When people get into auto accidents, there is a risk that they will suffer serious injuries of all kinds. Among those injuries are eye injuries, which can occur when someone is hit in the face by the airbag, hits their head on the windshield or comes into contact with other objects.
Whether lacerations or impalements, eye injuries should be considered medical emergencies. Early treatment may help a victim preserve their sight or maintain as much of it as possible.
What are some common crash-related traumatic eye injuries?
There are many kinds of eye injuries that could be suffered in a collision including:
- Getting foreign bodies into the eye, such as metal or glass
- Hyphema, which is when the blood from trauma pools between the cornea and iris
- Traumatic iritis, which may be caused by a blunt blow to the eye
- Corneal abrasions
- Subconjunctival hemorrhages
- Orbital fractures of the eye socket
- Lacerations (cuts) to the eye
These and other injuries are possible if you’re involved in a serious car accident and hit your head or have contact with debris. Some of these injuries may heal, but others could require surgery or leave someone with permanent vision impairment.
What do you need to do if your eyes have been injured in a crash?
If you notice changes in your vision after a collision, you should seek medical attention as soon as you can. Some types of injuries can be treated with medications, while others may require surgery or watchful waiting.
Not all eye injuries involve the eyes themselves. Sometimes, nerve damage or a brain injury may be the reason behind unusual changes in your sight. For that reason, it’s important to go to the hospital and to have a physical exam. Your medical provider may order additional testing, like a magnetic resonance imaging test (MRI) to look at the eyes closely and to determine if you have other injuries that require care.
After you are medically stable, you should look into taking steps to holding the other driver responsible. If their actions led to the collision, then you may be able to seek compensation from them.