Loss of Sight Claims: Eye Injuries and Sight Loss in the UK
A loss of sight claim is a personal injury claim for partial or total loss of vision in one or both eyes caused by someone else's negligence, such as an eye injury at work where eye protection wasn't provided, a road accident or an assault, and it must normally be started within three years of the injury or of when you first knew the sight loss was linked to it. National Accident Support Line looks at what happened, tells you whether there is a claim, and refers it to a specialist serious injury solicitor.
Eye injuries don't always do their damage on the day. A splash of chemical or a fleck of metal can be treated in eye casualty and seem to settle, then a cataract, a detached retina or raised pressure in the eye shows up weeks or months later. People also lose sight after a head injury, where the eye itself looks fine but the optic nerve or the part of the brain that processes vision has been damaged. Losing the sight of one eye affects depth perception, driving, work and confidence on stairs and kerbs, and it takes time to adapt.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
How people lose their sight, and who the claim is against
| How it happened | Who the claim is usually against |
|---|---|
| Chemical splash, flying metal, wood or glass at work | Your employer, through its employers' liability insurer |
| Hit by something at work with no eye protection provided | Your employer |
| Glass, an airbag or a head injury in a road accident | The at-fault driver's insurer |
| Hit in the eye by falling stock in a shop, or by an overhanging branch in a public place | The person or business responsible for the place |
| Injured in a violent crime | The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), whether or not the attacker was caught |
| A defective product, such as a tool that shattered | The manufacturer or supplier, or your employer if it supplied it for work |
Work is where many eye injuries happen. Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, an employer must provide suitable eye protection free of charge wherever there is a risk to the eyes that can't be controlled another way, make sure it is properly used, and train people in how to use it. Since April 2022 that duty covers workers on casual and zero-hours arrangements as well as employees. Grinding, cutting, drilling, chiselling, working with chemicals, and anything that throws off dust or fragments all call for it. An injury at work that is likely to cause permanent loss or reduction of sight is a specified injury your employer must report to the HSE under RIDDOR.
Sight lost through medical treatment, such as a missed diagnosis or an eye operation that went wrong, is a clinical negligence claim, which runs differently from an accident claim. Tell us what happened and we'll say whether it's one we can refer.
What a loss of sight claim covers
A claim covers the injury itself and how it changes your life: the loss of vision, pain, any scarring or disfigurement, and the effect on your confidence and independence. It also covers what the sight loss costs you: lost earnings now and in future if you can't do the same job, retraining, travel to appointments, care and help at home from family, mobility training, adaptations to your home, low-vision aids, and private treatment where it would help. Sight loss in one eye is assessed differently from loss in both, and partial loss differently from total loss, so medical evidence from an eye specialist is the centre of every claim.
Losing sight can also affect your driving. To drive a car or ride a motorbike you must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres, have visual acuity of at least 6/12 with both eyes or the one eye you can see with, and have an adequate field of vision. If you lose the sight of one eye but still meet that standard, you don't have to tell the DVLA, though doctors usually advise waiting until you've adapted before driving again. Bus and lorry licence holders must tell the DVLA if they have sight in one eye only. Where losing your licence, or a driving job, costs you income, that loss is part of the claim.
If your sight loss is serious enough to be certified by a consultant ophthalmologist as sight impaired or severely sight impaired, you count as disabled under the Equality Act 2010, which gives you rights at work, including reasonable adjustments. Access to Work grants can pay for equipment and support so you can keep working, and they sit alongside a claim rather than replacing it.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
The situations people describe to us
"My sight got worse months after the accident"
That is common with eye injuries, and the law allows for it. The three-year time limit runs from the date of the injury or, if later, from the date you first knew the injury was significant and linked to what happened. Don't let that make you wait, though: the sooner the eye specialist's records are gathered, the easier it is to connect the later damage to the original injury.
"I wasn't wearing goggles at the time"
Ask first whether goggles were provided, whether they were suitable and fitted properly, and whether anyone made sure they were used. If not, the employer is usually responsible. Workers do have a duty to use eye protection they're given, so if suitable goggles were provided and you chose not to wear them, the claim can be reduced by your share of the blame. It isn't usually refused outright.
"I was attacked and the person was never caught"
A claim can be made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority even if the person who attacked you was never caught. The time limit for that scheme is shorter, usually two years from the incident, and the assault normally needs to have been reported to the police.
"I've been told I can't drive for now"
Tell us. Being off the road, even for a while, can cost you work and independence, and both are part of what the claim covers. If you hold a bus or lorry licence, sight in one eye only usually ends that kind of driving work, and the claim reflects it. The solicitor will ask for your eye specialist's advice, any DVLA letters and your employer's records.
What to do after an eye injury
Get to A&E or an eye casualty unit straight away, even if your sight seems normal, and don't drive yourself there. If a chemical went in your eye, keep rinsing it with water while you wait for help and take the container with you. Keep every appointment letter. At work, make sure the accident goes in the accident book, and photograph the task, the machine and the eye protection that was, or wasn't, available. On the road, take the other driver's details and photos. After an assault, report it to the police and get a crime reference number. Keep a simple diary of what you can and can't see, and how it affects work, driving and daily life; it helps the medical expert and the claim.
How a loss of sight claim works with National Accident Support Line
The first step is a short call. Use the form for a callback within 2 minutes during opening hours, message us on WhatsApp, or ring 0333 212 2730. We ask how the injury happened, what treatment you've had, what your eye specialist has said, and how it's affecting your work and daily life. Where there's a claim, it goes to a specialist solicitor who handles serious injury claims on a no win no fee arrangement. Where there isn't, we say so on that first call. NASL is an FCA-regulated claims management company, not a law firm. If the injury came from a blow to the head, our page on head and brain injury claims explains how those claims run. If you were hurt at work, see claims for accidents in the workplace. Every other type of claim we refer is listed on our personal injury claims service page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim for losing sight in one eye?
Yes. Loss of sight in one eye, whether partial or total, can be claimed for if it was caused by someone else's negligence. The claim reflects the effect on your work, driving and daily life as well as the injury itself.
Can I claim for partial loss of sight?
Yes. Blurred or reduced vision, loss of part of your field of vision, double vision and light sensitivity can all be part of a claim, depending on the medical evidence.
How long do I have to make a loss of sight claim?
Three years from the injury, or from when you first knew the sight loss was linked to it. For a child, three years from their 18th birthday. Claims to the CICA after an assault usually have a two-year limit.
Can I claim if my employer didn't give me eye protection?
Yes. Employers must provide suitable eye protection free of charge where there's a risk to the eyes, and make sure it's used. An eye injury where none was provided is usually the employer's responsibility.
Do I have to tell the DVLA if I lose the sight of one eye?
Not if you drive a car or ride a motorbike and still meet the eyesight standard: reading a number plate from 20 metres, visual acuity of at least 6/12 and an adequate field of vision. Bus and lorry licence holders must tell the DVLA. If it affects your work, tell us, because that is part of the claim.
How long does a loss of sight claim take?
It depends on the injury. Sight can take months to settle, and the claim can't be valued until an eye specialist can say what the long-term position is, so serious claims often take longer than other injury claims.
What does no win no fee mean?
Nothing to pay upfront, and nothing to your solicitor if the claim fails. If it succeeds, the solicitor's success fee comes out of the award. By law it can't be more than 25% of the compensation for your injury and past losses, and it can't touch money for future care or lost earnings, which matters on a sight loss claim. Any insurance premium is on top, and the total is set out in writing before you sign.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
National Accident Support Line Ltd is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activities, registration number 829991.