Eye Injury Cases We Handle
As a dedicated personal injury law firm, we provide legal representation to individuals suffering from serious injuries. While few people think about the risk of losing their eyesight, the reality is that it does not take much for a fall or collision to lead to blindness.
When pursuing a personal injury case for an injury resulting in blindness, your medical records will be critical evidence in support of your claim for compensation. You need to take your doctor’s advice seriously, and you need to avoid mistakes that could jeopardize your recovery. At Levine Law, we can help you seek professional medical treatment from a qualified specialist, and we will work closely with your doctor to ensure that we have everything we need to pursue your claim. Learn more about what to do after an accident in Denver.
Vision Loss and Blindness
Temporary vision loss and permanent blindness are a common and unfortunate result of more severe eye injuries. They can have a life-changing impact both on the person injured and his or her family.
Vision loss varies widely among people who suffer eye injuries. Some of the more common types of vision loss include:
- Blind spots
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Loss of peripheral vision
- Reduced night vision
- Double vision
- Blindness
Vision loss or blindness may significantly reduce a person’s ability to work and earn an income. It can also limit his or her ability to fully participate in a wide range of daily activities, whether it is driving or caring for kids. Although medical treatment, assistive devices and home improvements can ease the impact of the injury on daily life, they often come at a significant monetary expense.
Fortunately, anyone who suffers an eye injury in Colorado has the right to seek compensation from those responsible. That includes money for doctors’ bills, missed pay, reduction in long-term earning capacity and the cost of various efforts to reduce day-to-day consequences of the injury.
In some cases, additional compensation is available for non-economic damages such as pain, suffering and emotional distress.
Blindness Resulting from Medical Malpractice
In addition to traumatic accidents, many people – far too many – suffer loss of vision due to medical mistakes. We have extensive experience in medical malpractice cases, and we can help you or your loved one seek just compensation for full or partial blindness resulting from medical errors such as:
- Diagnostic errors, including failure to diagnose eye conditions and misdiagnosis of other conditions (such as stroke, infection or diabetes) leading to blindness
- Errors during eye surgery, brain surgery, facial surgery and other surgical procedures
- Medication errors resulting in adverse drug interactions and failure to treat conditions that can lead to blindness
Just like traumatic accident cases, in medical malpractice cases, obtaining prompt diagnosis and treatment from a qualified medical professional is critical. We understand that it can be difficult to trust any doctor after such a traumatic medical mistake, and we are happy to refer you to a trusted specialist.
Auto Accident-Related Eye Injuries
Car crashes are to blame for many eye injuries in Colorado and across the U.S. When collisions happen, eye injuries are most likely to follow from:
- The force of striking a deployed airbag
- Broken and shattered glass
- Sudden changes in velocity
- Collisions with other vehicle occupants
Auto accidents can also raise complicated questions about who is to blame for the crash. Although negligent drivers are often found liable, their employers may also be legally responsible in some cases, as well as defective vehicle manufacturers, shoddy road designers and work crews that leave driving surfaces in a hazardous condition.
Colorado Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Eye Injuries
People who sustain eye injuries in work-related accidents have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits. A Denver eye injury attorney at our firm can help you understand what benefits are available and determine whether you are eligible.
Businesses and other employers in Colorado are generally required to provide workers’ compensation coverage to employees who are injured on the job. This is a form of insurance: employers typically pay into a workers’ compensation plan so that money is available for benefits when needed.
Colorado workers’ compensation benefits primarily come in two types: medical benefits and missed wages. Workers’ compensation will pay for all related medical treatment that is deemed reasonable and necessary. It will also cover a portion of your wages for the time during which you are not able to work.
Eye injuries and blindness often raise questions about whether and when an injured person can return to the job, or any other suitable work. Employers and insurers may also probe whether the injury is job-related or the result of some pre-existing condition. A Denver eye injury attorney at Levine Law will guide you through the process of seeking benefits and fight to get you the full benefits available under the circumstances.