Last Updated 12th August 2025. Compensation for a loss of sight in one eye can be a substantial sum. Our vision is one of the most important senses, and the partial loss of it can have significant impacts on day-to-day life. 

In this guide, we’ll examine the case of Mr G (name shortened to ensure confidentiality) and the instances of medical negligence that resulted in a complete loss of sight in one eye. We will also examine how much compensation for a loss of sight in one eye in the UK may be awarded.

At the end of this case study, we’ve included a brief overview of the No Win No Fee contract offered by our dedicated solicitors and how claiming under such an agreement benefited Mr G greatly. 

To find out if you are eligible to begin a claim, or inquire further about the compensation amounts for a loss of sight might be calculated, contact an advisor today via:

• Phone on 0800 073 8804.
• Opening the live chat window in the bottom left-hand corner.
• Completing our “Contact Us” form online.

How Did Mr G Become Partially Sighted?

Mr G’s ordeal started when he started to experience pain in the jaw and temple and intermittent blindness in one eye. This carried on for 2 weeks, over which time he had also lost a lot of weight. Mr G visited his GP and was instructed to tie a scarf around his face while he ate.

A few days later, he telephoned NHS Direct complaining of pain in his temple. He was advised to see his GP two days later. On returning to his GP two days later, he complained that his symptoms had worsened and now he was experiencing a loss of sight and a loss of hearing. He was prescribed ear drops by his GP.

How The Situation Worsened

Unfortunately, things only worsened for Mr G beyond that point. Two weeks later, his symptoms worsened to the point that Mr G was unable to leave his home. Mr G was visited by his doctor, who agreed to write him a letter of referral to St Thomas’s Hospital.

The GP told him that he had to collect the letter from the surgery, despite Mr G making it clear that he was not well enough to collect the letter. He was not able to visit the surgery to collect the letter until nearly 10 days later, when he found to his dismay that the letter had not been written. On returning the next day, Mr G demanded a letter of referral and was immediate. At that point, an urgent referral was made to St Thomas’s Hospital.

Mr G was hospitalised as an inpatient for 6 days and was diagnosed with temporal arteritis. He underwent a temporal artery biopsy and was treated with steroids. Although Mr G’s other symptoms disappeared with treatment, his loss of sight in one eye has never recovered, and he is now partially sighted. As you can imagine, this injury has greatly affected his quality of life.

What Is Temporal Arteritis?

Temporal arteritis is a form of blood vessel inflammation, a form of vasculitis. What happened is that the temporal arteries, arteries located on each side of the head near the temple, became inflamed, causing a headache. The most serious consequence of temporal arteritis that can occur is the loss of sight.

However, if the patient receives the correct treatment for the illness in enough time, they have less than a 1% chance of becoming blind or partially sighted. By then, if Mr G’s treatment hadn’t been delayed by medical misdiagnosis and medical negligence, it is unlikely that he would have suffered a complete loss of sight in one eye.

The Allegation And Compensation Award

Mr G not only suffered a sudden loss of vision, from which he never recovered, but also experienced multiple counts of medical negligence from his doctor, who failed to spot the indicators of sight and hearing loss. The case for medical negligence compensation was settled out of court, and the local NHS trust agreed to a medical negligence compensation settlement of £53,000, following negotiations.

Mr G’s compensation was won using a Conditional Fee Arrangement (CFA), the type of No Win No Fee contract used by our solicitors. For many claimants, CFAs take the worry out of hiring a solicitor to claim medical negligence compensation. That is because clients aren’t charged any solicitor fees to start a claim or move a case forward. These fees aren’t payable at all when claims are lost.

Instead, when a claim is won, our solicitors receive a success fee for their work. It’s taken as a small, legally capped percentage of the compensation and is pre-agreed before a claim gets underway.

If you are interested in finding out more, contact us today. At no extra charge to you, we can match you with a solicitor who has expertise in winning cases for loss of sight and partial sightedness compensation.

What Is The Time Limit For Claiming Compensation For Loss Of Sight In One Eye?

According to the Limitation Act 1980, the time limit to start claiming compensation for a loss of sight in one eye is 3 years. In cases of medical negligence, it often commences on the date of the substandard care. However, time limits may also take effect from the date that someone becomes aware of the negligence.

There are also exceptions where the 3-year time limit is paused:

• Minors: Since children are too young to claim compensation independently, the standard time limit won’t apply until an individual’s 18th birthday.
• Reduced mental capacity: There will be no time limit if someone doesn’t possess sufficient mental capacity to claim on their own. Time limits will only apply if mental capacity returns, effective from the date of recovery.

Both groups can get a claim underway before time limits apply if a litigation friend represents them. This course of action can be beneficial since it may be easier to recollect the version of events with the passage of less time, and evidence might be more complete.

Litigation friends are eligible adults whom the court appoints after confirming competence and the absence of a conflict of interest. They can be:

• Family members
• Friends
• Solicitors
• Professional advocates

Speak to us now for more information on how long you have to make your loss of vision in one eye settlement claim. 

What Evidence Can Support An Eye Injury Claim?

When claiming loss of sight in one eye compensation, you will need to supply evidence. It is important that you can prove the negligent treatment that caused the injuries that you sustained. You can do this by providing some of the following forms of evidence:

• A copy of your medical records to show the treatment required and the severity of the harm you have experienced over time
• A photo of eye injury (if it is visible)
• Contact details of people who saw you receive negligent treatment. Your solicitor can contact them at a later stage to provide eyewitness statements.
• Correspondence from the facility that provided your treatment. In some cases, a healthcare provider will contact you to confirm that medical negligence occurred

In addition, medical negligence claims can require a Bolam test to be performed. This is where a panel of medical professionals with applicable training discuss the details of a case and confirm whether they believe the treatment was negligent. 

You can speak to an advisor today to find out whether you can start a medical negligence claim with the support of an expert solicitor from our legal team. Our advisors can also explain how compensation for loss of sight in one eye is calculated, as this information may help you to decide whether to go forward.

Contact Legal Expert Today

Suffering from a loss of sight in one eye may have a detrimental effect on your physical health, mental health and lifestyle. We understand that you may be experiencing a lot of stress as you try to adjust to your unforeseen lifestyle changes. However, our team at Legal Expert is here to help you claim compensation for your suffering. 

If you were involved in an accident that was not your fault and this resulted in you suffering from lost vision in one of your eyes, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim. 

To do this, you should get in touch with our friendly advisors, who will determine whether you have sufficient grounds to make a claim. If you are eligible to claim, you may begin the claims process with the support of our experienced personal injury solicitors. They may help you claim compensation for loss of sight in one eye by:

• Walking you through the claims process
• Helping you obtain evidence and using this to build your case 
• Explaining how much compensation for loss of sight in one eye you may be awarded 
• Negotiating compensation settlements with third parties 

With over 30 years of experience helping claimants, our solicitors use their skills and expertise to help clients nationwide seek compensation. Get in contact with our advisors to start your claim today:

• Call anytime on 0800 073 8804.
• Contact us online.
• Use live chat at the bottom of this page.

Useful Links

Further useful guides that might be relevant to your case:

• Get guidance on claiming for an eye injury
• See how a claimant received £5,900 for a broken finger
• Another individual successfully claimed £13,500 for a crushed/smashed finger injury
• Finally, learn about how one person got £80,000 compensation for serious facial scarring

Thank you for reading this case study, and please reach out if you’d like personalised advice on claiming compensation for loss of sight in one eye.