If you’re suffering from an illness or injury that was caused due to surgery, the effects can be devastating. Slater and Gordon’s specialist legal experts can help get the compensation you deserve.
Having an operation on your eyes can be incredibly daunting. Our sight is incredibly important, and suffering from any issues that distort our vision or even cause sight loss can be a worrying and emotional time.
For many people who are required to undergo eye surgery, the procedures are carried out without any issue. However, where mistakes are made, the consequences can be dire, leading to reductions in sight or, at its worst, blindness.
No one should have to deal with the impact of negligent eye treatment, and if you or a loved one has suffered unnecessarily, you could be entitled to make a claim. While compensation cannot undo the damage that has been done, it can help to ease the financial burden of medical negligence, providing funds for additional treatment and adaptations that may be required.
Some of the procedures that result in an eye surgery claim include (but are not limited to):
Cataract, corneal or vitreo-retinal surgery
Eye muscle surgery
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
Glaucoma treatments
Laser eye surgery
You could also be entitled to make a claim for compensation if you were misdiagnosed or suffered due to a delay in diagnosis, or you were given an incorrect prescription. Any of these mistakes mean that you were not provided with the correct treatment at the earliest possible opportunity, resulting in your condition being left to deteriorate unchecked.
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What mistakes constitute eye surgery negligence?
There are a number of different mistakes that could be made before, during and after your eye surgery or treatment. For instance, if a doctor or medical professional misdiagnosed your condition, or there was a delay in your diagnosis, this could constitute negligence in that opportunities were missed to treat your condition quickly, leaving you to suffer avoidable harm.
Other mistakes could include:
A failure to properly inform you of the risks associated with the operation
Prescribing the wrong medication for your injury or illness, leaving the condition to deteriorate unchecked
Damage caused to parts of your eye during the operation, such as the cornea, iris, lens or retina
What are the consequences of eye surgery negligence?
As with any type of surgery, undergoing eye surgery carries with it a certain level of risk. Before your operation, your doctor or surgeon should fully explain the risks to you.
However, if avoidable mistakes are made at any time before, during or after your procedure, you could be exposed to further harm and the impact can be serious. Some of the issues frequently associated with eye surgery negligence include:
A reduction or total loss of sight
An over or under-correction in vision
Ptosis (eyelid drooping)
Damage to the cornea, including scarring, infection, corneal haze (long-term ‘misty’ vision)
Can I make an eye surgery claim?
To make a successful eye surgery claim, you’ll need to be able to prove that there was a breach in the duty of care owed to you by the healthcare staff involved in your treatment, and that this breach directly caused, or significantly worsened, your injury or illness.
When you contact one of our specialist surgical negligence lawyers, they will discuss your case in detail, assessing the circumstances that led to your injuries and the impact they have had on your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. From there, they’ll be able to advise you on whether you have a claim and what the next steps will be.
This will typically involve collecting further evidence to support your claim, including medical records, witness statements, independent medical assessments and financial expenses. This may seem like a lot, but don’t worry, our team will be on hand to support you throughout the process.
I cannot recommend Slater and Gordon enough, throughout the entire period of the case, all the staff have been both very professional, and supportive.
Mr Q (medical negligence client)
I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything Slater and Gordon have done to fight this case for us. I appreciate it has involved a lot of people. Please can you also thank the expert witnesses who have provided their expertise and help.
Mr and Mrs H (medical negligence client)
Kept informed regularly as to how my claim was going, prompt replies to any questions I had, excellent customer service at all times. Excellent service from all staff that have been involved in my claim.
Ms S (medical negligence client)
Experiencing eye surgery negligence can be an incredibly harrowing experience. You’ve suffered because of the negligent actions of a professional you trusted, and living with the consequences can have a huge impact on the daily lives of you and your family.
At Slater and Gordon, our award-winning medical negligence solicitors have many years’ experience in handling these complex cases, working hard to ensure our clients not only achieve the best financial outcome, but that they are also able to access some of the best treatment and rehabilitation available, allowing them to focus on recovery knowing everything is in hand.
Our team are industry leaders and are consistently ranked highly in independent legal directories such as Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. We’re also proud to count trained nurses and medical professionals among our number, providing us with expert knowledge in-house and helping to ensure our clients receive a top-quality service tailored to their needs.
How long do I have to make a claim for eye surgery negligence?
As with any personal injury claim, a claim for eye surgery negligence must be brought within three years of the date the negligence occurred, or the date you first became aware of the injury or illness caused by negligence.
There are some exceptions to this rule; for instance, if you are claiming on behalf of a child or someone who lacks the mental capacity to do so for themselves. It is therefore strongly advised that you reach out to an expert surgical negligence lawyer as soon as possible, as they will be able to advise you of any deadlines that are pertinent to your case.
How long will my eye surgery claim take?
Every case of eye surgery negligence is different, which means it can be difficult to determine how long a case will take to settle. There are various factors that can influence how long the process will be, such as the severity of your injuries and whether or not the ‘other side’ accept liability.
Generally, the more complex the case, the longer it will take to settle. We strongly advise you discuss your individual circumstances with an experienced surgical negligence lawyer in the first instance, who will be able to offer more advice and guidance to ensure your claim is handled as quickly as possible.
Can I make an eye surgery claim on behalf of a loved one?
There are certain circumstances in which you may be able to claim for eye surgery negligence on behalf of a loved one. For example, you may be able to do so if you are claiming for a child under the age of 18, or for someone who lacks the mental capacity to be able to bring a claim themselves.
For more information about claiming compensation on behalf of a loved one, visit our claims guide page here.
Can I make a No Win No Fee eye surgery claim?
The majority of our medical negligence claims are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement, otherwise known as a No Win No Fee agreement. This means if you lose your case, you won't have to pay any fees and therefore, there’s no financial risk to you.
I cannot recommend Slater and Gordon enough, throughout the entire period of the case, all the staff have been both very professional, and supportive. Mr Q (medical negligence client)
I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything Slater and Gordon have done to fight this case for us. I appreciate it has involved a lot of people. Please can you also thank the expert witnesses who have provided their expertise and help. Mr and Mrs H (medical negligence client)
Kept informed regularly as to how my claim was going, prompt replies to any questions I had, excellent customer service at all times. Excellent service from all staff that have been involved in my claim. Ms S (medical negligence client)