Accidents which can result in Blindness
There are many different types of accidents in which a person can be injured which results in partial loss of sight or complete blindness. Some of the most common can be found below:

• Assaults or attacks
• Bright lights
• Chemicals
• Electric shock
• Grit or other particles
• Head trauma
• Sharp objects
• Sun beds
• Air bag defects

Assaults or attacks
Violent crime can result in loss of sight or blindness if there is any sort of trauma caused to the head or face. Injuries to eyes can be caused during assaults or attacks when a victim is being struck by another person or object or as they fall.

Bright lights
Bright lights can cause damage to the eyes and either temporary or permanent blindness.  Particularly at risk are workers such as welders who should be provided with safety wear to protect them.  Other dangerous bright lights could come from an explosion, lasers, searchlights or defective electrical objects.

Chemicals
If chemicals come into contact with your eyes they can cause burns resulting in loss of sight or blindness.  This can be due to splashes and spillages.  If you work with chemicals at work you should have been provided with training and safety equipment to use by your employer.

Electric shock
It is not unusual for electric shocks to result in blindness either as a result of the shock itself or as a result of the eye being exposed to a sudden bright flash of light.  You could be the victim of an electric shock at work, at home or in a public place such as a hotel whilst on holiday.

Grit or other particles
Our eyes are designed in such a way that they are protected to some degree from grit and particles getting into them. Our eyelashes and the fact that our eyeballs are set inside protective sockets goes some way to protecting the eyeball but it is still possible for particles of grit or other substances to get in there and damage the eyeball causing loss of sight or blindness.  This can happen at work for example whilst using machinery, particularly if appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as goggles has not been provided.

Head trauma
An impact to the head or face or any type of head trauma can lead to loss of sight or blindness either directly or through brain injury.
Obviously an impact to the face or head can be caused by any type of accident including a car accident, an accident at work or a slip, trip or fall.

Sharp objects
Sharp objects can cause terrible injuries to eyes resulting in loss of sight or blindness and can be found just about anywhere.  You could come into contact with dangerous sharp objects at work, at home or in a public place such as a supermarket or school.

Sun beds
Exposure to the ultraviolet rays on a sun bed can cause severe corneal burns if the eyes are not protected by goggles. Simply closing the eyelids or placing cotton balls on them is not enough, because ultraviolet radiation can pass through. Burns to the cornea may not appear for several hours after a tanning session.

Air bag defect
When air bags deflate, they do so at high speed and with great force.  An impact to the face, even when properly restrained, can create severe injuries - or even death. Frequently, accident victims are affected numerous facial injuries or damaged eyes that result in long lasting suffering, such as blindness. Whether it is a defective air bag, an air bag that inflated too soon, one that inflated too late, or one that never deflated, victims of car accidents face many challenges.

If you or someone you know has been left partially sighted or blind as a result of an accident which was someone else's fault you may be able to make an accident compensation claim. 

To find out how we may be able to help you on a cost free basis, simply call this number  on 0800 118 5855 or complete our online claim form.