Damage to Eyesight • Loss of Best Corrected Vision
Lasik surgery or other eye surgery is supposed to improve your sight. It should certainly not make it worse. If you suspect an eye doctor's mistake damaged your vision or robbed you of the desired results, you may have a case for damages.
Hill & Associates, P.C. of Philadelphia will offer aggressive representation for victims of medical negligence in Lasik surgery, cataract surgery or corneal transplant operations. We handle ophthalmologic malpractice litigation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Loss of Vision or Vision Impairment
Tragically, a small number of people have been permanently blinded by a botched Lasik operation, or suffered loss of vision to the point of "legally blind." More commonly, victims of surgical malpractice report varying degrees of visual impairment, from irritating to debilitating:
- Blindness
- Blurred vision
- Double vision or "ghosts"
- Starbursts or halos, especially at night
- Reduced ability to perceive contrast
- Altered depth perception
- Other complications such as dry eyes or vertigo
Loss of vision sometimes resolves on its own over time, or improves through follow-up treatment. Additional surgery may restore vision or minimize the distortions for some. Often the damage is permanent - there is no corrective procedure that will bring the eyesight back or eliminate the distracting optical images.
Loss of Best Corrected Vision
The reason people have Lasik surgery is to see better without the bother of eyeglasses or contact lenses. An undercorrection or overcorrection as a result of surgical error, laser malfunction or pre-surgical miscalculations usually results in worse eyesight.
After the surgical incisions have healed and the surface tissues of the cornea have regenerated, the "lucky" few are candidates for another round of surgery to correct the mistake. Unfortunately, many victims cannot have corrective surgery. (They may have been unsuitable candidates for Lasik correction in the first place.) To make matters worse, they may no longer be able to wear contact lenses. They are simply stuck with poor vision - the same or worse than before — for months, for years or perhaps forever.
Proving Malpractice in Vision Loss
We will examine all the possible causes of vision loss in eye surgery. A common cause is mistakes in measuring the thickness of the cornea prior to the procedure, which results in removing too much or too little tissue. Lack of follow-up care also causes damage when treatable complications are not addressed.
We know you'd rather have your eyesight than any amount of money. In a lawsuit, we seek to make the ophthalmologist pay for corrective surgery, special eyewear or anything that will improve your vision. Damages also cover lost wages, medical bills, and the emotional distress and lost enjoyment of life.
Our dedicated team of trial lawyers has over 20 years of experience in personal injury litigation. If you suffered vision loss or a lost opportunity for corrected vision, call us toll-free at 866-720-4699 or contact us online for a free initial consultation.
