In most cases this injury will not have been caused by a car accident however there is a significant proportion that is a direct result of motor vehicle collisions. Road traffic accidents are a major cause of traumatic injury and represent more than half of all cases handled by personal injury solicitors. If you have been injured in a car accident and you want to make a compensation claim for personal injury and loss just complete the contact form, email our offices or use the solicitor’s helpline. Our car accident compensation claim solicitors offer free advice without further obligation. If we deal with your claim it will be on a no win no fee basis, compensation is paid in full and you do not have to fund or finance your car accident compensation claim.
Eye injuries are wide ranging and can be as minor as a scratch on the cornea or severe, as in an injury that causes loss of vision on a permanent basis. Causes of eye injuries involve chemical exposures, such as an acid burn or alkali burn to the affected area. You can get soap, sunscreen or even things like tear gas and pepper spray that can injure the eyes. Mace can injure the eyes, too. Most do not cause permanent injuries with the exception of alkali and acid burns.
Corneal abrasions are scratches on the cornea that occur when something comes into contact with the eye that scratches the colored part of the eye. It is extremely painful and is usually treated with an antibiotic eye drop until the wound heals in one to two days. Traumatic iritis happens just like a corneal abrasion and happens because of a blow to the eye from a blunt object. The muscle controlling the iris is inflamed and cannot move the iris well.
Hyphemas or orbital blowout fractures that happen because of a blow to the eye that is severe enough to injure the eye and the bone around the eye. Hyphemas involve blood in the eye underneath the cornea and sclera. Vision can be affected until the injury heals. In a hyphema, blood in the anterior chamber of the eye interferes with vision because the blood is opaque. There can also be lacerations of the eyelids or of the conjunctiva due to a cutting or direct blow type of injury.
Foreign bodies can happen in the eye. You can get a free-floating foreign body that is removed with a Q tip. You can also get an imbedded foreign body that is removed surgically with a needle or special instrument. Intraorbital foreign bodies have gotten onto the orbit but not into the eye. Intraocular foreign bodies have penetrated the eye and are more difficult to treat.
Ultraviolet light can cause a corneal flash burn. It is essentially a sunburn injury to the cornea and is common in arc welders, those who do not wear protection in tanning booths and those unprotected from the sun.
Symptoms of eye injury are redness of the affected eye and pain in the eye. The pain is described as a burning pain to the eye. The eyelids themselves can become swollen. If there is subconjunctival hemorrhage, there is a bright red spot on the white part of the eye due to a ruptured blood vessel. The reddened area can be quite large. In corneal abrasions, there is the persistent sensation of something within the eye and sensitivity to being exposed to light. In iritis, there is pain and a deep ache to the eye. The eye is very light sensitive and tearing of the eye is common. In a hyphema, there is pain and blurry vision to the affected eye. In conjunctival lacerations there is redness to the eye, pain and a feeling of something in the eye. In an orbital blowout fracture, the eye can have limited movement and there can be double vision and eyelid swelling. Bruising is common.
In corneal foreign bodies, there is tearing, light sensitivity, redness to the eye and a sensation of having a foreign body in the eye, which can move around if the foreign body is free-floating or fixed, if the foreign body is imbedded.
Intraorbital foreign bodies affect the degree of vision; there is double vision and pain in the eye. Intraocular foreign bodies may have no symptoms or can have eye pain and decreased vision. Light induced injuries are painful and there is light sensitivity and redness to the eye. Decreased vision is seen in solar retinopathy.
Doctors take a thorough history and physical examination to determine the possible injury involved. Vision will be examined and a special light is used to examine the cornea for injuries. Fluorescein dye and a black or blue light is used to shine up scratches and foreign bodies in the eye. The eye can fortunately be numbed during the procedure. A slit lamp is a microscopic device that can take a careful look at various parts of the eye, including behind the cornea. X-rays are used to determine if there is an orbital blowout fracture.
The treatment of eye injuries depends on the type of injury. Foreign bodies are removed with a needle or with a specialized instrument. Imbedded foreign bodies are lifted out of the cornea with a Q tip that can be used to remove the foreign body. The eye can be washed out to remove foreign bodies. Corneal abrasions are treated with antibiotic medications and iritis is treated with a steroid eye drop. Chemical burns are first and foremost treated with flushing the eye of any chemical, including pepper spray or mace from the eye.
If you have suffered physically, mentally or financially, you should consider making an accident compensation claim. For free telephone advice from specialist personal injury solicitors just call the helpline. Our lawyers will assess the strength of your claim and will advise you on your potential award of compensation without any further obligation.