Miami Blindness/Eye Injury Lawyer

Blindness or Permanent Eye Injury After an Accident in Miami

While blindness itself is not a life-threatening illness, it can affect the way you live even more than other catastrophic injuries. In some cases, existing procedures may help victims of severe eye injuries to regain at least partially their sight. However, direct eye or optic nerve damage may not have favorable outcomes. Eye injuries are an increasing tendency nationwide, as during the past year:

• More than one million people are affected by an eye injury.
• Eye trauma constitutes 7% of all bodily injuries.
• Eye injuries associated with vision impairment and blindness were 8% of all eye trauma cases.

When the accident that led to your or a loved one's sight loss or permanent eye injury happened in the state of Florida or Miami City and was caused by negligence, our local attorney can be of assistance in building a personal injury compensation claim and obtaining the maximum amount of financial recompensation. Having the proper legal guidance can make a huge difference in your journey to recovery from the following types of severe eye injury cases:

• Eye swelling
• Bleeding in the eye
• Scratched cornea or corneal abrasion 
• Foreign objects in the eye
• Iris inflammation
• Bleeding in the front chamber of the eye
• Detached retina
• Penetration injuries
• Thermal or chemical burn injuries
• Orbital bone fracture

Traumatic injuries are outcomes of a sudden and severe force to a part of a person’s body and require immediate medical care and treatment. Traumatic eye injuries can be caused by blunt or penetrating force or even intense heat from accidents such as:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle or bicycle accidents
• Boating accidents
• Slips and falls
• Construction and industrial accidents
• Explosions or fires
• Violence and criminal assault
• Defective products accidents

When traumatic injuries are permanently debilitating, they’re often classified as catastrophic injuries. Blindness, vision loss, or permanent eye injury can be an aftermath of being injured by a doctor or other healthcare provider.

Eye Injury Cases We Handle & Investigate in Florida & Miami

If your or your family member’s traumatic or catastrophic accident resulted in losing eyesight or impaired vision due to someone else’s negligence, and the unfortunate event occurred in Miami or the state of Florida, you can rely on our legal experts to help you through these trying times. Contact us immediately, and we will evaluate your case free of charge. Moreover, our law firm can assist you with the following types of eye injury cases:

• Automobile and motorcycle accidents. Car accidents may cause direct eye injuries during collisions, as the window or windshield can shatter, sending glass shards flying. Shattered glass can cause lacerations or penetrate the eye, leading to temporary or permanent vision loss. Motorcyclists are vulnerable due to their exposure to flying debris or gravel, which can cause eye injuries if they lack protective eyewear. Florida victims can sue the responsible driver or the manufacturer of a failed part that caused the accident.
• Boating and/or fishing accidents. Activities on the water, like recreational or commercial boating, can lead to eye injuries due to debris or spray. Fishing onboard a boat may result in an accident due to equipment like hooks and lines. Eye-injured victims and their families can hold those at fault for the accident responsible for the financial and emotional burden and file compensation claims.
• Slip-and-fall accidents. Unfortunate events like falling or tripping can result in objects hitting the eyes, leading to injury. When someone's negligence or wrongdoing causes eye injury, the individual or company can be held accountable for the damages and be obliged to compensate the victim and family members.
• Medical or surgical errors. When suffering and seeking aid, everyone trusts the doctor with their life or the life of a loved one and doesn’t think of possible injuries because of negligence. However, accidental eye injuries may occur during medical or surgical procedures, and Florida victims can hold doctors or hospitals responsible and claim compensation.
• Defective products. Upon purchasing a product, we expect it to work as it should and to come with adequate usage instructions and warnings if there are risks involved with its operation. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case; malfunctioning or inadequately labeled products can cause eye injuries. For example, a defective airbag can cause temporary or permanent blindness and constitute a liability case.
• Construction accidents: Accidents can injure the eyes on construction sites because of scaffolding falls or collapses, falling debris, being struck by or against an object, or machinery malfunctions. Negligent owners or contractors not obeying OSHA regulations regarding protective eyewear can be sued by Florida victims.
• Chemical burns. While using household chemicals daily, we don’t consider them a threat to our eyesight. However, exposure to these chemicals may lead to eye irritations and even blindness over time if we manage them improperly. In an accident with a commercial truck transporting dangerous substances, we can be victims of a chemical spill resulting in burns or eye irritation. If the accident occurred due to the driver’s or transporter’s negligence, it is a viable cause for personal injury claims.
• Explosions or fires. Catastrophic burn injuries usually occur during residential, workplace, or natural disaster fires. Exposure to intense heat, blast, or light forces can cause immediate and severe eye damage. However, fires often accompany vehicle crashes and gas-leaking accidents on commercial or private property, which may lead to vision loss or blindness.
• Assaults or violent incidents.  Any trauma to the head or brain can cause immediate vision impairment or even total blindness. However, in some cases, blindness or vision loss can result without direct trauma to the eye. A violent incident victim may lose some or all of their eyesight when a traumatic brain injury affects the vision centers. Physical altercations can lead to direct injury to the eyes or their area.

Signs & Symptoms of Eye Injury: Seek Medical Assistance Immediately

While some eye injuries or irritations are only evident when they become severe, permanent injuries can significantly affect your quality of life. If you do not seek medical attention immediately, minor eye injuries or irritations can become permanent damage. If someone else’s negligence caused your injury, you have legal options to recover compensation.

You should consider medical examination after a face or head trauma, especially if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Continuous pain in the eye
• An ongoing scratchy feeling in the eye
• Trouble seeing
• Torn or cut eyelid
• One eye doesn’t move as well as the other
• One eye protrudes from the eye socket farther than the other
• The eye has an unusual pupil size
• The eye has a changed shape
• Blood in the clear part of the eye
• Something in the eye or under the eyelid persists against tears and blinking

Immediate legal action and adequate remuneration can allow you to access high-quality treatment, recover the lost income, and do everything possible to cope with your situation and live your life. If you or a loved one suffered an eye injury or lost eyesight in an accident caused by another person's negligence, contact The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary confidently.

Eye Injuries Affect Survivors & Families in the Long-Term

Victims of accidents who have suffered a severe eye injury often have to endure the emotional and psychological toll of having impaired sight. Those who have lost their vision permanently will have to accept that their way of living and the quality of their life changed forever.

 Severe sight impairment or loss of vision is likely to lead to:

• Anxiety 
• Depression
• Sadness
• Loneliness
• Constant worry and fear
• Social isolation
• Cognitive disorders
• Substanctial economic impact
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Loss of career
• Major lifestyle changes
• Disfigurement
• Changes in personality
• Changes in behavior
• Adjustment disorders
• Increased risk of falls
• Elevated risk of physical injuries
• Deteriorating health due to limited mobility
• Need for long-term care
• Sensitivity deficits 

In most cases, eye injuries, especially those resulting in blindness, cause a chain of events that will affect the lives of the victim and their families. Many victims of traumatic eye injuries don’t even have the benefit of looking the same on the outside as before the accident. Even if they do, they are a completely changed person emotionally, mentally, and socially after losing eyesight. Each such significant change is a loss of identity affecting the victim and the entire family.

Damages You Can Recover If You Have Suffered An Eye Injury

Indemnification for eye injuries can be substantial, primarily if the injury causes long-term or permanent vision loss, affects the ability to work, or significantly alters the quality of life. The amount of compensation varies based on the severity of the injury, its life-altering impact, and the circumstances of the accident. Victims and their family members may be entitled to receive compensation for:

• Medical expenses
• Ongoing or future medical care 
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Pain and suffering 
• Physical distress
• Emotional distress
• Disability or disfigurement
• Rehabilitation costs
• Costs of adaptive technologies needed
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Punitive damages

In the tragic event when the victim dies, a wrongful death lawsuit could also recover:

• Funeral expenses
• Lost companionship
• Medical costs from before the victim’s death