Eye injuries aren’t usually the first thing people associate with car wrecks — but they’re actually quite common.
Sometimes an eye injury results from blunt force trauma related to concussions. Drivers with any kind of traumatic brain injury may experience visual impairments. Some of those will heal, while some will actually deteriorate, ultimately causing permanent blindness.
Here are other common eye problems after car wrecks:
Vitreous hemorrhages
The vitreous humor is a jelly-like substance inside your eye. Blood can seep into it if you suffer blunt force trauma that results in your eye’s blood vessels bursting. Your vision may be affected when blood and vitreous humor intermix. Fortunately, this condition can generally be addressed and reversed with quick medical attention.
Detached retina
Your retina lies along the rear portion of your eye and helps transmit images that you see to your brain. There’s a strong possibility for your retina to either become loose or detached in a blunt force trauma incident. If left untreated, it can result in permanent blindness. That’s why it’s critical that you have your doctor repair it as soon as possible after such an injury occurs.
Optic nerve damage
A buildup of pressure in your skull following a traumatic brain injury can damage your optic nerve, which is critical in transmitting images from your eyes to your brain. This injury often initially results in blurry vision.
How often do eye injuries result from car accidents?
A study published in 2020 showed that eye injuries and head injuries coincided in 1,901 of 84,627 cases. T/he data shows that at least 28.5% of those incidents resulted from a car crash.
If you suffered eye injuries in a wreck, find out more about your right to hold the other party liable for your losses.
