Eye injuries caused by car accidents can have lasting consequences—from vision problems to permanent blindness. In an instant, you could suffer a severe eye injury that causes extreme pain, blurred vision, or some form of vision loss.
The cost of an eye injury can be significant, and auto insurance companies know this.
That's why if you or a loved one sustained an eye injury in a crash, you should contact an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible to go over your legal rights and options.
Eye injuries from car accidents
Eye injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents can cover a wide range. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some of the most common eye injuries include:
- Scratched eye, otherwise known as a corneal abrasion. This type of eye injury often involves a sharp object scratching the eye.
- Lacerations (cuts) to the eye or eyelid.
- An object penetrating the eye, either piercing the cornea (surface of the eye) or the actual interior of the eye.
- Globe rupture. This is a type of eye injury in which a blunt object penetrates the outer membrane of the eye, often resulting in severe eye trauma.
- Orbital fracture. This eye injury occurs when there's a break in the facial bones surrounding the eye.
- Orbital blowout fracture. This involves the shattering of bones located in the eye socket.
- Hyphema, which is bleeding in the anterior chamber (space between the cornea and the iris) of the eye.
- Burns, which are often caused by explosions, fires, or hot liquids coming in contact with the eye.
- Detached retina. This injury, which can happen as a result of trauma to the eye, involves the retina pulling away from the wall of the eye. It can cause vision loss or blindness.
Depending on what type of eye injury you're dealing with, symptoms can include pain and swelling around the eyeball, eyelid, or face; bruising around the eye; changes in vision (e.g., you see flashes of light or floating black spots); trouble moving your eyes; bleeding, and changes in your eye's appearance.
Common ways to sustain an eye injury in a car accident include:
- The car's airbag deploys and debris penetrates the eye.
- Shattered glass pierces or strikes the eye.
- The eye or the area around the eye suffers blunt force trauma from the impact of the crash.
- The collision causes you to hit your head on something inside the car.
- Getting ejected from the vehicle.
It's also worth noting that traumatic brain injuries can affect a person's vision too. For instance, if you suffer a concussion in a car accident, you may experience vision problems as a symptom.
Medical treatment for an eye injury
Often, surgery is the best option to treat an eye injury. Follow-up surgical procedures may be necessary as well, especially in cases involving severe eye trauma.
An ophthalmologist (eye doctor) or eye surgeon should examine you right away, diagnose what’s wrong, and take corrective actions immediately to treat your eye injury.
In other cases, a crash victim may be instructed to use icepacks to relieve pain and reduce swelling around the eye.
Your doctor may order you to use prescription eye drops to help your eye heal, while sometimes covering the eye with a patch is necessary.
Sometimes, eye injuries are so severe that the victim never fully recovers and is forced to live with reduced vision, permanent scarring, or blindness.
These are all things that need to be factored into an injury claim or lawsuit when seeking compensation for an eye injury after a car accident.
Talk to an Atlanta car accident lawyer today
If you or someone you love suffered an eye injury in a crash that was not your fault, our law firm can fight for the financial compensation you deserve.
Our attorneys consistently produce results, and we have obtained more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients since our firm was founded in 1993.
Discover what we can do for you. Contact us today for a free case evaluation with an experienced Atlanta car accident attorney.
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