Eye Injury Compensation Amounts (JC Guidelines)
Eye injuries range from a minor corneal scratch that heals within days to total, permanent blindness — and UK compensation reflects that full spectrum. Courts use the Judicial College Guidelines to set a bracket for each level of severity, based on how much vision is lost, whether the loss is permanent, and how it affects daily life and work. This guide sets out the current brackets from most to least severe, what typically pushes a case up or down within each one, and what else can be claimed alongside general damages.
In this guide
- The Main Brackets
- Common Causes of Eye Injuries
- Factors That Move a Case Up or Down the Bracket
- Special Damages You May Also Be Able to Claim
- Common Questions About Eye Injury Compensation
- Related Guides
- Our Partner's Fees Explained
- Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury
The Main Brackets
Total Loss of Vision in Both Eyes — £268,000+
The most severe bracket, reserved for complete and permanent blindness in both eyes. This reflects not just the loss of sight itself but its total impact on independence, mobility, employment, and every aspect of daily life. Cases at this level almost always involve substantial special damages on top of the general damages figure — for adaptive technology, mobility training, and ongoing support — see our loss of sight compensation guide for the fuller catastrophic-injury framework that applies here.
Total Loss of One Eye — £64,000 to £77,000
Covers cases where one eye is completely and permanently lost or blinded. Where the eye itself has been physically removed (enucleation) — typically leaving a cosmetically obvious injury alongside the sight loss — cases tend to sit at the top of this bracket. Where the eye is retained but sight is completely and permanently lost, without significant cosmetic impact, cases tend to sit toward the lower-to-middle part of the range. Younger claimants, who face a longer lifetime of monocular vision and its associated risks (loss of depth perception, increased vulnerability if the remaining eye is later injured), are generally valued toward the higher end.
Significant Reduction in Vision in One Eye — £25,000 to £200,000+
A wide bracket reflecting a wide range of severity. At the top end, this covers serious and permanent reduction in vision in one eye combined with some reduction in the other — approaching, but short of, total bilateral loss. In the middle, it covers substantial permanent reduction in one eye with double vision (diplopia) or significant risk of sympathetic complications affecting the other eye. At the lower end, it covers permanent but less severe reduction in vision in one eye, without significant double vision or risk to the other eye.
Moderate Permanent Impairment of Vision — £11,000 to £24,000
Covers lasting but less severe vision problems — for example traumatic cataracts requiring surgery, minor permanent reduction in visual acuity, or intermittent double vision that doesn’t amount to constant diplopia. Cases here typically involve at least one corrective procedure and some ongoing monitoring for complications such as elevated eye pressure or delayed-onset glaucoma.
Minor and Transient Eye Injuries — £2,000 to £10,000
Covers injuries with a full recovery — corneal abrasions, foreign body injuries, chemical splashes, or minor blunt trauma that resolve without lasting effect on vision. Cases at the lower end typically involve a recovery of days to a few weeks with no ongoing symptoms; cases at the upper end involve a longer recovery, temporary but significant loss of vision during that period, or a lingering sensitivity or discomfort even after the injury has technically healed.
Common Causes of Eye Injuries
- Workplace incidents — flying debris, chemical splashes, or particles from grinding, cutting, or drilling without adequate eye protection
- Road traffic accidents — airbag deployment, shattered glass, or direct impact trauma
- DIY and gardening accidents — branches, tools, or debris causing direct trauma or foreign body injuries
- Sporting accidents — squash, cricket, and other sports involving fast-moving balls or racquets
- Assaults — direct blows or thrown objects causing blunt or penetrating trauma
- Product defects — faulty tools, fireworks, or aerosols causing chemical or projectile injury
- Clinical negligence — surgical complications during cataract or other eye surgery, or delayed diagnosis of a condition threatening sight
Factors That Move a Case Up or Down the Bracket
- Whether the vision loss is permanent or the injury fully resolves
- Whether one or both eyes are affected — bilateral impairment is valued substantially higher than an equivalent injury to one eye alone
- Age at the time of injury — younger claimants generally attract higher awards given the longer lifetime living with the impairment
- Whether the eye itself was physically lost (enucleation) as opposed to sight loss with the eye retained
- Presence of double vision (diplopia), which is treated as a distinct aggravating factor within several brackets
- Occupational impact — some careers (driving professions, precision trades, roles requiring depth perception) are disproportionately affected by monocular vision or reduced acuity
- Psychological impact — anxiety about further injury to the remaining eye, or adjustment difficulties, can increase the award where properly evidenced
- Number and success of any corrective procedures attempted
Special Damages You May Also Be Able to Claim
- Lost earnings, past and future, particularly where the injury affects a driving-dependent or precision occupation
- Cost of corrective surgery, ongoing ophthalmology treatment, and monitoring for complications
- Prescription glasses, contact lenses, or a prosthetic eye where applicable
- Adaptive technology and mobility aids for more severe vision loss
- Cost of care and assistance during recovery or where the loss is permanent
- Travel costs to ophthalmology appointments and specialist treatment
- Psychological treatment where the injury has caused a diagnosable psychiatric impact
Common Questions About Eye Injury Compensation
I lost an eye in a workplace accident. What is my claim likely to be worth?
Total loss of one eye typically falls within the £64,000 to £77,000 bracket for general damages, with the exact figure depending on whether the eye was physically lost, your age, and the injury’s cosmetic and occupational impact. Special damages — lost earnings, any prosthetic eye, and ongoing care — are added on top and can substantially increase the total claim value.
My vision has recovered but I still have occasional double vision. Does that still count as a serious injury?
Yes. Diplopia (double vision) is treated as a specific aggravating factor within several brackets, even where overall visual acuity has recovered well. Depending on how frequent and disruptive the double vision is, a case can fall anywhere from the moderate permanent impairment bracket up into the significant reduction in vision bracket.
Can I claim if my injury fully healed with no lasting damage?
Yes. Minor and transient eye injuries — a corneal abrasion, foreign body injury, or chemical splash that resolves without lasting effect — still attract compensation, typically in the £2,000 to £10,000 range depending on the severity and duration of symptoms while recovering.
How is compensation different if both eyes are affected rather than one?
Bilateral impairment is valued substantially higher than an equivalent injury affecting only one eye, because the combined effect on independence, mobility, and daily life is far greater than the sum of two single-eye injuries. Where both eyes are permanently and totally affected, general damages start at £268,000 — see our loss of sight compensation guide for how these more severe cases are handled.
Does an eye injury affect my ability to drive, and is that compensated separately?
Vision loss can affect your legal ability to hold a driving licence, particularly where it affects visual field or acuity below the DVLA’s minimum standards. This isn’t a separate head of general damages, but it is a relevant factor in valuing lost earnings where your occupation depends on driving, and can be raised as part of your special damages claim.
Related Guides
Compensation by Injury Type | UK Payout Amounts
Loss of Sight Compensation Claims
How Much Compensation for Personal Injury? (JC Guidelines)
Personal Injury Compensation Calculators
Head Injury Compensation Amounts
Personal Injury Claims — UK No Win No Fee
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