Los Angeles is a city that offers a little bit of everything. Unfortunately, that includes the good and the bad aspects of metropolitan living. Traffic levels and the hustle and bustle of working, learning, sightseeing, and shopping in Los Angeles can quickly expose your family to unexpected dangers.
A crash on a freeway might threaten your health and it could also leave you with a debilitating eye injury. A fall in a public place might send you down face-first to damage the delicate parts of your eye and the bones surrounding it. The effects can range from a black eye to permanent vision loss.
When you or a loved one suffers a frightening eye injury in an accident caused by someone’s negligence, speak with a Los Angeles Eye Injury Lawyer to learn about every benefit available to victims. We offer a free consultation and information session to all victims.
Eye Injury Dangers in Los Angeles Accidents
An average day in Los Angeles presents many potential hazards that can do major damage to an eye and the eye socket.
In traffic accidents, victims can be struck by shattered glass with nothing to protect their eyes from razor-sharp pieces. Victims also risk eye damage as they are thrown into a steering wheel or car seat. The careless drivers who cause devastating accidents must be liable for every cost of recovery for victims.
Stores and other public places also house potential hazards. A slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall on a puddle left on the floor for too long can cause brain trauma that might lead to vision impairment. A harmful chemical could be left out for you to accidentally touch and rub in your eyes. An unsafe work environment is enough to leave your eye vulnerable to damage.
A fall down a rotting set of stairs in a residential setting could also harm your eyes. The property and business owners and employers who leave these hazards sitting out are liable when they don’t clean up or repair hazards in a reasonable amount of time. When you get hurt, you are encouraged to seek full compensation for recovery costs through a Los Angeles eye injury claim.
Eye Injuries Diagnosis and Recovery Costs
Eye injuries often involve a corneal abrasion that leaves a scratch on the surface of the eye. These injuries may take just a week or a little more to heal. Globe ruptures occur when blunt or penetrating trauma disrupts the cornea and sclera (the whites of the eyes). This is an extremely serious injury and some patients lose their eye entirely.
A detached retina affects the eye’s ability to send information to the brain. This can often be corrected through cryosurgery or laser surgery. Los Angeles personal injury victims might also suffer fractures in the bones that surround and protect the eye. If the bones threaten the eye itself, surgery will be necessary.
These types of eye injuries can lead to enormous medical bills, starting with an expensive ambulance ride and a night in the emergency room. Surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars and the physical therapy and medical equipment involved in recovery are also expensive and may be recurring charges for weeks or months.
A Los Angeles Traumatic Injury Lawyer works to make sure eye injury victims receive full support for their bills now and the care they could require in the years to come.
What to Do to Earn the Most Out Of Your Los Angeles Eye Injury Claim
Coming to the negotiating table with as much evidence as possible is the best way to ensure you receive every benefit available in an eye injury insurance settlement.
One way to help your Los Angeles eye injury attorney build a strong case is to gather as much hard evidence as possible on the scene of the accident. If you are feeling up to it, try to collect these details in the moments after your mishap:
- Call 911. Call for an ambulance and get your eye examined by EMTs. Go to the hospital if necessary. After a Los Angeles traffic accident, be sure to cooperate with officers so they can write an accurate collision report.
- Alert business owners, managers, or employers. If you are in a store or in the workplace, alert someone in charge about your eye injury. They will likely be required to write up an incident report. This report will usually strengthen your case.
- Secure photos. After a fall or an injury at work, take photos of the hazard that caused you to slip and fall or otherwise injure your eye. At work, take video of any tool or machine that caused your injury. In a car accident, get evidence of vehicle damage and nearby traffic signs. Take photos of any visible injuries and bloody clothing.
- Talk to witnesses. Get contact information so your Los Angeles Eye Injury Lawyer can reach them later.
- See your doctor. Get your injuries checked out. Follow your doctor’s orders and see an Ophthalmologist if it’s recommended. Save all medical invoices.
- Keep any damaged clothing and personal items. Don’t wash bloody clothing. Don’t throw away evidence like a broken pair of eyeglasses.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Expect After an Eye Injury?
Another way to maximize the eye injury compensation you receive is to make sure every hardship you face is included when you file an accident claim. You should have receipts, pay stubs, and estimates ready to back up every recovery cost you’ve faced and will see.
Your Los Angeles eye injury lawyer will make sure every loss you’ve endured is included on this list of damages:
- Totals on current medical bills.
- Physical therapy to learn how to live with an eye impairment. This might include the cost of medical equipment to allow patients to better live their lives. Talking clocks, vision aids, and braille training may be necessary.
- Permanent physical disability costs estimated over a lifetime. The expense of a prosthetic eye. Modifications to the home and the workplace so patients with a vision impairment can enjoy some freedom, listen to TV, and perform their job duties.
- Travel costs to medical appointments while you are unable to drive.
- The pain and emotional anguish you suffer. Depression and anxiety might follow a difficult recovery or a complete change in lifestyle without sight.
- Loss of enjoyment of life while having to cope with a loss of vision.
- Lost time at work (including the expected future lost income). You may not be able to fulfill your current job duties and training for a new career may be necessary.
Contact a Los Angeles Eye Injury Accident Lawyer
The costs of recovery from eye damage often extend far beyond a visit to the emergency room. Injured personal injury victims should not forfeit the long-term financial support they’ll need by allowing an insurance company to decide how much compensation they should receive.
There’s an easy, no-risk way to determine just what you’ll need in support to treat and manage an eye injury and vision loss. Contact Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
If you feel Maison Law can help you earn the maximum compensation for your eye injury, you won’t need any money upfront. Mr. Gasparian doesn’t get paid unless he wins your case.