Losing one’s sight as a result of an accident or medical negligence/malpractice can be a traumatic experience for the victim and the family. The faculty of sight is essential to live a complete life. If the person worked in a field where vision is crucial, for example, an artist, entertainer, computer specialist, designer, writer, etc then this would mean the loss of career/profession as well. Thus, the person is affected not just physically, but also emotionally and financially as well. If you or a dear one has been blinded by another’s fault or negligence, find a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible, to ensure that those responsible for the accident pay you suitable compensation for this life-altering event.

Causes 

Catastrophic accidents which cause direct injury to the eyes are the primary cause of blindness in accident victims. However, blindness can be caused by traumatic brain injury that affects the brain’s occipital cortex or visual cortex. There are many types of trauma that cause such damage. These include:

• Assaults
• Accidents: motor-cycle/motor-vehicle/bicycle, pedestrian
• Construction accidents
• Defective products
• Dangerous toys and appliances
• Dog bites
• Elder abuse
• Explosions
• Falling debris
• Fires and burns due to chemicals
• Failure to diagnose serious eye conditions
• Failure to monitor conditions that could lead to blindness
• Side-effects of certain medications
• Lasik surgery or cataract surgery mistakes
• Medical negligence/malpractice
• Workplace accidents
• Wrong medications
• Viagra
• Corticosteroids
• Arthritis medications
• Prostate gland medications
• TB medications and antibiotics like ethambutol may damage optic nerve

When you or a loved  one loses vision due to these reasons, you’re entitled to compensation and our free consultation injury lawyers can provide a swift, genuine and comprehensive assessment of your case. Since blindness causes a permanent disability, you need the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer who has specialized in such cases to take your claim forward.

Additionally, blindness may not be the only consequence of the accident or injury. There may be other problems like constant infections, burning/stinging sensation, pain, headaches, dry-eye syndrome, seeing spots and double vision, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder etc. which make the person’s life very difficult, as they need frequent medical attention and care. Our traumatic brain injury lawyers can assist the family with creating a life-care plan to make life less difficult.

Diagnosis

Visual impairment is the obvious sign of blindness. In accidents, the injuries to the head and face area would present as symptoms and signs of blindness. Associated symptoms may be pain, discomfort, discharge from the eyes, etc.

Testing of each eye separately by a qualified ophthalmologist, measuring visual acuity, visual field and peripheral vision are other diagnostic methods. In the case of traumatic brain injury, damage to the visual cortex could cause temporary or permanent loss of vision.

“Legal blindness” though not a medical term is defined in law as the limitations placed on the person’s ability to perform certain activities such as driving, etc. The term is useful when applying for benefits and compensation. Our personal injury lawyers collate the testimony of medical experts and put together a valid claim for compensation from those responsible for the accident/negligence.

Treatment

Surgery and the right medical treatments are essential following the accident. Often, with mild traumatic brain injury, visual disturbances may be ignored by the patient and/or the examining physicians. This could worsen the condition and lead to serious and permanent loss of vision. Our immediate injury lawyers available 24×7 can assist you with getting the right kind of medical advice without delay.

Medication and frequent monitoring are essential to ensure that the condition does not deteriorate further and cause more difficulties for the victim and families.

Rehabilitation 

One of the most important aspects of blindness due to accidents is proper rehabilitation of the person. Depending on the cause of blindness, once the medical emergency has been addressed, the long and probably life-long process of rehabilitation has to be started. The person may be unable to continue working in their earlier profession. They experience anxiety, confusion, depression, psychological problems and find it difficult to re-adjust in the new environment. Extensive re-education and re-training are required. New vocational/occupational skills must be acquired. In many cases, blindness may be accompanied by other forms of disability and the person may require special care-givers. Insurance benefits may be available, but may not sufficiently cover these costs.

Working out a life-care plan for severely disabled people can be done by our personal injury lawyers in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team.

If you, your family or a friend has been injured in an accident, please feel free to speak to one of our injury lawyers for a free consultation about how we are able to assist in making a personal injury claim. We consult in all cities across Ontario with a no win no fee guarantee. Our personal injury lawyers have helped victims secure millions of dollars in personal injury cases. Call us Toll Free On our 24/7 Injury Hotline: 1 – 844 495 7333 or Text a Personal Injury ‎Lawyer 24/7 and get instant help.TM (416 931 5015)