In a car accident, the first thought of people when it comes to injuries that can be sustained are broken bones, burns, lacerations, traumatic brain injuries, and whiplash. Indeed, those are common injuries that most accidents cause their victims. Still, there are also eye injuries that are as debilitating as any of the previously common injuries in a car accident.
When you suffered an eye injury in a car accident in New York, you may be experiencing pain and being afraid about the possibility of losing your sight. If a negligent party caused the car accident, the less you expect is that you receive compensation for all the damage you received.
Therefore, a car accident lawyer will be your best support if you are expecting that to happen with fair monetary compensation. The first offer you may receive from the insurance company will likely be a lowball. If you accept it, you may end up with a substantial hospital debt and other financial issues because it won’t be enough to cover all your losses.
Keep reading to understand eye injuries in car accidents, the different types of injuries, the damages you can recover, who would be the liable parties, and how a car accident lawyer can bring justice to you.
Potential Eye Injuries A Victim’s Car Accident Can Get
In the 2001-2008 period, there was a study using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) that estimated 75,028 motor vehicle crashes associated with eye injuries that were assisted in U.S. emergency departments.
Since the eye is a very fragile organ in our face, it is prone to receive forceful impact from a car collision. When driving a car involved in a car accident, we can smash our face into the steering wheel or the side window. If we are traveling as side passengers, we can hit the car dashboard, and our eyes are too exposed.
That non-penetrating hit from an object or surface can easily compress the eyeball and collect blood, leading to eye injury. Some of the repercussions of eye injuries are the following:
- Corneal lacerations
This injury can be a partial or full-thickness laceration of the cornea, commonly occurring by trauma directly to the eye or by something sharp flying into the eye. These lacerations vary in size, shape, and severity.
Corneal lacerations are considered a very serious injury, and they require immediate attention in order to avoid vision loss. A victim who suffers from corneal lacerations after a car accident may feel:
- severe pain
- tearing
- sensitivity to light
- blurred or decreased vision
- bleeding (blood in the eye)
- the feeling that there is something in the eye
- Orbital fracture
The high impact that our face experiences while in a car accident can also cause a fracture of the orbital bones. There are three types of orbital fractures:
- Orbital rim fracture
- Blowout fracture
- Orbital floor fracture
When dealing with an orbital fracture, first it needs to be diagnosed by an ophthalmologist that will examine the eye and surrounding area, and with x-ray and computed tomography scans can successfully diagnose the orbital fracture.
Symptoms of this injury include bruises, changes in vision, eyeball changes, pain, and swelling.
- Retinal detachment
The retina, a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye, gets pulled away from its normal position. It separates the retinal cells from the layer of blood vessels that provide oxygen and nourishment to the eye.
Reduced vision and the sudden appearance of floaters and flashes of light. There are other symptoms like blurred vision, gradually reduced side vision, and a curtain-like shadow over your field of vision.
- Optic neuritis
A bundle of nerve fibers that transmits visual information from your eye to your brain can be compromised by damage from the swelling effects after a car accident hits your eyes.
You can feel pain, vision loss in one eye, visual field loss, loss of color vision, and flashing lights as common symptoms.
- Diplopia
It is the proper name for double vision, that causes people to see two of the same images instead of one. The double image can either be a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal image.
There are two types of diplopia; it can be either monocular, when someone sees double vision with only one eye open, a second image usually appearing as “a ghost”, or it can be binocular when someone sees double vision only when both eyes are open.
We can continue with a large list of other injuries that a car accident victim can sustain, just to mention some others we find:
- Photophobia
- Lagophthalmos
- Hyphemia
- Damage to tear ducts
- Damage to the lens
- Subconjunctival Hemorrhage
- Corneal Abrasion
It is very important for a car accident victim to seek medical attention as soon as possible and then look for legal help because all of these injuries may take time and resources from the victim and their families. It is not fair if a negligent party provoked the accident.
It is true that New York is a no-fault state and that anyone who is hurt in a motor vehicle accident can obtain compensation to pay for medical bills using their personal injury protection (PIP). However, it is usually lower than needed when multiple serious injuries affect the victim.
Damages Available To Recover From My Eye Injury
A person who suffered serious injuries has the right to obtain compensation for economic and non-economic damages. The economic damages include:
- Medical attention
- Medical treatment
- Loss of wages
Non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of independence
- Loss of future earning capacity
Eye injuries can result in long-term disability, there is a lot of pain and suffering in the healing process, and it cannot be guaranteed that they will be able to get their sight as good as it was before the car accident. You need a car accident injury lawyer to fight for your rights for compensation for these terrible eye injuries.
Who Is Responsible for My Eye Injuries?
The comparative negligence law that is applied in New York makes the list of people who may be found liable for an accident even larger. When you sustain serious injuries, your expenses go beyond the PIP coverage. You are entitled to seek compensation to cover those bills.
The people who may be found liable for your injuries can be:
- The other driver
- Any other negligence driver
- Property owners
- Pedestrians
- Bicycle drivers
- Manufacturer of defective products
- Among others.
Every case is different, and there may be more than one negligent party that may be liable. A car accident lawyer will be helpful if you want to receive fair compensation to pay for every loss you are dealing with.
Eye Injury Cases That Set A Precedent
Multiple cases as a result of eye injuries have been setting precedents that victims can receive fair compensation for their losses. We understand that an eye injury can be sustained in many ways, and of course, car accidents are one of the top causes. Let’s explore some past cases where eye-injured victims receive justice.
Miguel Beato received a $3.5 million award after a violent act by a gang that intercepted him when he was walking to his apartment complex at 35-46 65th Street in the Woodside section of Queens, New York.
Robert Doviak, a construction worker, became completely blind and had other health conditions after a construction site accident where he fell from a 22-foot-high roof. The total compensation amount after over a decade of fighting, the victim received over $9.3 million dollars.
Car Accident Lawyer In New York
A debilitating condition in a victim's eyes can depress that person, causing multiple expenses that will need to be paid for the accommodation of their home, doctor appointments, and not only the money but the loss of a valuable sense, which is the sight, letting that person to live their life in an uncomfortable way. All because a negligent person was not following the rules.
The Ward Law Group P.L. knows the pain and suffering you are going through; our car accident lawyers are here to support, guide, fight, and bring justice to you and your family. A FREE consultation of your case is available for you now; you can either contact us over here online or you can call directly to our line 855-DOLOR-55, and one of our experienced attorneys will help you.
Jany Martinez Ward
Partner
Jany Martínez-Ward is a Founding and Managing Partner of The Ward Law Group, PL, a Florida law firm representing victims of car accidents. She focuses her practice on providing legal representation to Hispanic clients that have become injured in a car accident as a result of the negligence of others. In 2018, The National Trial Lawyers Association recognized Jany as one of the top attorneys in the state and among the top 40 under 40 attorneys.
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