Loss of Sight Lawyer in Riverside
Losing some or all of your eyesight in an accident will dramatically change the course of your life. If someone else was to blame for the accident, you may be entitled to very substantial financial compensation.
At Heiting & Irwin, our Riverside loss of sight attorneys are committed to protecting your legal rights and maximizing the value of your financial recovery. Our law firm is now in our sixth decade of fighting for injured clients. In this time, our personal injury attorneys have recovered over $500 million on behalf of our clients. At the same time that we fight for you, we endeavor to provide attentive customer service that includes direct access to the attorney handling your case.
Heiting & Irwin is located in downtown Riverside, California, a few blocks off the Riverside Freeway. Call us today at (951) 682-6400 to schedule a free initial consultation with a Riverside loss of sight lawyer.
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How Accidents Can Cause a Loss of Sight
The eye and the nerves that support it are extremely sensitive. Damage to any significant part of the eye could cause a loss of vision:
- Cornea: The outer protective layer of the eye
- Retina: Tissue that converts light into signals for the brain
- Optic nerves: The pathway that carries vision from the eye to the brain
- Lens: This focuses images
- Iris: This regulates how much light enters the eye
- Vitreous humor: The gel inside the eye that helps it maintain its shape
Direct trauma to the eye is the most common cause of loss of sight after an accident. There may be a blunt force impact to the eye that results in immediate or progressive vision loss. The eye itself could also, of course, be penetrated by an object, such as broken glass or a flying object from a car accident.
An accident victim may lose their eyesight even if there is no impact to the eye itself. For example, a traumatic brain injury could affect the visual cortex or the optic nerve. One can also suffer a serious eye injury from exposure to toxic substances or thermal burns. There are, unfortunately, many ways to cause damage to the ability to see clearly.
What Is Considered Loss of Sight?
Loss of sight encompasses any situation in which your vision deteriorates or is impaired for any amount of time. There are some eye injuries that can improve over time with surgery, treatment and / or rest, although there are many others that can result in a permanent loss of sight. Even though you may not be completely vision impaired, losing partial sight or the ability to see from one eye is devastating. Any one of these scenarios can lead to very substantial damages because you have suffered very substantial loss.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of an Eye Injury
One may lose sight immediately after the accident due to trauma. Other eye injuries can be progressive, and they can degenerate over time. Symptoms of a possible eye injury include:
- Blurred or double vision
- Flashes or floaters
- Eye pain or swelling
- Sudden loss of vision
- Light sensitivity
It is crucial that you seek immediate medical care if you notice any of these symptoms. Time is crucial when it comes to an eye injury. Early medical intervention may help alleviate the symptoms or restore some of the vision that you have lost. If you wait too long to seek medical care in the face of eye injury symptoms, the insurance company may claim that you failed to do everything in your power to mitigate your damages that could greatly affect the value of the case.
The Long-Term Impact of Loss of Vision
Losing some or all of your eyesight will have a dramatic effect on your life. At the outset, you may be dealing with high medical bills for the care necessary to treat your injury. At the same time, you may also be unable to work to earn the money that you need to both pay the bills and living expenses of you and your family.
Vision loss will also take away the quality of life that you had before your injury. Being unable to see can have real impacts on your mental health and can (and probably will) lead to anxiety and depression.
All of these compound costs associated with your injury. If you can prove that someone else was responsible for the accident affected your vision, they will have the legal responsibility to pay for all of your damages, both economic and non-economic. This means past and future medical expenses, past and future loss of earning capacity and general damages such as pain and suffering.
Obtaining Compensation for Your Loss of Sight
To obtain compensation for your eye injury, one must prove that someone else’s negligence caused your injury. Then, we will demonstrate the scope and extent of your injuries and how they have impacted your life. The severity of your condition must be made clear to seek full compensation for it. Contact a Riverside loss of sight lawyer now to help prepare your case and put you in a position to settle the claim or file a lawsuit.
Contact a Great Riverside Personal Injury Law Firm
Find out whether you may be entitled to compensation and how much you may be able to get for your injuries by speaking with a Riverside loss of sight attorney at Heiting & Irwin. We offer free consultations, and you can schedule one by visiting our website or by calling us today at (951) 682-6400.
