Corneal Abrasion Compensation Claims

By Cat Mulligan. Last Updated 6th April 2023. Welcome to our guide exploring how to make a claim for a corneal abrasion injury sustained in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. 

Eye injuries could occur in various types of accidents, such as in the workplace, on the road, or from an act of violence. Alternatively, they could occur in a medical setting due to an optometrist causing you avoidable harm.  

Corneal abrasion

Corneal abrasion claims guide

No matter how the accident happened, we understand that you may be suffering both the physical and psychological impact. However, if you can demonstrate that a party who owed you a duty of care caused your corneal abrasion through negligence, you could seek compensation for your injuries.

If you’re unsure, our guide could help you understand whether you’re eligible to make a claim.

For more information, please continue reading for further guidance on how to make a successful claim following an accident. Alternatively, you can contact our team using the details below:

  • Telephone – 0800 408 7825
  • Chat with an advisor using the live chat box below
  • Fill out the contact form to request an advisor to call you back

Select A Section

  1. What Is A Corneal Abrasion?
  2. Corneal Abrasion Symptoms
  3. Corneal Abrasion Treatment 
  4. What Are The Most Common Causes Of A Corneal Abrasion?
  5. How Do You Make A Successful Cornea Abrasion Claim?
  6. Corneal Abrasion Compensation Calculator
  7. How To Contact A No Win No Fee Solicitor
  8. Eye Injury Claim Resources

What Is A Corneal Abrasion? 

A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the surface of the eye, also known as the cornea. The cornea has many different nerve endings so it can often be painful. 

The pain may cause disruption to your day to day activities such as working, driving or partaking in hobbies. If you’ve experienced a similar impact on your quality of life, you could seek compensation for the suffering you’ve incurred as well as any financial damages if you can demonstrate that those who should have been looking out for your safety failed in this respect.

Often, the incident that caused your injury may have been unavoidable. For instance, substances in the eye or catching it with a fingernail. However, in order to receive a settlement, you must be able to show that a duty of care had been breached. 

For instance, did someone owe you a duty of care? Were they in breach of the duty of care they owed you? Did you sustain harm in an accident as a result? If so, it’s likely negligence occurred and you could put forward a personal injury claim.

For more information, please get in touch with our team using the number at the top of the page.

Corneal Abrasion Symptoms

There are various symptoms you may experience that may vary in severity depending on the nature of your corneal abrasion. However, according to the NHS, some common symptoms might include:

  • Watery eye
  • Redness to the affected eye
  • Blurred vision
  • Pain in the eye

Additionally, in some cases, your eye injury could experience other symptoms. For instance, light sensitivity or sudden pain in the affected eye. If you do, the NHS recommends seeking immediate medical advice.

Furthermore, if your injury is not treated promptly or correctly, other complications could occur such as an infection in the affected eye. This could cause you to experience redness, discharge or a gritty sensation.

If you require any medical advice, speak to a trained medical professional or visit the NHS website for more information. 

Corneal Abrasion Treatment 

The treatment you receive will vary depending on how severe your corneal abrasion is. Additionally, the recovery time may vary depending on the nature of your eye injury and your treatment plan.  

However, according to the NHS, a minor abrasion may heal within 48-72 hours. Alternatively, a doctor may advise you to:

  • Refrain from wearing contact lenses while your injury is healing
  • Wear an eye patch or sunglasses to provide protection to the affected eye 
  • A doctor may prescribe eye medication to stop an infection. 

For further information, visit the NHS website for guidance on corneal abrasion care. Please note we are not trained medical staff so for any eye injury advice always contact the NHS. 

What Are The Most Common Causes Of A Corneal Abrasion?

A corneal abrasion could occur in different scenarios.

However, to put forward a valid claim, you must have sustained your injury in an accident that someone who owes you a duty of care is liable for. For instance:

  • Another driver who failed to check their mirrors when overtaking and crashed into you while you were cycling. As a result, you may have suffered a cornea injury from the debris on the road. 
  • An optometrist negligently failed to diagnose your cornea injury. As a result, you developed an infection, leading to avoidable harm. 

If you have evidence to show that a medical professional caused you avoidable harm by providing a substandard level of care, you could make a medical negligence claim.

However, the process is a little different, so for further information call our team on the number above.

As you can see, there are many causes of corneal abrasions and the type of claim you put forward could depend. However, there are similar steps you could take to build a solid case.

For more information, see the section below.

How Do You Make A Successful Cornea Abrasion Claim?

Starting a claim for a corneal abrasion injury can seem daunting, but there are some steps you can take to help strengthen your claim and make the process seem less stressful. One of these steps is collecting evidence to help prove your claim.

Evidence can be extremely helpful when making a personal injury claim, as it can help you prove who is liable for your injury, how your corneal abrasion injury has affected your life and finances, and the extent of the treatment that you need to recover.

Some examples of evidence that you could use to strengthen your claim include:

  • CCTV footage of the accident
  • Pictures of the corneal abrasion or of the accident site
  • The contact details of potential witnesses
  • Medical records that detail your treatment or the severity of your injury

You can gather this evidence alone, or with the help of a personal injury solicitor. To find out how a solicitor from our panel could help you, get in touch with our team today.

Corneal Abrasion Compensation Calculator

When seeking compensation, if successful you can claim for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced under general damages. However, as various factors will be considered when determining how much your claim is worth, each settlement figure will vary from case to case. 

For instance, the medical evidence you provide will highlight the severity of your injury and how badly it’s impacted your quality of life. 

Additionally, a document by the Judicial College may also be used alongside your medical reports to help value your injury.

The table below includes figures from the JCG to provide you with an idea of how much different eye injuries may be worth. However, we suggest you only use these figures as a guide due to the other elements of your claim that will be considered. 

Edit
Type of injury Other details Compensation figure
Injuries affecting sight (b) Complete blindness In the region of
£268,720
Injuries affecting sight (c) (i) The person may have lost sight in one eye and has reduced vision in the other eye. They will also have a serious risk of sight in the remaining eye deteriorating. £90,100 to £168,730
Injuries affecting sight (c) (ii) The person may have lost sight in one eye and has reduced vision in the other eye. They’ll also have other issues such as double vision. £95,990 to £179,770
Injuries affecting sight (d) Complete loss of one eye £54,830 to £65,710
Injuries affecting sight (e) Total loss of sight in one eye £49,270 to £54,830
Injuries affecting sight (f) Serious injuries causing incomplete loss of vision affecting one eye and no significant risk of losing vision in the other eye. However, they may have problems with double vision or sensitivity to light. £22,230 to £36,960
Injuries affecting sight (g) Minor injuries that result in vision becoming permanently impaired in either one or both eyes. £9,110 to £20,980
Injuries affecting sight (i) A transient eye injury with symptoms only lasting a short time and where the person completely recovers within a few weeks. £2,200 to £3,950

In addition to general damages, your corneal abrasion claim may include special damages which compensate you for any past and future monetary losses. For instance, if you’ve been unable to drive, you could seek reimbursement for travel expenses. 

However, these are calculated separately and added to your settlement later on. For more information on the financial losses that could make up part of your claim, call our team on the number above. 

How To Contact A No Win No Fee Solicitor

Although you may have thought hiring a solicitor to represent you may involve you paying upfront costs for their services, we have another option you could consider. A No Win No Fee agreement could allow you to avoid upfront solicitor costs as well as other costs that may build up during your claim. 

Furthermore, if your claim fails, you won’t be asked to pay solicitor fees. If your claim succeeds, a small success fee will be deducted from your compensation when your claim settles. 

However, your solicitor will inform you of the legally capped fee before you agree to start your claim on this basis with them. 

If you’d like to find a solicitor to represent you on this basis, you can contact our team of advisors. They can assess whether your case holds validity.

Furthermore, if they feel your claim has a chance of success, they can appoint a solicitor from our panel to work with you on your corneal abrasion claim. 

Alternatively, our team can provide further clarification on anything you’re unsure of. For more help and guidance, contact an advisor using the details below:

  • Telephone – 0800 408 7825
  • Chat with an advisor using the live chat box below
  • Fill out the contact form to request an advisor to call you back  

Eye Injury Claim Resources

Have you lost wages due to an accident caused by someone else’s negligence? If so, our guide could help. 

Did you sustain a hip injury after someone failed to uphold the duty of care they owed you? If so, see our guide for more information on making a claim. 

If you sustained your injury in a public place accident, you may be entitled to seek compensation. See our guide for more information. 

For more information on preventing accidents, see the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA)

See the government guide on seeking compensation after an accident

We also have some other guides you may find useful:

Thank you for reading our guide on corneal abrasion claims.

Article by EI.

Publisher EC.