Double Vision Caused by a Workplace Accident

No matter what you do for a living, there are all kinds of dangerous situations you can run into that can cause harm and suffering. This is not something most of us think of as we head in for a day of work, and that’s why a workplace accident can be so difficult to deal with. Accidents at work include slip and falls, burn and electric shock incidents, exposure to chemicals, motor vehicle accidents, and being struck by a falling object. If you work in a fixed worksite, like an office, trip and falls and slip and falls are the leading cause of injury. If you are out on the road for much of the time, there is always the possibility of getting hurt in a car accident.

Many incidents of injury at work result in blunt force trauma to your face or head. A common symptom of head trauma is problems with your vision, like seeing double, also known as diplopia. Diplopia after an accident often goes away after a while, but it’s essential to get examined by an eye doctor right away. In some cases, double vision is a side effect of serious injuries to your eyes or parts of the brain. With these injuries, waiting even a few days can result in blindness and other devastating conditions.

If you suffered an injury associated with diplopia, i.e., double vision from an accident at work, contact our office immediately. Our team of workers’ compensation lawyers will walk you through the legal process and ensure that you receive compensation from a workplace injury claim.

What Causes Diplopia if You have an Accident?

Symptoms like double vision and blurry vision are common occurrences when there is impact to the head from being hit with an object, hitting your head on the ground, or some other accident during your workday. With that in mind, you may be tempted to brush off the injury and not go to the doctor’s, but it’s imperative that you seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you are experiencing diplopia as a direct result of an accident, you may have a serious underlying injury, such as:

• Detached retina – In the back of your eyes is a layer of tissue called the retina, which is responsible for processing light and transmitting images to your brain. When there is trauma to your head or face, the retina can detach from the supporting tissues, which is a medical emergency. If the retina is not reattached within 48 hours, you can end up with permanent vision loss in the affected eye.
• Corneal abrasion – In the front of your eyes is a clear, protective layer known as the cornea. A work-related accident can cause damage to this area, which can lead to all sorts of issue with your vision, including the appearance of double images.
• Damage to the optic nerves –The optic nerves can be damaged when there is a blow to the head that causes pressure to build up inside the skull. This will have an effect on the electrical impulses between your eyes and brain, and this is why you may be experiencing double vision.
• Traumatic brain injury – TBI can happen from hitting your head on a hard surface, being hit with a falling object, or having your move back and forth in a whip-like motion (whiplash). This can cause brain injury along with misalignment of the eyes.

How to Treat Double Vision after a Workplace Accident

Any negative impact on your vision will take a heavy toll on your life, but many cases of diplopia can be treated if you seek help early enough. So, make sure to go the emergency room or see your eye doctor as soon as you notice unusual changes in your vision. Treatments for diplopia may include one or more of the following:

• Exercises to train your eyes and strengthen the muscles, thereby improving your ability to focus on an object and process the image properly
• Covering one eye with an eye patch, which can help those who are having double vision from a lazy or wandering eye
• The use of prism glasses to redirect light into your eyes
• Eye muscle surgery (strabismus surgery) to correct eye misalignment
• Corticosteroid therapy if you have an advanced or acute case of diplopia

Seeking Workers’ Compensation after an Accident

It’s likely that you are eligible for payments through the state’s workers’ compensation program, which you can obtain through your employer. By filing a workers’ comp claim, you can receive medical care related to your injuries and up to two-thirds of your gross wages while you are out of work. However, you must notify your employer that you had an accident within 30 days. In addition, you must seek treatment from a medical provider of their choice for the first 30 days unless you selected a doctor for work-related accidents ahead of time. Once the 30-day period is over, you are allowed to seek treatment at a medical facility of your choice.

We want to point out going to the emergency room before speaking with your employer is perfectly fine in cases of severe injuries or symptoms that are signs of a medical emergency. You can always call your workplace from the hospital or once you are at back at home, but the key is to do inform them as soon as possible. Even though you have 30 days, you will want to initiate a claim as soon as possible to ensure that you can start to receive payments in a timely manner.

As someone who is eligible for workers’ comp or someone with a pending claim, you may have questions of concerns that you would like to discuss with a workplace accident lawyer. Our legal experts are here for you 24/7, so contact us and schedule a free consultation.

Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit for Accidents at Work

You may be wondering, is workers’ compensation the only form of payment I can receive if I got hurt on the job? Or, what if I don’t quality for workers’ comp, but I was injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or misconduct?

In either of these cases, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the party that is responsible for your accident. As an example, you injure yourself from a fall because the chair you were sitting on collapsed. It turns out that a design flaw with the legs of the chair caused it to fall apart, which means that the manufacturer is liable for your injuries. Another example involves car accidents, like a delivery driver being hit by an individual who was intoxicated. Along with a worker’s compensation, you can sue the negligent driver for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.

The costs of treating a brain or eye injury can be overwhelming, so getting the maximum payment you are owed is critical to the recovery process. To see if you are eligible for a third party lawsuit in addition to a claim for workers’ comp, talk to one of our attorneys during a free case evaluation.

How Long Do I have to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim?

From whenever you sustain a work-related injury, you have 1 year to file a claim for WC benefits. It’s best to submit your claim forms within the first week of the accident, but this may not be possible if you have serious injuries that are likely to cause permanent disability. Thus, you are allowed 12 months under California law to file a claim with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance provider.

Depending on the complexity of your accident and the resulting injuries, you may need help from a lawyer with experience in workers’ compensation cases. For example, you and the insurance company may not agree on the severity of your injury and how soon you can return to work, if at all. In these cases, you will need help from a law firm with a proven track record of recovery on behalf of work accident victims.

The employment rights lawyers of Kenmore are standing by to assist you, so call us any time if you need help with a workplace accident injury claim.

What is the Deadline for a Third Party Lawsuit?

If you qualify for a lawsuit against an entity other than your employer, you have 2 years to file a legal action, starting from the date of injury. There is one important exception that applies to government liability claims, which have a deadline of 6 months. So, if you the party responsible for your accident is a city department, county agency, government worker, or some other public entity, you must file a claim within 6 months of when you had the accident.

Hire Us for $0 Out of Pocket

Obtaining the compensation you are legally entitled to can be challenging for many workers who are injured within the scope of employment. Kenmore Law Group has a dedicated team of lawyers who can help you with a workplace accident claim.

By contacting us today, you can receive a free consultation from a workers’ compensation attorney, along with free legal services for the entire duration of your case. Once your settlement is recovered, we will deduct a percentage of it to cover your legal expenses. If we don’t win your case, you owe us $0 under the terms of the Zero Fee Guarantee.

We look forward to hearing from you and fighting for the compensation you deserve if you developed problems with your vision, including diplopia after a workplace accident.