When you are in a Kansas City, Missouri, auto accident, you may experience severe eye injuries or other injuries to your face. These are some of the most devastating injuries that people experience because they can leave you blind or with severely reduced visual acuity. Then, there is the trauma associated with such injuries, which can be shocking to experience and to witness. They can even result in long-term disfigurement and can change the course of your life. Your eyes are one of the first things that people notice when they look at you, and they are your way to look at the world around you. They are also among the most complex of your body parts and are difficult to repair when injured.
Eye Injuries from a Kansas City, Missouri, Auto Accident Could Harm Your Quality of Life
Eye injuries from a Kansas City, Missouri, auto accident can be severe and can seriously affect your quality of life. You may be blinded or partially blinded, and this could keep you from pursuing your current or future career. It could leave you with vision impairments that impact your ability to drive and even your ability to care for yourself. You may have to relearn how to function with your new disability. Many people are never able to return to work. Others end up with sleep disorders and mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Others are more fortunate and will only need glasses. Still, others will end up losing an eye completely, requiring a prosthetic.
Some Eye Injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, Auto Accidents are Caused by Air Bags
While air bags are an amazing factor in saving lives in auto accidents, by cushioning the head, it is important to understand that they are not soft pillows. Rather, they deploy with an explosive force that can cause a range of facial injuries, including eye injuries. Common among these air bag related eye injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, auto accidents are traumatic cataracts and retinal detachment.
Some Eye Injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, Auto Accidents Are Caused by Traumatic Brain Injuries
Most people don’t realize that traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can cause eye injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, auto accidents. TBIs are a common auto accident injury in which the brain collides with the skull because of a blow to the head or the force of the impact. While blurred vision and feelings of vertigo are frequently seen symptoms, there are cases where blindness results from these injuries.
Some Eye Injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, Auto Accidents Are Caused by Foreign Particles
When you get into an auto accident in Kansas City, Missouri, there’s a good chance that particles and debris are
going to be flying around all over the place. The windshield or windows may break, causing particles of glass to enter the mix. If any of these particles get into your eyes or strike you in the face, then there are multiple eye injuries that could result. In some cases, you will experience pain, irritation, watery eyes, and blurred vision. In other cases, the eye could be lacerated or cut. Then, there are those auto accidents that result in a ruptured globe, also known as a corneal laceration. This is when the eye is actually cut open or where the pressure of the eye causes it to burst open. This is among the most traumatic of auto accident eye injuries, both for the person who experiences it and for those who witness it. It can be a horrifying sight and among the most painful eye injuries as well. Sometimes, these injuries can be treated with surgical procedures. Yet, there are many cases where nothing can be done to save the eye, and you will end up in permanent blindness and a prosthetic or glass eye in place of where the injured eye used to be. This will result in a lifelong disability.
Some Eye Injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, Auto Accidents Are Caused by Orbital Fractures
The part of your skull where your eyes are located is the eye socket, surrounded by an orbital bone. This bone is one of the stronger bones in your body, and it takes a tremendous amount of force to fracture it. Yet, the force of an auto accident can be enough to break the orbital bone. If this happens, then the bone could enter the eye or even the brain. This does not always result in permanent blindness, but in many cases, it does. It usually only results in blindness in one eye if the damage cannot be repaired through surgical treatment or other procedures.
Some Eye Injuries in Kansas City Auto Accidents Are Caused by Eyelid Injuries
The whole point of your eyelids is to protect your eyeballs. If they are damaged in an auto accident, perhaps by glass or other debris, then your eyes are no longer protected. When this happens, plastic surgery is necessary to repair the eyelids, and optical surgery may be needed to correct the damage to your actual eye. In many situations, you can recover from such injuries without blindness, but some people do end up blinded by eyelid injuries that result in eye injuries.
Many Eye Injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, Auto Accidents are Cosmetic in Nature
Perhaps the least traumatic, but still life-altering, of eye injuries in Kansas City, Missouri, auto accidents are those that are cosmetic in nature. This means that the eye is not severely damaged and the person is not blinded, but the appearance of the person is affected. Of course, some more serious eye injuries can also come with the cosmetic damage that affects your appearance. In any event, you may be able to treat cosmetic eye injuries with plastic surgery, though it may not be possible to completely reverse the damage. This could impair your self-confidence and your self-esteem long term.
Fortunately, you can recover compensation for all of these injuries, including the cosmetic damage, the pain and suffering, and the long-term disability that may result. Contact the Kansas City, Missouri, auto accident attorneys at the Krause & Kinsman Law Firm to learn more.
