Nobody can plan how an accident is going to impact one’s life. One particularly traumatic injury that can be very difficult to deal with is sudden blindness. Loss of vision can come from many different car accidents, including one in which the eyes suffer a direct hit, such as a stabbing, or if the eyes are burned with heat or chemicals, causing impairment from serious injury.
Sudden blindness can lead to a host of challenges in your life. People who were independent won’t be able to drive and might not be able to do much on their own, especially at first, due to vision problems. Here are some points you should know about sudden vision loss:
Causes of Blindness in an Auto Accident
There can be many reasons for loss of vision from an auto accident. Injury to the optic nerve, retina, cornea and more can cause blindness. Head injury or blunt trauma from a motor vehicle accident can also cause retinal detachment, whether it’s the sudden stopping of motion or being struck by the vehicle’s airbag deployment during the auto accident.
Injuries such as traumatic brain injury or blunt trauma can be part of the problem, and cause sudden blindness. Bright lights from headlights or high-powered LED lights can cause complete blindness, as well as cause the car crash in the first place if they are not properly aligned and placed.
Be Prepared to Mourn the Loss
Your vision was a huge part of your life before the accident. There isn’t any doubt that your life is going to change dramatically now and over a period of time, now that you are suddenly blind. You are likely to go through all the stages of mourning, from feeling sorry for yourself to be angry, and then, finally accepting what is going on with your life. Automobile accident victims should be ready to address these issues, so you can have the best quality of life after losing visual acuity or complete blindness.
Learn Your Options
One of the most important things that you can do is to learn your prognosis. There are times when an eye injury is much worse when it first occurs. In some, but not all, cases, the victim of the accident might eventually regain some sight or visual acuity. This isn’t guaranteed. Your eye doctor will be a valuable resource for information.
Find Ways to Function
Finding ways to do the things you want to do in life can be challenging. If you are entirely blind, you will probably listen to special programs reading your information on websites. These programs, known as adaptive programs, can have many other functions. You might find programs to help you do all sorts of things.
Learning to walk with a sight cane and taking lessons in reading braille may also help as you venture out into the world. Your other senses could become even stronger so you will learn how to rely on them more as time goes on.
In some cases, a person who suffers from sudden blindness is one’s own worst enemy. You don’t want to limit your life unnecessarily. Be willing to actively seek help that will allow you to enjoy a full and meaningful life despite being visually impaired now.
Do You Need to Contact a Personal Injury Attorney?
Considering whether or not to contact a personal injury attorney can be a vital step in finding peace in these situations. Accident victims are often completely unaware of their rights or options, and face the insurance companies and mountains of medical bills alone. You don’t need to fight this alone!
Our personal injury law firm has been serving accident victims in the Kansas City metro for over a decade. We offer a free consultation where we can review your personal injury case and provide legal advice on how to proceed. We strive to have solid attorney-client relationships with all those clients who work with our law offices.
If you have been in an automobile accident and are suffering vision problems, complete blindness, or any other serious injury then please make a phone call to our law offices today to schedule your free consultation.