Optician negligence
compensation claims

If an injury from an optician's negligence has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Optician negligence can have serious consequences, potentially compromising your vision and quality of life. If you've experienced an injury or other harm due to an optician's oversight or misdiagnosis, you may be eligible for compensation. This can provide financial support for additional eye care, cover lost income during recovery, and acknowledge the distress and impact on your daily life.

You can make a compensation claim with the help and support of a specialist clinical negligence solicitor.

Introduction

If an optician or optometrist has failed to correctly diagnose an underlying eye injury or illness or has failed to rectify an eye problem properly, and you have sustained further injury as a result, you may be able to claim compensation.

A successful claim will rest on whether the eye specialist has been negligent. Proving negligence can, like other areas of clinical negligence, be complex. Quittance's team of experts will be able to advise on your optician negligence claim, including the likelihood of its success.

Am I eligible for optician negligence compensation?

If you received treatment from a medical professional that fell below the accepted standard of care, and you were harmed as a result, you can claim compensation for optician negligence.

Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Or you can call 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor. Find out in minutes if you have a claim.

How long do I have to make a negligent optician claim?

You usually have 3 years to make an optician negligence claim, from the date you learned you were harmed by the substandard care (the date of knowledge).

For an injured child, the three-year limitation period begins on their 18th birthday, giving them until they are 21 to start a medical negligence claim.

Get an impartial opinion

To get impartial advice on whether you have a claim, speak to an injury claim expert on 0800 376 1001.

A brief phone consultation will tell you exactly where you stand. There is no obligation to start a claim.

How much compensation can I claim?

The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:

• the seriousness of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Special damages

Special damages is compensation for quantifiable financial losses you've incurred as a result of your eye injury. Compensation can include loss of earnings, including potential lost commission, bonuses or promotions, and any additional expenses directly related to your injury.

These damages will also cover any medical or treatment bills, such as corrective treatment and psychological support.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

How long do I have to start a claim?

If your injury is apparent immediately after medical treatment, you will have 3 years to start a claim.

It may be that the negligent procedure happened more than 3 years ago, but your injury was only diagnosed recently, within the last 3 years. If so, you may still be able to make a claim.

What if your injury was diagnosed months or years after treatment?

You may not be immediately aware of your injury. In some cases, months and even years can pass before symptoms appear.

The law allows you to make a medical negligence claim up to three years after the 'date of knowledge' (when you first learned of the injury).

It is recommended that you start a claim as soon as possible, as medical negligence cases can be complex. Starting your claim sooner will give your solicitor more time to gather medical evidence, assess the extent of your injury and to negotiate interim payments and your final compensation amount.

Who can make an optometrist negligence claim?

If your optician fails to provide you with a reasonable standard of care and this has caused you harm, you may have a negligence claim against them.

Types of ophthalmic negligence:

• Misdiagnosis or an eye condition - This may have resulted in the wrong kind of treatment, for example prescribing the incorrect kind of contact lenses or glasses, causing vision to deteriorate faster.
• Failure to notice an eye condition - The condition may have gone untreated and worsened over time, causing further problems.

Mistakes and errors made through optician negligence can cause both physical and psychological harm to patients. Compensation can be claimed for both aspects.

Physical symptoms of optician negligence:

• Headaches and migraines
• Blurred vision
• Dry eyes
• Double vision
• Partial or full loss of eyesight

Psychological symptoms of optometrist negligence:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of confidence
• Quality of life affected

How do I make an optician negligence claim?

Medical negligence claims require a medical examination from an expert, who will determine the extent of your injury and compile a report. This report will then be sent to the other side by your solicitor who will examine the claim before coming to an agreement.

You solicitor will arrange for this examination to be carried out, and the cost will be covered under the No Win, No Fee agreement.

Clinical negligence claims

Optician negligence injuries are usually categorised as clinical negligence. Click on the icon below for more information.

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Injury FAQs

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How we can help you with your medical negligence claim

Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning medical negligence claims.

• FREE
  consultation
• Find out
  if you can claim
• No obligation
  to start a claim

Handled with the utmost professionalism... extremely kind, courteous and empathetic.

The Good Solicitor Guide

£100,000 award for delays in hospital treatment

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Author:
Chris Salmon, Director

About the author

Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Legal Services. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.