Eye Injury Compensation Calculator
Estimate the band your claim could fall into – from a minor injury to loss of sight
Last updated: July 2026
How much compensation for an eye injury in the UK?
Eye injury compensation in England and Wales is driven by one question above all others: how much sight did you lose, and is it coming back? A splash of chemicals that heals within weeks sits at the bottom of the scale, in the low thousands. A permanent loss of sight in one eye is a substantial five-figure award. Total blindness attracts one of the largest awards in the whole of personal injury law – a sum in the low-to-mid six figures for the injury alone, before a penny of lost earnings is added. Courts anchor these amounts to the Judicial College Guidelines (17th edition), the reference book judges and solicitors use to value pain, suffering and loss of amenity. The calculator above uses those published ranges, rounded, and adds your own financial losses on top to give a realistic overall estimate. It is a planning tool, not a valuation: only a solicitor with your medical records can tell you what your specific claim is worth.
The two parts of every eye injury claim
Every claim is built from two components, and it pays to understand both before you speak to anyone about settlement:
- General damages compensate the injury itself – the pain, the fear, and the loss of things you can no longer do (driving at night, playing sport, reading comfortably). These are set by matching your medical evidence against the Judicial College bands shown in the table below.
- Special damages repay what the injury has actually cost you: lost wages and overtime, private treatment, prescription charges, travel to appointments, prescription glasses or a prosthetic eye, and the value of care from family members. In serious sight-loss cases – where someone can no longer do their job – special damages for future lost earnings often exceed the general damages several times over.
Eye injury compensation bands (estimates)
These are indicative ranges based on the Judicial College Guidelines, 17th edition. They are estimates for guidance – the precise figure in any case depends on age, prognosis, psychological impact and the risk of future deterioration.
| Injury | Typical range (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Transient eye injury, full recovery in a few weeks | £2,700 – £4,800 |
| Minor injury (smoke, splashes, being struck) with temporary vision problems | £4,800 – £10,700 |
| Minor but permanent impairment of vision, one or both eyes | £10,700 – £24,700 |
| Serious but incomplete loss of vision in one eye | £28,900 – £48,000 |
| Complete loss of sight in one eye | £60,100 – £66,900 |
| Total loss of one eye (removal) | £66,900 – £80,200 |
| Loss of sight in one eye, reduced vision in the remaining eye | £78,000 – £219,000 |
| Total blindness | In the region of £327,900 |
Where sight loss in one eye carries a serious risk of deterioration in the remaining eye, awards move towards the top of the range. Cosmetic damage (a noticeably scarred or artificial eye) also pushes awards up.
Worked example
Daniel, 34, is grinding metal at work when a fragment strikes his left eye. He had asked for a face shield; the only pair of goggles on site was scratched and missing its strap. Surgery saves the eye but he is left with permanently blurred central vision on that side. His medical expert places the injury in the “serious but incomplete loss of vision in one eye” band – roughly £28,900 to £48,000 as an estimate. He was off work for four months (£9,200 net lost earnings), spent £640 on travel, prescriptions and new glasses, and his partner provided six weeks of daily care valued at £700. His solicitor therefore values the claim at approximately £39,400 to £58,500 before negotiation. Because the employer failed in its duty to provide suitable eye protection, liability is admitted and the case settles without going to court – the outcome in the great majority of eye injury claims.
Eye injuries at work: your employer's PPE duty
Grinding, cutting, welding, handling chemicals, working with compressed air and nail guns – these are all tasks where the risk to eyesight is well known. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (extended in 2022 to cover casual workers as well as employees) require your employer to assess the risk, provide suitable eye protection free of charge, maintain it, and make sure it is actually worn. The Health and Safety Executive treats eye protection as a basic, non-negotiable control. If you were injured doing a job that obviously needed goggles or a visor and none were provided – or the ones provided were scratched, broken or the wrong type – that failure is usually the backbone of a successful claim. Claims are paid by your employer's compulsory liability insurance, not by the business directly, and dismissing or disciplining you for bringing an honest claim would itself be unlawful.
Eye injuries from assaults: the CICA route
Eyes are frequently injured in assaults – glassings, punches and attacks with weapons. You can sue the attacker directly, but most attackers have no money worth pursuing. The practical route is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), a government scheme that pays fixed tariff awards to blameless victims of violent crime. Be aware of three differences: the CICA tariff is generally lower than the court ranges in the table above; you must have reported the crime to the police promptly and cooperated with the investigation; and the deadline is usually two years from the incident, not the three years that applies to negligence claims. Your own criminal record and conduct can also reduce or eliminate a CICA award.
Who can claim, and by when
You can claim if someone else's negligence or breach of duty caused the injury – an employer, another driver, a shop or council, or a product manufacturer. The standard time limit under the Limitation Act 1980 is three years from the accident (or from when you first connected your symptoms to it). Children have three years from their 18th birthday. Claims for people who lack mental capacity have no running clock. Most solicitors take strong eye injury cases on a no win, no fee basis, with a success fee capped at 25% of certain parts of your damages – ask for the percentage in writing before you sign.
Mistakes that shrink eye injury claims
- Not getting eyes examined immediately. Retinal damage and slow-developing cataracts need contemporaneous medical records – a delayed first appointment is the single most common weakness insurers exploit.
- Failing to report the accident. No accident book entry, no RIDDOR report, no police report after an assault – each missing record makes liability harder to prove.
- Throwing away the evidence. Keep the damaged goggles, the product, the chemical container. Photograph the scene before it is cleaned up.
- Accepting the first offer. Insurers routinely open low, especially before the long-term prognosis is clear. An eye that seems to recover can deteriorate; never settle before a specialist ophthalmic report.
- Forgetting future losses. If your trade requires binocular vision (driving, working at height, precision work), future earnings losses may dwarf the injury award – make sure they are claimed.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation will I get for an eye injury in the UK?
It depends almost entirely on how much vision you lost and whether the damage is permanent. Courts in England and Wales use Judicial College Guidelines bands: a minor eye injury with full recovery sits in a low four-figure to low five-figure range, while permanent loss of sight in one eye is a substantial five-figure sum and total blindness attracts one of the highest awards in personal injury law. Lost earnings and care costs are added on top. Every case differs, so treat any figure as an estimate and get advice from a regulated solicitor.
How long do I have to make an eye injury claim?
Usually three years from the date of the accident, or from the date you first knew the injury was linked to someone else's negligence, under the Limitation Act 1980. Children have until their 21st birthday. Claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority after an assault have a shorter two-year window, so act quickly if you were attacked.
What if my employer did not provide safety goggles?
Employers must assess risks to eyesight and provide suitable eye protection free of charge under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations. If you were injured doing a task that clearly needed goggles or a visor and none were provided, enforced or maintained, that is strong evidence of negligence and will normally support a claim against the employer's liability insurance.
Can I claim for an eye injury caused by an assault?
Yes. If the attacker cannot realistically pay damages, you can apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), a government scheme. CICA uses its own fixed tariff, which is generally lower than court awards, requires the crime to have been reported to the police, and must usually be claimed within two years.
What is the difference between general and special damages?
General damages compensate the injury itself – pain, suffering and loss of amenity – and are set using Judicial College Guidelines bands. Special damages repay your actual financial losses: lost earnings, treatment, travel, glasses or prosthetics, and care. Serious sight loss claims are often worth more in special damages than in general damages.
Will I receive the exact amount this calculator shows?
No. The calculator shows indicative ranges based on published Judicial College Guidelines figures. Your actual award depends on medical evidence, your age, your prognosis, any shared blame and negotiation. Use the result to sanity-check offers, then take advice from a solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Sources: general damages ranges are estimates based on the Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages (17th edition); employer eye-protection duties from the Health and Safety Executive – personal protective equipment; assault claims via GOV.UK – claim compensation for a criminal injury. Every case differs – always seek advice from a regulated solicitor.