye injury that impairs your vision.
It’s important to note that not all incidents of an employee sustaining an eye injury at work will have resulted from employer negligence. In such cases, it may not be possible to claim compensation. However, to discuss your specific case and find out whether it’s possible for you to pursue a personal injury claim, get in touch on the number above.
Calculating Eye Injury Compensation Amounts
After making a successful claim for an eye injury at work, you’ll receive compensation to address the emotional and physical pain and suffering that has been caused by the harm you sustained. This will be awarded under the general damages head of claim.
In order to calculate the value of your injuries, solicitors can use the Judicial College Guidelines. This publication contains guideline award brackets that correspond to different types of injuries.
We have included some of these figures in the table below. Note that these figures are not a guarantee of what you will receive in compensation for your injuries, as each claim is unique. As such, you should only use the figures as a guide.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (b) Total Blindness | In the region of £268,720 | Cases where sight is lost in both eyes. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (c) Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Vision in the Remaining Eye (i) | £95,990 to £179,770 | Where there is a significant risk of further deterioration in the remaining eye. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (c) Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Vision in the Remaining Eye (ii) | £63,950 to £105,990 | There is reduced vision in the remaining eye with additional problems, such as double vision. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (d) Total Loss of One Eye | £54,830 to £65,710 | The level of award will depend on the age, psychiatric consequence, and cosmetic effect on a person. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (e) Complete Loss of Sight In One Eye | £49,270 to £54,830 | This award takes into account a risk of sympathetic ophthalmia. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (f) Serious But Incomplete Loss Of Vision In One Eye | £23,680 to £39,340 | There is no significant risk of lost vision or reduced vision in the remaining eye or where there is constant double vision. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (g) Minor But Permanent Impairment Of Vision | £9,110 to £20,980 | One or both eyes are affected. This bracket also includes cases where there is some double vision but this might not be constant. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (h) Minor Eye Injuries | £3,950 to £8,730 | Injuries such as being struck in the eye, exposed to fumes or splashed by liquids. This causes initial pain and temporary vision interference. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | (i) Transient Eye Injuries | £2,200 to £3,950 | A complete recovery within a few weeks. |
Special Damages In Eye Injury Claims
As part of your settlement, you could also receive compensation for any financial losses you have experienced as a result of your injuries. This is awarded under the special damages head of claim.
There are several costs you could claim back under this head, including:
- Loss of earnings
- Cost of care
- Travel expenses
- Medication costs
- Cost of renovations to a home
You can prove these losses by providing evidence in the form of travel tickets, receipts, payslips and invoices.
To receive a personalised estimate of your potential personal injury settlement, please contact our advisors using the number above.
Claim For An Eye Injury At Work Using Our Professional And Experienced Solicitors
Our experienced No Win No Fee injury at work solicitors could offer the following services:
- Helping you gather evidence to support your work-related injury claim
- Ensuring your claim is put forward in full within the limitation period
- Providing updates on the stage of your claim
- Valuing your case
Additionally, they offer these services via a Conditional Fee Agreement. This typically means that you won’t have to pay for the work they complete on your case upfront, while your claim proceeds or if your claim has an unsuccessful outcome.
Upon the completion of a successful claim, your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. This is taken as a percentage which the law places a restriction on.
If you would like a free case assessment to determine whether you’re eligible to pursue compensation and if one of our solicitors could represent your claim, contact an advisor. They can also answer any questions you might have regarding your potential eye injury at work claim.
For more information, you can:
- Call on 0800 073 8802
- Talk with our advisors through the live support bubble
- Enter your details into the contact us form
Learn More About Eye Injury Claims
Below, we have provided more of our guides relating to personal injury claims:
- A guide to making a fall at work claim
- What are the steps to making a slip and fall at work injury claim?
- Back injury at work claims guide
Alternatively, you can follow the below links:
- Health and Safety Executive – Managing Risks Using PPE
- GOV – Statutory Sick Pay
- NHS – When To Call 999
Thank you for reading this guide on when you could be eligible to seek compensation for an eye injury at work. If you have any other questions, please get in touch using the contact details provided in this guide.
Writer Louis Ponyo
Editor Meg Moot
