Diplopia – Double Vision Caused by Assault and Battery

Diplopia is the official term for double vision, meaning you are seeing two overlaid images of the same thing. Many people have double vision after a blow to head from a fall accident or car crash. You can also have diplopia if you are physically attacked and sustain an injury to your head. Some people regain normal vision in a few days, but others continue to have problems that must be corrected by a doctor. This is due to the fact that seeing double may be a sign of serious injury to your eyes or parts of the brain. Along with diplopia, you may experience other symptoms, such as:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Droopy eyelids
• Misalignment of the eyes (being cross-eyed or having a lazy eye)
• Bulging eye
• Pain when moving the eyes, or pain in the surrounding areas, like the temples and eyebrows
• Loss of balance

As someone that was physically assaulted, you are likely to have multiple injuries, and not all of these will be obvious right from the start. This is often the case with eye disorders like diplopia, which is why victims ignore the symptoms and do not go to a hospital. Doing so can have a devastating impact on your health, as it can lead to blindness, brain damage, and other permanent health issues.

Did you develop diplopia and other abnormalities with your vision after an assault and battery incident? Perhaps lack of security on someone else’s property led to you being assaulted during a mugging or robbery. People can also be assaulted by overzealous security guards, who put their hands on people or use weapons when less violent means could have been used. No matter who is responsible for your injuries, we are ready to fight for your rights and secure the compensation you deserve.

Injuries that Cause Double Vision

We mentioned before that changes in your vision are not unusual when you sustain trauma to the head or face. Conditions like diplopia may go away within a week, but the problem is unlikely to improve on its own if you have any of the following injuries:

• Damage to the optic nerve –
  Blunt force trauma to the head can cause pressure to build up inside your skull. This can result in the optic nerves being damaged, which create problems in the way your brain and eyes transmit electrical impulses.
• Corneal abrasion – The outermost layer of your eye is the cornea, and this area can be easily damaged when you are hit in the head or your head hits the ground from being dropped or knocked down. Scratches and other injuries to the cornea can result in a distortion of images.
• Detached retina – The layer of tissue in the back of your eye is called the retina. This is the part of your eye that processes visual information, which is why people experience blurry vision, diplopia, appearance of floaters and squiggly lines, and other strange symptoms when the retina detaches from the supporting tissue.
• Traumatic brain injury – Your brain’s visual cortex is a critical component of your ability to see things clearly. When you sustain a head injury during an assault, it may indicate damage to your brain from hitting the inside of your skull. This level of trauma can also cause misalignment of the eyes, which will certainly result in vision problems on its own, or coupled with a brain injury.

Please note that this is not a complete list of the health issues that can cause double vision. Furthermore, immediate medical attention is needed to ensure that the injury doesn’t get worse, which may result in irreversible vision loss and brain damage. Make sure to go the hospital or see your eye doctor right away if you are experiencing double vision or blurry vision after a physical assault.

Suing for Diplopia and Other Forms of Eye Damage

Aside from being hit in the head, there are many other reasons that someone could be suffering from diplopia. This makes it challenging to prove that the issues with your sight are directly linked to the injuries you suffered from assault and battery.

Insurance companies often refuse to acknowledge vision changes that occur after an accident or assault. They try to convince the claimant that they simply need new glasses or contacts. Or, there is preexisting illness or incident that’s responsible for diplopia and other eye abnormalities. These are all manipulation tactics to pressure the victim into a low settlement, which we are well aware of. However, the average person is likely to fall for these tactics, especially when they are physically, emotionally, and financially drained after a traumatic and painful incident.

The assault and battery lawyers of Kenmore are here to protect you and negotiate for the highest possible settlement. Our legal experts have decades of experience in all types of physical assault cases, including excessive force by security guards and assault and battery caused by lack of security measures. We are ready to speak with you during a free, private consultation, so please give us a call.

Statute of Limitations for Assault and Battery Lawsuits

The California Court system imposes strict deadlines for lawsuits against a negligent party, so it’s essential that you file a liability claim within the statute of limitations. For incidents of assault and battery, you generally have 2 years to submit a claim for monetary damages. If you are more than 2 years from the date of the incident, it’s unlikely that the courts will allow you to proceed with a lawsuit. With that in mind, you should contact a law firm that specializes in assault and battery cases and talk to a lawyer who can guide you through the legal process.

Zero Fee Guarantee for Assault Victims

Those who are trying to recover from a physical assault have enough on their minds, and how to pay for a lawyer is the last thing they should have to worry about. Here at Kenmore Law Group, all attorneys work on contingency under a system known as the Zero Fee Guarantee. In essence, the cost of legal fees is billed to the defendant, so you will never be asked to pay out of pocket. If we succeed in recovering your settlement, we get paid at the same time you do. If we fail to win your case, we eat the costs and charge you $0.

Our law firm is here for you 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, so reach out to us any time if you have questions or concerns. We look forward to fighting for your rights and securing maximum payment for your injuries.