Blindness is a life changing injury. Every aspect of your life is turned upside down, including your home life, career, relationships with friends and family and your emotional well-being. While certain diseases can lead to a loss of sight, a traumatic injury can be a cause as well. For example, an automobile accident, bicycle accident or a motorcycle accident where you suffer a head injury can ultimately cause you to lose your sight. Accidents at work where you fall, are hit in the head or are exposed to dangerous chemicals can also lead to blindness. In most cases where a loss of sight was caused by an accident, the accident was caused by negligence and was avoidable. If you believe that your blindness was the result of the negligence of another person, contact an experienced Bronx personal injury attorney who will review the facts of your case and work aggressively to ensure that you receive the compensation to which you are entitled.
Common causes of blindnessWhile blindness can be unavoidable and caused by a congenital condition or illness, blindness is also often very preventable. In such cases it was caused because someone was careless. Examples of avoidable causes of blindness include an assault to the head, face or eye; other types of head trauma; bright lights; chemical splash in an eye, particles in an eye; and sharp objects puncturing an eye.
Medical malpracticeA medical mistake can result in a patient losing his or her eyesight. If this happens, then the medical professional responsible would have committed medical malpractice. For example, a catastrophic vision loss injury may be the result of a botched eye operation or by complications arising out of treatment, or due to medical issues associated with an entirely different part of a patient's body. In addition, if the loss of vision was the result of a medical professional failing to diagnose a condition, then that doctor's misdiagnosis would amount to medical malpractice.
Pursuing compensation for a loss of sight injurySudden, traumatic blindness is a devastating reality to face. It is unfair—particularly when it caused because another person was careless. New York law agrees that when a victim is injured due to the careless actions of another person, the victim should not have to bear the brunt of the financial burden caused by the accident. Thus, victims have the right to demand that the negligent party pay for:
If you demand compensation and the negligent party refuses to pay, you can file a personal injury lawsuit in order to get a court order requiring the negligent party to pay.
If you lost your vision in an accident at work, you may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits.
Contact the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & AssociatesIf you or a loved one was injured in an accident that left you with a loss of vision, you should contact an experienced attorney who understands the legal issues associated with personal injury cases. The staff at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates is experienced in handling personal injury cases stemming from auto, truck, motorcycle, boat, and construction accidents. Even if you feel that your injury is covered by workers' compensation insurance contact us to ensure that you are receiving the maximum benefits available to you under workers' compensation law, personal injury law, and Social Security disability law. Contact our staff at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.