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Eye Injury Compensation Claims & Settlement Amounts

By Ian Morris | Updated June 12th, 2024

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Injuries to the eye are extremely traumatic, painful and hard to cope with. Serious cases can have a permanent impact on quality of life, independence and ability to work and earn income. Therefore, eye injury compensation claims can see settlements of a substantial value being awarded.

Can I claim eye injury compensation?

Any person who has suffered an eye injury that was caused through the negligence of someone else, at work, on the road or in a public place, can make a claim for eye injury compensation. If the accident was your fault entirely, you can’t hope to win a claim, though sometimes fault can be attributed to both parties and any final settlement would reflect this.

You should make sure that the details of your accident are recorded properly in an accident book or similar incident reporting system, and that appropriate medical attention is sought from a GP or a hospital.

To find out whether you can make a claim for your eye injury, speak with our specialist staff. We know your rights and can help you to recover compensation for the injury itself and also its impact on your day-to-day life and ability to work etc.

Who is liable if I make a claim?

If you sustained an eye injury at work, your claim will be made against your employers ‘employer liability insurance’ and would not directly impact on your workplace or colleagues. You would be free to continue with your work once you have recovered. You have legal rights if you’re injured at work, so make sure you understand them.

If the injury happened in a public place, such as a shop, restaurant or outdoors, the person or organisation responsible for ensuring public safety could be held liable if it can be proved they were negligent in this duty.

If your eye injury was caused as the result of a criminal assault, you must report your injuries and the attack to the police. You can then pursue a claim via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority scheme (CICA). Whilst it is always sensible to instruct a specialist Solicitor to represent you in a CICA claim, you should be aware that you do not have to instruct a solicitor and can make a claim directly to them via their application process.

In cases where an eye injury was caused in a non-fault road traffic accident, the liable party in the claims process will be the insurers of the driver who was responsible for the accident.

Common types of eye injury claim

At Direct2Compensation our specialist solicitors have succeeded in recovering compensation for many different types of damage to the eye:

Foreign bodies entering the eye – such as metal, dust or wood
Blunt force trauma – as seen in slips and trips, falls from height or road traffic accidents
Lacerations and cuts
Corneal abrasion
Fractures to the eye socket or cheekbone
Chemical burns through a lack of training or protective eyewear (PPE) at work
Laser eye surgery negligence

Eye injury compensation amounts

The amount of compensation you can expect for an eye injury will largely depend on the extent it affects your sight. Total blindness in both eyes, for example, can see settlements of over £200,000. For minor eye injuries, where there is no long-term damage to sight, the amount would likely be between £2,000 and £10,000.

The following is a guide to compensation amounts for eye injuries based on their severity. These amounts are for the injury itself, but you can also claim for special damages, which can include your expenses and rehabilitation therapies, for example. Once your specialist solicitor has obtained your medical report they will be able to give you an idea of how much compensation to expect.

Severity of injury	Compensation amount
Total blindness	£252k
Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the other eye	£60k - £169k
Total loss of one eye	£51k - £62k
Complete loss of sight in one eye	£46k - £51k
Serious, but incomplete loss of vision in one eye	£22k - £37k
Minor but permanent impairment of vision in one eye	£9k - £20k
Minor eye injuries, e.g being struck in the eye, exposure to fumes, smoke or liquid causing pain and temporary interference with vision	£4k - £8k
Transient eye injuries with recovery within a few weeks	£2k - £4k

Can I claim on a No Win No Fee basis?

At Direct2Compensation any claim that we present to our specialist solicitors will be investigated and managed on a No Win No Fee basis.

Simply put, this means that should your claim fail for any reason you would face no liability for any costs on either side of the claims process. However, should your claim succeed, you would make a contribution from your agreed settlement towards the costs of the claim – as required by law. This cost is capped at a maximum of 25% of any award you receive along with your obligation to pay the cost of any ATE insurance policy that your Solicitor has to put in place if such cover is required. This fee is usually between £150-£250.

What to do next

Direct2Compensation are a personal injury specialist. It is what we do – nothing else! We know your rights and can help you to identify whether or not you have a valid claim for eye injury compensation. Simply call our offices on 01225 430285 or we can . Alternatively, leave a question below and we’ll do our best to answer it.

Our solicitors have the experience and expertise to represent your best interests. They’ll arrange for a medical expert to assess you and provide a detailed report that will help settle your claim at the maximum value for your injury and the impact it has had on your life. Our role in the claims process is very much one of being a supportive resource to help you understand things in simple terms and be available as and when you need assistance.

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Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus eye injury claim examples...

I was at work in a metal factory and my employer hired outside company to put in new lights. After that company was at the end of putting the lights in one of the lights exploded on to me. In my face and head. I went to the hospital and the eye doctor said I had scratches on my eyes. Can I sue?

It would appear that you are in a position to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation and loss of income.

I am a Caretaker in a School and was asked by my Headmaster to dismantle a wooden shelter, my colleague had gone home as his shift had finished, I waited to take delivery of a skip, after it had arrived I went back to the structure to remove a piece of wood, whilst trying to remove it the wood sprang and hit me in the face, the wood had a screw in it which cut me below and to the side of my face by my eye and also eyelid, I had to go to Hospital and had 8 Stitches. I am now left with a scar and numbness and tightness to the area as well as occasional fluttering in my eye, the scar is visible from talking distance and I feel very conscious about it.

Our Solicitors will be able to pursue a claim against your employers insurance as a result of your accident at work. You would be able to claim compensation for the pain and distress caused by the initial injury itself and if successful, your settlement would account for the impact that the visible scarring, numbness/tightness from the same is having on you emotionally and physically. There are certainly questions to ask of the employer in terms of the appropriate training, safety equipment, risk assessments and method of operation of this particular task.

If you haven’t already done so, make sure that an accident book entry or similar written record of the incident has been made.

I had an accident at work, something went into my eye, I then washed it out with solution from the work’s first aid kit and now we have found out it’s 2 years out of date. The infection was so bad I’ve been off work since aug and had to have a corneal transplant, could I have a successful claim and what amount could I be looking at?

You certainly can (and indeed should) pursue a claim at the earliest opportunity as you can attribute clear employer negligence as the cause of the severity of your eye condition. The employers failure to ensure that the eye wash was within date and safe to use is something that their insurers will have to admit liability for.

Please call us on 01225430285 or provide further information via the ‘start your claim‘ page of our website so that we can have a specialist Solicitor advise you and represent you in your claim for personal injury compensation and recovery of any lost income or incurred costs.

As for the value of your claim, it is impossible to offer a valuation at this stage. Each claim value will be decided on the basis of medical evidence, a medical experts detailed report, the impact on a claimants lifestyle, their career and mental well being. There is also then the loss of income to be taken in to account. What we can say is that an injury such as yours is clearly serious and has led to a prolonged period of time where you have been suffering and unable to lead your normal life. Our specialist Personal Injury Solicitors will ensure that your settlement is obtained at the maximum possible value and that your rights after an injury at work are upheld.

I sustained a minor cut injury above my eye which caused a trip to the hospital.
It caused me to have the remainder of that day plus 2 additional days off work.
Am i able to claim lose of earnings for that time off?

The only way you will be able to recover your loss of income will be by succeeding with a claim for personal injury compensation for the actual injury sustained. With this in mind, if the cut above your eye was caused in a non-fault accident we can help you to pursue a claim for compensation on a No Win No Fee basis, ensuring that you are compensated for the initial injury, for any scarring left by the laceration and recover your lost wages.

I have had an accident at work whilst employed for a contract cleaning company sustaining an injury to my left eye, it is a ltd company who are contracted to clean new builds for house building companies. The injury happened whilst cleaning window tape from newly installed windows an extractor cover fell and hit me in my eye also my employer had not issued me with the correct ppe and had not done any risk assessment also I have not had any site specific training can I claim from both my employer and also the house building company?

Our specialist Solicitors will ensure that any claim is addressed to the appropriate parties. Although unusual, it is not unheard of for more than one defendant to face action – and this may be the case in your situation.

Given your description of the injury and cause, we feel that you have a valid claim and we would like to help you.

I have developed central serous retinopathy in both eyes but the right eye is realy affected. My job role is laptop based. The eye specialist advise is to take a break every 30 mins which is not practical for my job. No cure for this condition which is progresive. Can I claim compensation? Thank you.

Prior to your eye condition becoming chronic, did you report any issues to your employer? Did you make the employer aware that you needed breaks and they ignored you? These are the kind of questions our specialist Solicitors will ask in order to ascertain whether or not you can pursue a claim for compensation.

Essentially, you have a right to make a claim for personal injury compensation if you believe that your injuries or health issue could have been prevented if an employer had taken the risks posed by the work you do, the equipment you use and the environment you work in, more seriously.

I was working for a company that i no longer work for about 18 months ago, i was doing grounds maintenance work. I was sweeping up after the job was finished and dust blew up and scratched my eye, i was wearing protective glasses but clearly the wrong ones and didn’t do they job. I went to a&e and they confirmed I scratched my eye. Have I got grounds for a claim? What sort of amount could i get?

It is impossible to offer any guidance as to an approximate claim valuation at this stage as we do not have sight of medical records or an experts medical report demonstrating the extent of the injury to your eye.

Whether or not you could pursue a claim is unclear. You appear to have been issued with protective glasses by your employer. On what basis do you believe that they were the wrong type? Was anything ever discussed with your employer regarding the eyewear that they provided? What record was made of your accident at work in your employers accident book?

Am I able to claim?
When I came round from anesthesia for an operation on a hernia on my left flank I realized that I had a problem with my right eye as the anesthetic wore off my eye became unbelievably painful and I had very blurred vision…I was given drops in my eye and a patch…to make things worse I am blind in my left eye so this injury to my right eye left me blind for 4 days..I can now see but the eye is still very sore…can you advise as to what I can do next?

Do you know what happened to your right eye during the surgery? To pursue any claim for the temporary loss of vision and ongoing soreness, you’ll need to be able to identify some negligence.

My old company caused my eye problems, they never gave me regular eyes tests. I was working on CCTV system.

All employers are obliged to ensure that all staff can work safely and that risks to health are adequately assessed and managed. If you believe that your employer has failed to uphold their obligations, you can seek to make a claim for compensation.

I had a minor accident where the Hoover pole become detached and hit me in the eye causing me to go dizzy and see stars, should I make a claim I feel silly as it was with a Hoover?

You shouldn’t feel silly – accidents happen and are often not foreseen. My concern with regards to your injury is that whilst it was distressing for you at the time, I am not convinced that it would be seen as serious enough to warrant making a claim for compensation. Did you report the accident details in an accident book? Did you seek medical attention?

I had super glue in my eye at work. I have recorded near misses previously and there is no SOPS for this job. Fortunately, it seems that my eyesight is ok and I was lucky that the hospital staff managed to dissolve the glue and gave me an eye patch. The glue shouldn’t be used at all in this work. It is someones fault as the rubbers don’t fit so they told us to glue them. I was at Hospital 5 hrs.

We would be interested to know more as to how the glue came in to contact with your eye and whether your employer has taken the appropriate steps to minimise the risk of injury such as providing eye protection etc.

Hi, I work in a Private Nursery as a Child Care Practitioner. Two years ago when I was taking care of some of the children one reached out forward and scratched my right eye. This caused some real discomfort and blurred vision (when I could open my eye) for about a week and then reoccurred once a month for roughly half a year afterward requiring me to have time off or be sent home. Two years later I am still have discomfort every morning until recently. It is now causing blurred vision again and is a lot more pain than before, I have now been advised I will require laser eye surgery to correct it. Until the last week I hadn’t thought of compensation until I was informed by my employer that all the time I had off because of this injury I haven’t been paid for. Would this qualify for a claim?

To succeed with any claim against an employer, an injured worker must be able to link employer negligence to their injury. In your case, can you identify anything that your employer did or didn’t do that either lead to your injury or failed to reduce the risk of the injury you sustained?

I was sweeping up at work turned round did not see the huck on the spray track and one of the huck went up my eye lid. I pulled it out it bled for five minutes, can I make a claim? I went to work on the Monday told them what happened, I said I need the week off, they said that they will pay me two days, can I claim I’m still in pain?

We would be very happy to help you with a No Win No Fee injury compensation claim for this incident. Of course, we don’t know a great deal at this stage as to how this happened and what mistakes your employer or colleagues made that caused this to happen, so we need to speak with you to find out a little more information. However, this is something we would certainly be willing to get our Solicitors involved with, in order to make a claim for compensation for you.