Are You Suffering Blindness Caused By a Car Accident?

In a car accident, accident victims can often suffer from whiplash or concussions, which can lead to blurred vision or double vision. The eye problems that lead to blurred vision and double vision may not cause permanent vision loss or permanent blindness, but they can still cause issues following an auto accident.

However, when permanent damage results in blindness caused by car accident injuries, the car accident victim’s life is changed forever.

Nobody can plan how an accident is going to impact one’s life. Serious eye injuries resulting in the loss of vision can come from many different common car accidents, including one in which the eyes suffer a direct hit, such as a stabbing, or if the eyes are burned with heat or chemicals, causing impairment from serious injury.

Sudden blindness can lead to a host of challenges in your life. Independent people won’t be able to drive and might not be able to do much on their own, especially at first, due to vision problems. Here are some points you should know about sudden vision loss:

Causes of Blindness in an Auto Accident

There can be many reasons for loss of vision from an auto accident. Injury to the optic nerve, retina, cornea and more can cause blindness. Head injury or blunt trauma from a motor vehicle accident can also cause retinal detachment (where blood vessels are damaged connecting to the back of the eye), whether it’s the sudden stopping of motion or being struck by the vehicle’s airbag deployment during the auto accident. Vitreous hemorrhage is another possible issue, where the eye can hemorrhage into the thin layer of tissue between the retina and lens of the eye.

Floaters and flashes of light are symptoms of an issue, possible optic nerve damage, or retinal detachment. Large pieces of debris in the eye can lead to corneal abrasion or lacerations and require immediate medical treatment. In many cases, fast and prompt medical attention is required to have a chance to prevent permanent blindness (if that is possible after the car accident).

Injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or blunt trauma like an orbital fracture around the eye socket can be part of the problem and cause sudden blindness. Bright lights from headlights or high-powered LED lights can cause complete blindness or blurred vision and cause a car crash in the first place if they are not properly aligned and placed.

Be Prepared to Mourn the Loss

Your vision was a huge part of your life before the accident. There isn’t any doubt that your life will change dramatically now and over time now that you are suddenly blind. You are likely to go through all the stages of mourning, from feeling sorry for yourself to being angry and finally accepting what is going on with your life. Automobile accident victims should be ready to address these issues to have the best quality of life after losing visual acuity or complete blindness.

Learn Your Options

One of the most important things you can do is learn your prognosis. There are times when an eye injury is much worse when it first occurs. In some, but not all, cases, the victim of the accident might eventually regain some sight or visual acuity. This isn’t guaranteed. Your eye doctor will be a valuable resource for information.

Working with a personal injury lawyer can help explore your injury claim options. Call the car accident lawyers at Townsend Law, LLC now for a free case evaluation.

Find Ways to Function 

Finding ways to do the things you want to do in life can be challenging. If you are entirely blind, you will probably have to listen to special programs to read the information on websites. These programs, known as adaptive programs, can have many other functions. You might find programs to help you do all sorts of things.

Learning to walk with a sight cane and taking lessons in reading braille may also help as you venture out into the world. Your other senses could become even stronger, so you will learn how to rely on them more as time goes on.

In some cases, a person who suffers from sudden blindness is one’s own worst enemy. You don’t want to limit your life unnecessarily. Be willing to actively seek help that will allow you to enjoy a full and meaningful life despite being visually impaired now.

Do You Need to Contact a Personal Injury Attorney?

Considering whether or not to contact a personal injury attorney can be a vital step in finding peace in these situations. Accident victims are often completely unaware of their rights or options and face the insurance companies and mountains of medical bills alone. You don’t need to fight this alone!

Our personal injury law firm has been serving accident victims in the Kansas City metro for over a decade. We offer a free consultation where we can review your personal injury case and provide legal advice on how to proceed. We strive to have solid attorney-client relationships with all those clients who work with our law offices.

If you have been in an automobile accident and are suffering vision problems, complete blindness, or any other serious injury, then please call our law offices today to schedule your free consultation. Call our toll-free phone number at: 833-869-6529