Eye damage caused by a negligent optician can be life-changing
When visiting an optician, the last thing you expect is to come away from an appointment or procedure with further damage to your eyes. If you've suffered an eye injury or damage due to an optician's negligence, then we know how frustrating and isolating it can be.
Damage to your eyes can affect your ability to work, drive, carry on with hobbies and sports, as well as holding you back in your day-to-day life. We're here to help you make it right.
You can get in touch with us for free, impartial advice on . We'll be able to let you know whether we think you can make a claim, but we'll never rush or pressure you into starting one.
Types of optician negligence
Optician negligence can be defined as an error, accident or sub-standard care that happened while you were being treated.
Your optician is legally bound and has a duty to provide you with a high standard of treatment. If they've failed in this duty, then you've been put at risk and likely caused your injury as a result.
We've listed some examples of optician negligence below:
- Misdiagnosis leading to incorrect treatment - for example, you may have been given the wrong lenses prescription
- Failure to diagnose an eye problem - this might have caused your eyesight to get worse more quickly, leading to more problems
- Negligent treatment - the treatment you received may have caused the problem to get worse
If your experience isn't mentioned here, then please don't worry - we may still be able to help you. You can get in touch with us to find out whether you could make a claim.
Laser eye surgery errors
Laser eye surgery is becoming more and more popular, and it usually has great results for people who are looking for an alternative to wearing glasses or contact lenses.
But if your optician didn't carry out the procedure properly and safely, then this can damage your eyesight.
For example, incorrect laser eye treatment could cause an astigmatism (causing blurred or distorted vision), or your night-vision can become limited, which can stop you from being able to drive at night.
How compensation can help
When you get in touch with us, we can put you forward to a specialist medical negligence solicitor who will make sure all the effects of your injury are taken into consideration.
If you've received negligent treatment, you may have had to pay for further private treatment to put the problem right - your compensation will cover the costs of this, as well as any medication and adaptations you've had to make because of your injury or eye damage.
Your solicitor will also take any other expenses into account, including:
- The impact on your career
- The costs of time off work due to reduced pay
- Travel and accommodation costs for you and your family
- The effect on your social life, hobbies and sports
- Any other impacts on you and those around you.
Can you make a claim?
If you're feeling unsure whether you can make a claim, we recommend that you get in touch with us on . We'll never rush or pressure you into making a claim: we're simply here to answer your questions, make sure you understand the claims process and to let you know whether we think you can claim.
You usually have three years since you were injured to start your claim, or since you first realised you received negligent treatment.