Broken or Fractured Eye Socket Compensation – How to Claim
Our vision, or the ability to see, is one of the most important senses. If you suffer from an orbital fracture or fractured eye socket, it can cause blurred or double vision or even complete blindness. You may incur such an injury either in an accident or a violent crime, leading to a lot of mental and physical trauma. An injury of this nature could even lead to surgery and continuous hospitalisation, yet your eyesight may still not be restored. You may wish to claim fractured eye socket compensation to restore some of the financial and physical hardships you suffered, whether the injury resulted in total, permanent blindness or a transient loss of sight and pain.
At UK Law, our advisors and panel of solicitors understand the anguish and helplessness of losing your vision, even temporarily. They aim to provide the best possible guidance by taking over the more complicated aspects of your (or your loved one’s) eye injury claim. You can get in touch now to know more about how our team will secure your personal injury compensation:
- Call on 020 3870 4868.
- Fill out our online form.
- Message our advisory team on live chat for an immediate response.
Jump To A Section
- How Much Fractured Eye Socket Compensation Can I Claim?
- What Factors Determine The Value Of My Fractured Eye Socket Claim?
- Can Fractured Eye Socket Compensation Pay For Special Damages?
- Can I Make A Personal Injury Claim For A Fractured Eye Socket?
- What Accidents Could Result In A Fractured Eye Socket?
- What If My Fractured Eye Socket Happened In An Assault?
- What Do I Need To Claim Fractured Eye Socket Compensation?
- How Can UK Law Help My Claim?
- More Information
How Much Fractured Eye Socket Compensation Can I Claim?
For any injuries leading to total blindness, you may be able to claim compensation for a fractured eye socket of up to £327,940. This figure is taken from the Judicial College guidelines (JCG), which are used to calculate potential compensation for various injuries. However, how much fractured eye socket compensation that can be claimed will vary in each case depending on the unique variables involved.
We have prepared a table of JCG figures that may be considered for eye injury compensation claims. Please remember that the top-row entry hasn’t been quoted from the JCG and use the entire table as guidance.
| Injury | Compensation Guidelines |
|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries and Special Damages- Many visual problems and financial costs, such as special glasses, job loss and counselling. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Eye Injuries- Total Blindness | In the region of £327,940 |
| Eye Injuries- Reduced vision in one eye and loss of sight in the other (i)- There is a high risk of defect in the other eye not yet affected by blindness. | £117,150 to £219,400 |
| Eye Injuries-Reduced vision in one eye and loss of sight in the other (ii)- There are additional problems in the remaining eye, such as double vision. | £78,040 to £129,330 |
| Eye Injuries- Complete loss of an eye- The amount varies depending on psychological distress, cosmetic impact and age. | £66,920 to £80,210 |
| Eye Injuries- Total Loss of sight in an eye | £60,130 to £66,920 |
| Eye Injuries (f)- Cases like constant double or blurry vision in one eye | £28,900 to £48,040 |
| Eye Injuries (g)- There can be permanent yet minor impairment in at least one eye. | £11,120 to £25,600 |
| Minor Eye Injuries- Getting struck in the eye, causing some pain initially and temporary vision interference | £4,820 to £10,660 |
| Transient Eye injuries- Complete recovery in a few weeks | £2,690 to £4,820 |
Still wondering how much compensation you can get for your eye injury? You can call our advisors and read our guide on compensation for pain and suffering.
What Factors Determine The Value Of My Fractured Eye Socket Claim?
The factors that determine the value of your fractured eye socket claim include the severity of the injury, the overall impact on your quality of life, and the resulting expenses.
As far as the actual eye injury is concerned, along with your pain and psychological distress, the compensation comes under general damages. This is calculated using the JCG, as discussed in the above section.
Check out our guide on getting more money from your claim, or call an advisor now to discuss your potential fractured eye socket claim.
Can Fractured Eye Socket Compensation Pay For Special Damages?
Yes, fractured eye socket compensation payout can pay for special damages, which cover the financial expenses resulting from the eye injury. Some examples of special damages include:
- Medical expenses, such as eye drops and eye surgery.
- Loss of earnings due to an inability to work.
- Special aids, such as dark glasses or guide dogs.
- Counselling costs to deal with the mental trauma.
- Travel costs for all the appointments.
Are you still unclear about special damages? Call our advisory team now.
Can I Make A Personal Injury Claim For A Fractured Eye Socket?
Yes, you can make a personal injury claim for a fractured eye socket if it was caused due to the negligent actions of another person. It is also necessary to prove that this person had a responsibility towards your well-being, also known as a duty of care, in the particular situation. We will discuss the concept of duty of care in more detail in the next section.
Therefore, you need to demonstrate the following to make a fractured eye socket compensation claim:
- The other party had a duty of care towards you in that given situation.
- They breached their duty of care.
- You suffered an orbital fracture or any other eye injuries due to this breach.
Get in touch with our advisory team to check the eligibility of your potential eye injury claim.
What Accidents Could Result In A Fractured Eye Socket?
Some accidents that could result in a fractured eye socket include workplace accidents, public accidents, and road traffic accidents. We will explore how the duty of care plays out in each instance and what could lead to a fractured eye socket compensation claim:
Accidents At Work
All employers have a duty of care towards their employees during the course of their work. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, this duty means that the employer must take reasonably practicable steps to ensure employee safety. It could include:
- Assessing and minimising risks in the workplace.
- Ensuring safety through training and protective equipment.
- Having a mechanism to report any accidents or safety concerns.
A failure to fulfil any of these responsibilities may lead to an accident at work claim against the employer.
For Example: Your employer fails to provide you with safety glasses at a factory, where you’re exposed to airborne sharp objects. Due to the lack of protective equipment, a metal fragment enters your eye, leading to a fractured eye socket.
Accidents In Public
The person managing a public place, known as the ‘occupier’, has a duty of care towards all visitors. This means that, under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, they must ensure visitors’ safety as far as is reasonably practicable. Failure to do so may result in a public liability claim against the occupier.
For Example: Due to too many potholes on a pavement, a pedestrian trips and falls flat on their face, injuring their eye socket. They may have a fractured eye socket claim against the local council.
Road Traffic Accidents
All road users have a duty of care to avoid injuring others and navigate the roads safely. They also need to comply with the rules given in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code. A breach of these rules could lead to a road traffic accident claim.
For Example, while driving, a speeding motorist crashes into your vehicle, causing you to hit your eye against the steering wheel. This leads to a fractured eye socket injury.
To discuss your (or your loved one’s) eligiblity to claim fractured eye socket compensation, please speak to one of our advisors.
What If My Fractured Eye Socket Happened In An Assault?
If your fractured eye socket happened in an assault, you may be able to make a criminal injury compensation claim. In this case, your compensation claim will be made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim (CICA). The CICA is a government body responsible for awarding compensation to crime victims in Great Britain.
CICA Eligibility
In order to make a CICA claim, certain eligibility criteria need to be met:
- You suffered an eye socket injury due to a violent crime.
- The violent crime occurred in Wales, England, Scotland or other relevant location.
- You have reported the incident to the police.
- The claim has been made within the time limit, which is usually 2 years.
How Much Can I Claim Through The CICA For A Fractured Eye Socket?
For a serious penetrating injury to one eye, you can claim around £1,000 through the CICA for a fracture eye socket. This figure has been taken from the tariff of injuries given in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (Scheme). The Scheme provides a fixed amount corresponding to each injury. Therefore, if your criminal injury claim is successful, you will receive that exact amount (unless you suffered multiple injuries).
On the other hand, if you’ve suffered from any other injuries, you may be able to claim for up to 3 of them. Your compensation will then be calculated according to the multiple injuries formula, as follows:
- 100% of the tariff amount for the injury with the highest value.
- 30% of the tariff amount for the injury with the next-highest value.
- 15% of the tariff amount for the injury with the least value.
Our table below provides some possible CICA figures for an eye socket injury, except for the top row. This row simply gives the maximum compensation you could get in a criminal injury claim made through the CICA.
| Injury | Tariff Amount |
|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries with Special Expenses- Up to 3 injuries and associated costs, such as eye surgery, dark glasses and counselling | Up to £500,000 |
| Eye injury- loss of vision- both eyes | £110,000 |
| Eye injury- loss of vision- one eye, and the other uninjured eye cannot be corrected beyond 6/36 | £33,000 |
| Eye injury- loss of vision- one eye | £22,000 |
| Eye injury- loss of eye- both eyes | £110,000 |
| Eye injury- loss of eye- one eye | £27,000 |
| Eye injury- serious penetrating injury- both eyes | £4,600 |
| Eye injury- serious penetrating injury- one eye | £1,000 |
| Eye injury- Fracture to the orbital bone cavity having the eyeball- operation required | £2,400 |
| Eye injury- Fracture to the orbital bone cavity having the eyeball- no operation required | £1,500 |
Can I Make A Claim For Loss of Earnings and Financial Losses Via the CICA?
You may be able to claim for financial losses via the CICA under special expenses, while you will have to fulfil certain criteria to claim for a loss of earnings. Some other examples of special expenses include:
- Any physical aids which have been damaged in the violent crime, such as spectacles.
- Equipment required to cope with your eye socket injury, such as dark glasses and specialised kitchen equipment.
- Adaptations to your home, such as a ramp or handrailings.
- Cost of care related to food preparation or other tasks.
- Admin costs if there is a lack of mental capacity resulting from the trauma of the injury.
- Supervision costs to prevent danger to yourself and others.
For more information on claiming for eye socket injury due to an assault, you can check out our guide on CICA payout examples.
What Do I Need To Claim Fractured Eye Socket Compensation?
In order to claim fractured eye socket compensation, you need to compile supporting evidence and be aware of the time limit.
The evidence should be such that it underlines the impact of the fractured socket injury on your life and the responsibility of the other party. Some examples of this include:
- Medical records, such as A&E summaries, GPs’ notes and prescriptions.
- Photographs of the eye injury or the accident site, if possible.
- Insurance details, name and address of any other drivers involved in the accident (if it occurred on the roads).
- Dashcam or CCTV footage.
- Accident report details, in case of an accident at work or in a public place.
- Contact details of those who may have seen the accident for possible witness statements.
As far as the time limit is concerned, you have 3 years to start your compensation claim under the Limitation Act 1980. However, the time limit may vary in the following cases:
- Minors: If a minor has been injured in the eye socket, the time limit will apply only after their 18th birthday because they cannot legally claim before this age.
- Limited mental capacity that reduces their ability to manage the claims process: In this case, the time limit will apply only if the person’s mental capacity returns.
In the first two cases, a loved one can start the compensation claim on their behalf by becoming a litigation friend. The court will approve the appointment after determining the suitability of the person applying.
You can call our advisors now for more information on determining time limits in compensation claims.
How Can UK Law Help My Claim?
UK Law can help your claim by providing you with the expertise and support through our panel of solicitors and advisors. Our team specialises in the following services:
- Calculating your potential fractured eye socket compensation.
- Determining the eligibility of your potential eye injury compensation claim.
- Communicating and negotiating with the opposite party on your behalf.
- Arranging an independent medical examination for the purpose of evidence according to your convenience.
- Answering any and every question related to your compensation claim.
- Explaining all the difficult legal terms.
- Collecting evidence in support of your eye injury claim.
- Calculating the correct time limit for your fractured eye socket claim.
You may be able to get these services in a cost-effective manner if you work with a solicitor from our panel on a No Win No Fee basis. A No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel will offer their work on a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means that:
- You don’t have to pay any upfront solicitor fee to get them working on your claim.
- There will be no ongoing fees for your solicitor’s work as your case progresses.
- If your claim is lost, you won’t have to pay your solicitor for their work.
- You will have to pay a small percentage of your eye injury compensation, known as the success fee, if the claim succeeds.
- A legal limit exists on the percentage that can be applied as this fee to ensure that you don’t end up parting with a major proportion of your compensation.
Contact Our Advisors
For more information on No Win No Fee agreements, you can reach out to our advisory team now:
- Call on 020 3870 4868.
- Fill out our online form.
- Message our advisory team on live chat for an immediate response.
More Information
Here are some of our other helpful guides:
- Our guide on broken cheekbone compensation claims.
- Details on claiming nose injury compensation.
- Our list of compensation tables for personal injury claims.
You can look through these links as well:
- Information from the NHS on eye injuries.
- Guidance from the NHS on a black eye.
- Details on vision loss from the NHS.
Thank you for reading this guide about claiming fractured eye socket compensation.
