Car Accidents and Eye Injuries

If you have sustained an eye injury in a car accident, seek the help of a St. Louis car accident attorney to receive compensation.

Exam by an ophthamologist.

The eyes are considered one of the most important body organs as they help us in all aspects of our day to day lives. When you are involved in a car accident, you are quite susceptible to receive an eye injury. Eye injuries can be caused by shattered glass entering the eye, or by the impact of the head on the dashboard or steering wheel. An eye injury should always be taken seriously and immediate medical help should be sought.

Types of Eye Injuries

• Orbital Blowout Fracture - a fracture of the bones surrounding the eye and occurs when the face hits the dashboard.
• Eyelid Injuries - the most common form is eyelid lacerations which occur when a blunt object hits the eyelid causing deep cuts. Other eyelid injuries are black eyes in which the tissue around the eye fills up with blood following a trauma. A black eye generally heals by itself with a cold compress and pain relievers, whereas lacerations generally require plastic surgery for repair.
• Optic Nerve Injury - also called traumatic optic neuropathy and the symptom is a decrease or complete loss of vision. Severity of optic nerve injury determines whether the condition can be cured by surgery or not. 
• Retinal Tear - a condition in which the retina separates from the underlying tissue inside the eye. The most common symptom of retinal tear is flashing lights and floaters in the vision. 
• Eye Haemorrhage - a haemorrhage occurs mainly due to an impact of the head with a blunt object, causing bleeding in the anterior chamber of the eye, for example, the region between the iris and the cornea. The symptoms are blurred vision and pain in the affected eye.
• Ruptured Globe Injury - the outer membranes of the eye are affected by the trauma, thus causing severe pain, vision loss, and fluid leakage from the affected eye. Other symptoms include facial pain and swelling, double vision, redness, and abnormal pupils. 

Medical Treatment for Eye Injuries

In case you have sustained an eye injury in a car accident, you must seek immediate medical attention, especially from an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist will be able to inspect the eye to establish the type of injury and suggest a suitable course of treatment. A timely detection of an eye injury and correct surgery and treatment can prevent permanent vision loss.

If the accident has been caused by a negligent driver, you may seek advice of a St. Louis car accident lawyer to file for compensation for the injuries sustained. Call The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. at (314) 361-4242.

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