Eye Injury Compensation, Symptoms And Treatment

Eye injuries can be serious enough that they can make a person lose their sight.

Types of eye injury

One type of eye injury is when the cornea (outer surface of the eye) gets scratched.  The cornea receives light reflected off of objects and is bent to transfer it through the pupil (small opening in the middle of the eye).  A cornea can also have objects stuck into the surface such as small pieces of metal or glass.

Traumatic iritis is when the iris (colored part of the eye) becomes inflamed normally due to a poke in the eye or a direct blow.  The iris is responsible for regulating the amount of light passing through the lens of the eye.  The lens changes shapes as it bends the light and transfers it to the retina on the back of the eye.  The retina contains many light sensory nerve cells called cones and rods where light is converted to electrical impulses.

The last step of the vision process is where the optical nerve sends these impulses to the brain where the image appears.  A retina can become detached meaning it’s not in the proper place on the back of the eye.  When the eye has been in an injury it’s important to get professional help as soon as possible. 

Causes of eye injuries are usually one of the following:

• Chemicals that get into the eye
• Liquids such as hot fat or sprays that get into the eye
• An object getting stuck in the eye
• Direct blow to the eye, many times in sports related injuries 

The symptoms of eye injuries range from minor to major and include the following: 

• Eye not looking normal – including being out of the socket
• Extreme eye pain
• Object sticking out of the eye
• Complete or partial vision loss in one or both eyes
• Redness in the eye

Treatment of an eye injury 

If there is a small foreign object in the eye or if there has been an irritant such as   chemicals put in the eye, the first step is to wash out the eye.  Washing the eye with warm water repeatedly may be enough to clear the eye. When this does not work or if the object is something as in glass, the person needs medical assistance.  A professional will take out any foreign objects and sometimes an eye patch will be worn to protect the eye afterwards.  Iritis is treated with prescription eye drops and possibly dark sunglasses until the swelling decreases.  When a retina has become detached the person will undergo laser surgery to reattach the retina.  The quicker care is received the better chance of eye injuries recovering fully.

Compensation for an eye injury

Many people are unaware that they can claim compensation for an eye injury but help is at hand.

In addition to claiming compensation for you or a loved ones suffering, you may also be able to claim for medical expenses, lost wages and any other out of pocket expenses.  For an idea of what you could get see some typical compensation amounts.

Pinstripe make it easy for you to claim compensation. All you need to do is complete the simple online form opposite and the experienced and friendly claims team will handle it from there. It's that easy!