What causes loss of sight?

Personal injury accidents

Personal injury accidents are a common cause of loss of sight in the UK. These accidents can happen anywhere, at home, at work, or on the road. Some of the most common types of personal injury accidents that can lead to loss of sight include:

• A road traffic accident where a car crashes into a pedestrian or cyclist, causing head trauma.
• A slip, trip, and fall accident at work, where a worker hits their head on a hard surface.
• A workplace accident where a worker is struck by a flying object in the eye.
• A sports injury, such as a ball striking the eye during a game of cricket or hockey.
• An assault is where someone is punched or kicked in the eye.

Medical negligence

Medical negligence can also lead to loss of sight. This can happen when a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional makes a mistake during a diagnosis, treatment, or procedure. Some of the most common examples include:

• A misdiagnosis of an eye disease, such as glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy, leads to delayed treatment and permanent vision loss.
• Surgical errors are made during eye surgery, such as cataract surgery or laser eye surgery.
• Post-operative infections following eye surgery.
• Side effects from certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs.

Eye diseases

Eye diseases can also cause loss of sight. Some of the most common eye diseases that can lead to blindness include:

• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Age-related macular degeneration

Other causes of loss of sight

There are a number of other factors that can cause loss of sight, including:

• Genetics
• Infections
• Cancer tumours
• Exposure to harmful chemicals or toxins

How to prevent loss of sight

There are several things that people can do to reduce their risk of losing their sight, such as:

• Wear protective eyewear when working with hazardous materials or playing sports.
• Having regular eye exams.
• Managing chronic health conditions that can increase the risk of eye disease.
• Quitting smoking.

Loss of sight compensation claims

If you have lost your sight because of a personal injury accident or medical negligence, you may be entitled to make a no-win, no-fee compensation claim. A successful compensation claim can help you to cover the costs of your medical treatment, rehabilitation, and lost earnings.

For your claim to be successful, you must prove:

• that someone else was responsible for your loss of sight, or;
• that a healthcare professional or organisation owed you a duty of care, that they breached this duty of care, and that their breach of duty caused your loss of sight.

This can be a complex process, so it is important to seek legal advice from a specialist personal or clinical negligence solicitor, such as those at Blackwater Law. For free initial advice and support make a  a compensation claim for loss of sight.