When Can You Claim Compensation For Glass In Your Eye?

This is a guide on when you can claim compensation for glass in your eye. We detail the eligibility criteria and the time limit for making a personal injury claim. In addition, we look at what evidence you may need to gather to support your case.

compensation for glass in eye

When Can You Claim Compensation For Glass In Your Eye?

Furthermore, we look at the duty of care owed to you by different third parties and how accidents involving glass in the eye could occur.

We also detail how  compensation is calculated and what a personal injury compensation payout could comprise if your claim succeeds.

Moreover, this guide discusses the benefits of submitting your claim with one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel. 

To find out more about your potential claim, please contact an advisor. You can reach them in the following ways:

Browse Our Guide

  1. When Can You Claim Compensation For Glass In Your Eye?
  2. Calculating The Potential Value Of Eye Injury Compensation
  3. What Evidence Can Help When Claiming Compensation For Glass In Your Eye?
  4. Is There A Time Limit For Starting An Eye Injury Compensation Claim?
  5. Claim For Negligence On A No Win No Fee Basis
  6. Learn More About Personal Injury Claims

When Can You Claim Compensation For Glass In Your Eye?

Glass in your eye could lead to a serious eye injury, greatly affecting your quality of life. You may be able to claim compensation for glass in your eye if you meet the personal injury claims eligibility criteria. This means showing:

  • A third party owed you a duty of care. 
  • The third party breached this duty. 
  • As a result of this breach, you were injured.

The points above form the foundation of negligence in claims for a personal injury. If you can demonstrate negligence occurred, it may be possible for you to make an eye injury claim.

You can find information on the duty of care employers, road users and occupiers owe as well as examples of how glass could get in someone’s eye if this duty isn’t adhered to.

Accidents At Work

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty of care on employers to take practical and reasonable steps to make the workplace and its facilities safe to use.

A failure to do so could lead to an accident at work resulting in an eye injury. For example:

  • In a glass-making warehouse, your employer may have failed to provide you with the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as goggles. As a result, a piece of glass could fly out of one of the machines landing in your eye causing you to sustain an eye injury at work.

Road Traffic Accidents

As a road user, you owe a duty of care to all other road users to reduce the risk of yourself or others sustaining harm or damage on the road. The Road Traffic Act 1988 and The Highway Code contain rules that road users must follow in order to uphold their duty of care.

If there is a failure to do so, it could lead to a road traffic accident and subsequent eye injury. For example:

  • After a head-on collision caused by another driver going the wrong way down a one-way street, your windscreen could smash causing shards of glass to land in your eyes. 

Public Place Accidents

As a member of the public using a public space, a duty of care is owed to you by the occupier of that space. Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, anyone who controls a public space must take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of those using it for it’s intended purpose.

An accident in a public place and a subsequent eye injury could occur in many ways. For example:

  • A glass could shatter in a pub or bar due to it being too warm when it is filled with a cold drink. As a result, shards of glass fly into a customers eye. 

It’s important to note that not all accidents at work, on the road, or in public are caused by a breach of duty. As such, it may not always be possible to seek personal injury compensation.

To discuss your specific case and find out whether you’re eligible to seek compensation for glass in your eye, please contact an advisor on the number above.

Calculating The Potential Value Of Eye Injury Compensation

If your eye injury claim succeeds, the compensation for glass in your eye that you receive can depend on different factors, including severity and the treatment you have needed.

Generally, though, you could receive up to two heads of claim in your payout:

  • General damages: Compensating for the pain and suffering of your injuries.
  • Special damages: Compensating for the financial losses incurred because of your injuries, such as loss of earnings, medical expenses and care costs. Evidence can help prove these losses. This can include receipts, payslips and invoices.

Your medical records and the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) are documents your solicitors can refer to when valuing general damages. The JCG contains guideline award brackets that correspond to different eye injuries at varying levels of severity. You can find some of these in the table below. Please use them as a guide only.

Injuries Table

InjurySeverityCompensation BracketComments
Injuries Affecting SightTotal blindness (b)In the region of
£268,720		Complete loss of sight in both eyes.
Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the remaining eye (c) (i)£95,990 to £179,770The remaining eye has a serious risk of further deterioration beyond sympathetic ophthalmia.
Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the remaining eye (c) (ii)£63,950 to £105,990The remaining eye has reduced vision and other problems, such as double vision.
Total loss of one eye (d)£54,830 to £65,710The award given can depend on the injured person's age and the cosmetic effect.
Complete loss of sight in one eye (e)£49,270 to £54,830Future risk of sympathetic ophthalmia.
Incomplete but serious loss of sight in one eye (f)£23,680 to £39,340No serious risk of lost or reduced vision in the remaining eye.
Permanent but minor vision impairment in one or both eyes (g)£9,110 to £20,980Cases of double vision which might not be constant.
Minor (h)£3,950 to £8,730Injuries causing initial pain with some temporary vision interference.
Transient (i)£2,200 to £3,950Where a complete full recovery is made within a few weeks.

For a free valuation of your potential claim, please contact an advisor on the number above.

What Evidence Can Help When Claiming Compensation For Glass In Your Eye?

Evidence can support your personal injury claim by showing that a third party didn’t uphold the duty of care they owed and that this led to an injury.

As such, you could gather the following:

  • CCTV footage or dash-cam footage.
  • A diary illustrating your physical and mental state from after the accident.
  • Photographs of the incident site and your injury.
  • Witness contact information. 
  • Copies of your medical records.

Our panel of personal injury solicitors can help you begin your claim for compensation for glass in your eye. They can assist you in gathering evidence, sending correspondence on your behalf, and presenting your case in full within the applicable time limit. To find out more about their services, call an advisor on the number above. 

Is There A Time Limit For Starting An Eye Injury Compensation Claim?

Under The Limitation Act 1980, the standard time limit for personal injury claims is 3 years from the incident date. This means you will have three years from this date to initiate legal proceedings. Although, there are a few exceptions to the time limit. 

If the claimant is under 18 years old or lacks the mental capacity to claim, then the time limit will be suspended. The time limit will recommence either on the claimant’s 18th birthday or the date of their recovery once they regain the mental capacity to claim. 

For claimants unable to make a personal injury claim, a litigation friend can act on their behalf if approved by the courts. 

If you require more information about how long you have to claim compensation for glass in your eye, our team of advisors are happy to answer any queries you have.

Claim For Negligence On A No Win No Fee Basis

If your eye injury claim is eligible, you could instruct one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel. 

The type of contract they typically offer is a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under a CFA, you typically won’t pay for the solicitor’s services:

  • Upfront. 
  • During the case. 
  • If you are unsuccessful in your case. 

In this case that you have a successful claim, your solicitor will take a success fee out of your compensation. The success fee is taken as a percentage which has a legal cap to ensure you still receive most of your compensation. 

For more information, you can speak to an advisor from our team. They can answer any questions you might have regarding your potential claim for compensation for glass in your eye. To reach them, you can:

Learn More About Personal Injury Claims

For more beneficial information, you can browse other similar guides we have:

External links you may find beneficial:

We hope this guide on when you can claim compensation for glass in your eye has helped. However, if you require any further guidance, call our team on the number above.

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