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If you suffer an eye injury in a South Carolina truck crash, the first thing you should do is seek immediate medical treatment. You should also be sure that your accident is reported to local law enforcement as soon as possible. If the truck that hit you is responsible for the wreck, your next step is to contact a truck accident lawyer who can help you begin the process of recovering compensation for your damages: medical bills, property damage, lost income, loss of enjoyment of life, and physical pain and suffering.
This financial recovery process will start with insurance claims against all liable parties. If you’re not offered an adequate settlement, your attorney may file a personal injury lawsuit to seek a fair recovery. Although most truck accident cases are settled out of court, having an attorney who’s willing to sue if necessary gives might provide crucial leverage in your pursuit of a fair damage award.
Truck Crash Eye Injuries
The size and weight differences between a commercial truck and a passenger car or SUV generally mean catastrophic or fatal injuries to the occupants of the smaller vehicle in an accident. If you survive the wreck, you might be left with a serious eye injury causing permanent damage. Common truck accident eye injuries are discussed below.
Scratches and Lacerations of the Eye
A crash with a commercial tractor-trailer can cause glass, dirt, pieces of metal, particles of foam from a deployed airbag, and other debris to fly around inside your car. If any such object finds its way into your eye, it can scratch or cut your cornea, resulting in extreme pain and possible loss of vision. Symptoms of a damaged cornea include:
- Watering eyes
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Stinging or burning pain
- Redness
- A swollen eyelid
If a corneal abrasion is not treated promptly and properly, it can lead to retinal detachment, traumatic cataracts, or a ruptured globe.
Ruptured Globe
Not only corneal abrasion but also direct impact in a truck wreck can rupture your eyeball and cause a subconjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding inside the eye). The bleeding can damage your iris and lead to a partial loss of vision in the worst cases.
Orbital Bone Fracture
The orbital bone that surrounds and protects your eye is thick and strong, but the violent impact of a truck wreck can fracture this bone, causing extreme pain. A cracked orbital bone also creates a risk that sharp bone fragments could pierce the eyeball or the brain, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
TBI Eye Damage
Even if your orbital bone is not fractured, you can easily sustain a traumatic brain injury due to the violent impact of a truck crash. Your head could hit the windshield, dashboard, steering wheel, or another hard surface inside the car (or outside the car if you’re ejected from your vehicle). A significant percentage of TBI sufferers are afflicted by vision problems such as:
- Blurred vision
- Vertigo
- Loss of acuity
- Binocular dysfunction
- Loss of spatial perception
Eyelid Injuries
Your eyelids both protect the eyes and keep them moist. If you suffer lacerations or other damage to your eyelids, you could require very expensive plastic surgery to repair them.
Cosmetic Injuries
A damaged eye can cause facial disfigurement and discomfort or embarrassment in social situations. You might find it difficult to make eye contact with others in circumstances where it’s normally expected. The psychological trauma resulting from a disfiguring eye injury should be part of your claim for damages.
The Need for a Lawyer
An eye injury can require expensive medical treatment and seriously alter your ability to work and function in daily life, so obtaining fair compensation is vital when you’re facing a future with compromised vision or partial or total blindness. The insurer might make you a quick, low offer in hopes you’ll accept it before you’ve even consulted a lawyer or determined what your long-term medical bills might be.
Once you accept a settlement, however, you may never demand more compensation, no matter what future eye problems you might develop as a result of your truck accident, so you should not accept any offer until you’ve consulted a truck crash attorney. Most personal injury lawyers will offer you a first consultation to evaluate your case, so you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by speaking to an attorney as soon as possible after your truck accident eye injury.
Multiple Defendants in a Truck Accident
Unlike a car wreck in which the victim generally demands compensation from one at-fault driver, a truck accident could be caused by more than one party. The truck driver, the trucking company, a manufacturer, a repair service, or cargo loading personnel might bear varying degrees of liability for your truck wreck eye injury. Your lawyer will work to identify all liable parties, determine their respective percentages of fault, file claims with various insurers, negotiate fair settlements, and file more than one lawsuit if reasonable compensation is not offered.
