What Are Your Rights When Making An Eye Injury At Work Claim?
By Cat Reeves. Last Updated 24th November 2023. Do you need to make an eye injury at work claim and are wondering what your rights are? Who might be liable to compensate you if you suffered corneal abrasion or other vision problems because of missing health and safety at work? Any type of eye injury can be very distressing and it can cause an array of problems, financial issues included. This guide will look to examine when an employee can make an eye injury at work claim.
The sections below explain eye injury at work claims in detail. The team at UK Law could connect you with a member of our panel of personal injury solicitors to assess your situation and who can help you right now. You are welcome to get in touch by:
- Calling our team free on 0203 870 4868
- Using the ‘live support’ option, bottom right
- Contacting us online
Your rights when making an eye injury at work claim
Select A Section
- Do I Have The Right To Make An Eye Injury At Work Claim?
- What Steps Should Your Employer Take To Prevent Accidents?
- How Much Compensation Could You Receive For An Eye Injury At Work Claim?
- Make A No Win No Fee Eye Injury At Work Claim
Do I Have The Right To Make An Eye Injury At Work Claim?
If you’ve suffered an eye injury at work, you might be wondering when you could make a personal injury claim. When you’re at work, your employer owes you a duty of care. This is outlined by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), and means that they have to take all reasonably practicable steps to keep you safe while you are working.
If your employer fails to uphold this duty of care, and you suffer an injury as a result, this is known as negligence. If you can prove that negligence occurred, then you may be able to claim eye injury compensation.
Our team of advisors can help you find out if you could be entitled to personal injury compensation. If your claim is valid, they may be able to connect you with a solicitor from our panel, who are experts in eye injury claims and accident at work law. Contact us today to get more information.
What Steps Should Your Employer Take To Prevent Accidents?
Under the core piece of legislation for the United Kingdom called the Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974, all employers have a duty of care to protect the safety and wellbeing of their employees as much as is reasonably practicable. This means ensuring that hazards or risks are either removed or reduced in the workplace as much as possible. Employers should do this by:
- Conducting regular risk assessments of the workplace
- Meeting with staff or health and safety representatives about concerns and acting promptly to address them
- Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety goggles
- Providing clear signs and guidance on health and safety
- Giving health and safety training
- Maintaining machinery and plant works to a safe standard.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offers a wide range of detailed information to help employers comply with health and safety laws. Failure to do so on their part in a way that leads to an injury such as eye damage could make them directly liable for an accident at work claim.
How Much Compensation Could You Receive For An Eye Injury At Work Claim?
Medical evidence forms the basis of your eye injury at work claim. An independent or impartial GP or specialist can examine your eye and deliver a report. The findings of this report can be compared with guideline compensation brackets in publications such as the Judicial College Guidelines. In doing this, an approximate amount of general damages can be calculated. This is for the pain, loss of amenity and suffering caused to you, as shown:
| Nature of eye injury | Supporting notes | JC Guideline compensation bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries + Special Damages | Several severe injuries compounded with financial losses, including lost earnings, home adjustments, and mobility aids. | Up to £500,000+ |
| Total blindness (b) | Permanent and complete sight loss | In the region of £252,180 |
| Sight loss in one eye, reduced in the other (c) (i) | With a significant risk of sight loss in he remaining eye | £90,100 to £168,730 |
| Sight loss in one eye, reduced in the other (c) (ii) | Reduced vision and double vision problems in remaining eye | £60,010 to £99,440 |
| Total loss of one eye (d) | Age, cosmetic and psychological impact taken into account | £51,460 to £61,690 |
| Loss of sight in one eye (complete) (e) | Incorporating a risk of 'sympathetic ophthalmia' | £46,240 to £51,460 |
| Impact on one eye more than the other (f) | Incomplete but serious loss of vision in one eye but no risk of loss in the other, | £22,230 to £36,960 |
| Minor but permanent visual impairment (g) | Double vision. light sensitivity | £8,550 to £19,690 |
| Minor injuries to the eye (h) | Impact to the eye, liquid or smoke contact | £3,710 to £8,200 |
| Transient eye injuries (i) | Injuries that rectify themselves in a few weeks | Up to £3,710 |
| Multiple facial bone fracture (b) | Injuries that could impact the eye socket | £13,970 to £22,470 |
However, the top entry in this table has not been taken from the JCG.
As well as general damage amounts, all the documentation you have which shows out-of-pocket costs related to the eye injury can be included. For example, you may have needed to pay for eye surgery or special glasses? Perhaps you directly suffered a loss of earnings because of what happened?
Did family or friends need to give up time to help you? All of these costs and others could be reclaimed if you have the correct proof. Speak to our team about calculating special damages and other costs imposed on you after the accident so that a more comprehensive request of damages can be calculated.
Make A No Win No Fee Eye Injury At Work Claim
If you are eligible for eye injury compensation, a solicitor from our panel may be able to help you through the claims process. There are many benefits to working with a solicitor, as they can help you collect evidence to strengthen your claim and can help explain complex legal jargon.
The solicitors on our panel work on a No Win No Fee basis. They do this by offering their clients a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), a contract that allows you to access their services without paying any upfront or ongoing fees. Plus, if your claim fails, your solicitor won’t take a fee for their work on the case.
If your eye injury at work claim succeeds, then your solicitor will take a success fee. This is deducted as a small percentage from your compensation. However, this percentage is subject to a legal cap. The legal cap helps to make sure that you keep the larger share of your compensation.
Contact our team of advisors today to learn more about how we can help with eye injury claims. They can evaluate your case for free and could potentially connect you with a solicitor from our expert panel. To get started:
- Call us on 020 3870 4868
- Contact us online.
- Use the live chat feature.
Eye injury At Work Claim – Resources
Below are similar resources to eye injury at work claims. Please get in touch if we can help with any points raised in this guide:
- Information about fractured eye socket compensation
- More about knowing if your employer is responsible for your injuries
- If you have fears about being dismissed after an accident at work
- Details on eye injuries from the NHS
- Help to readjust after a serious eye injury
- Support with the Royal National Institute of Blind People RNIB
