Car Accidents Can Result in Serious Eye Injuries
A car accident can happen anywhere in South Carolina, leaving drivers and passengers with a wide range of injuries. Some victims are left with eye injuries. These can impact people’s lives in many ways, as we rely on our eyesight daily. People who suffer eye injuries need medical treatment and may suffer temporary or permanent vision problems.
During a crash, a person may suffer:
Injuries caused by airbags
In a collision, airbags are deployed using nitrogen gas and other chemicals. While airbags can help prevent serious injuries, they are deployed with such great force that they can cause damage to the face and eyes. As a result, victims can suffer injuries such as traumatic cataracts, corneal abrasion, and retinal damage.
TBI-related injuries
Victims can strike their head against the windshield, steering wheel, or dashboard during a crash. The force of impact can also shake their heads backward and forward at great speed. In each scenario, victims can be left with a concussion or another type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition, many people who suffer from a TBI have problems with their vision. These problems include blurred vision, vertigo, binocular dysfunction, spatial perceptual deficits, loss of visual acuity, and field loss.
Lacerations
During a crash, many different particles fly through the car. These include broken glass from the windshield, dirt and gravel lying on the floormats, loose change, and other objects. These particles can strike the eye at great speed, causing painful lacerations and abrasions to the cornea.
Globe rupture
An accident can result in severe damage to the structure of the eye itself and cause an injury referred to as a globe rupture. A globe rupture can affect many parts of the eye – including the sclera, cornea, pupil, iris, and eye socket. Victims can also suffer a subconjunctival hemorrhage, bleeding within the eye.
Orbital fracture
The eyes are surrounded by thick bones that provide protection. While these bones are strong, they can be fractured in a severe car accident. An orbital fracture can be very painful and impact vision if pieces of bone penetrate the eye.
Trauma to the eyelid
Eyelids provide very important functions. They protect the eyes and help spread tears across the eye for cleaning and lubrication. Lacerations and trauma to the eyelid may require surgery.
Cosmetic injuries
An accident can leave people with disfiguring injuries that impact their lives in many ways. For instance, they may suffer a loss of self-esteem, and their injury can affect their social interactions and other activities.
Talk to a car accident attorney about your eye injury.
Negligent drivers often cause car accidents. For example, a driver may have been speeding, going through a red light, texting behind the wheel, or driving under the influence when they caused your crash. But negligent drivers often refuse to accept responsibility for the damage they cause. Meanwhile, you are left wondering how to pay for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.
The experienced car accident lawyers at Twenge + Twombley can fight for your rights. We’ve helped the injured in Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head, and surrounding areas in South Carolina get the compensation they deserve. We investigate accidents to build strong cases that hold negligent drivers accountable.
If you’ve been injured, contact us to schedule a free consultation.