Legal Issues for Eye Injuries in the Workplace and Accidents

While Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote in The Little Prince that, “One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes.", it is undeniable that seeing with one’s eyes and having unimpaired vision is an important part of living and working.

Eye injuries however, are surprisingly common. While it can be as simple as getting soap or shampoo in one’s eyes, eye injuries from workplace accidents happen often. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 2,000 US workers suffer from a job-related eye injury every day. More than 100 of these injuries result to days off from work and 1/3 have to be treated in hospitals.

The following are the primary causes of eye injuries:

• Chemical exposure/burns – Chemicals (soap, aerosols, among others) and acids (sulfuric acid from batteries) can sometimes get unwittingly splashed on or even rubbed by your hand into your eye. While some are merely irritants, acid and alkali (from lye and ammonia) can cause severe damage to one’s eyes as these are caustic.
• Corneal abrasions – These are often caused by scratches after employees get “poked” in the eye and often usually by tree branches.
• Lacerations to the eyelids and conjunctiva – These are usually from sharp objects as well as fall accidents.
• Foreign bodies in the eye – Small objects such as metal, wood, or plastic filing may often get into worker’s eyes especially if eyes are unprotected by visors. There are instances when metal foreign bodies can cause stain rust which would require medical treatment.
• Ultraviolet keratitis – Exposure to ultraviolet light from working as welders, in tanning booths or under the sun can cause trauma or sunburn to the eye.

This gives rise to certain legal issues as the eye injury is incurred in the workplace and the worker has certain rights under the law. Employees who get hurt by an event or accident at work or from repeated exposures to chemicals at work should be given worker’s compensation benefits by their employees.

These benefits would include medical care and temporary and permanent disability benefits as the case may be. However, availing of such benefits would waive the employee’s right to sue the employer for further compensation for injuries.

But not all eye injuries are job-related – these may also result from head and facial trauma from motor vehicle accidents. Shards of metal or glass, lacerations, severe hematoma can cause eye injuries. Under such circumstances, legal issues may arise as to civil liability for the person who caused the accident as well as insurance claims.

Suffering an eye injury should not be taken lightly. Sight and vision is important to live a full and pleasurable life. If you suffered an eye injury, whether at work or in an accident, consult with a personal injury attorney to find out if you can receive compensation for any expenses or losses you incurred as a result of the case.

Mesriani Law Group is a full service law firm which specializes in all facets of Personal Injury Law Litigation, including Wrongful Death Claims, Car Accidents, Slip and Fall and Premises Liability Claims, Employment / Labor Law, Disability Law and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims, and Business Law. Each of the attorneys at the Mesriani Law Group has been acknowledged as one of the very best in their field. Whether your case deals with Personal Injury Law, Employment Law, Social Security representation or Corporate/Business law, you can be assured that your case will be handled by an expert who specializes in that form of litigation. It is this diversity that makes us unique. We are not a firm with one specialty, but several. But it is not the accomplishments of its attorneys or its stellar business plan that makes Mesriani Law Group the best law firm in Los Angeles. It is the people working at Mesriani Law Group that truly drive our success. Every employee at Mesriani Law Group is dedicated to delivering the best service possible. Not only that, but Mesriani Law Group prides itself on giving the same level of attention to each and every client, be it a small personal injury matter or a multi-million dollar litigation. Mesriani Law Group is dedicated to giving its clients the very best representation and remains committed to having only the very best attorneys handling their cases.

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