Air bags save many lives. They are also the cause of many injuries – including permanent disfigurement to the eyes. If this has happened to you, call a law firm that cares. Call 612-TSR-TIME or submit our contact form. Our Minnesota Anisocoria Eye Injury Attorneys can help you through the legal maze. We will answer your questions, handle all of the paperwork, and file your claim.

There are three main types of injury from the extreme force of an air bag explosion:

• anisocoria – difference in pupil sizes
• concussion – which is a form of brain damage
• tinnitus – ringing in the ears

Anisocoria

Suffering a blunt trauma to the head or eye area may tear the pupil sphincter causing a permanently dilated pupil, termed anisocoria. This condition has become more prevalent since air bags have become standard features in motor vehicles.

Initially, anisocoria may present as retina damage or even sudden vision loss. The vision usually returns completely within 4-6 weeks, leaving the disfiguring dilated pupil.

Diagnosing Anisocoria

After blunt force trauma to the head, as in an air bag deployment which can snap the head back, a neurological examination should be performed. The exam should include checking the corneal reflex and manual palpation of the eyeball. A CT scan is also helpful in diagnosing the extent of the injury.

There have been cases where there were no symptoms or signs of spinal or brain injury, where the patients have had a Glasgow Coma score of 13-15 (where a 3 is severely brain damaged and 15 is very mild brain damage), but then during neurological examinations anisocoria was discovered. At this point an MRI needs to be done on the patient. It will usually show more damage than was originally diagnosed — possibly a spinal cord compression or spinal cord contusion requiring surgery.

Minnesota Anisocoria Eye Injury Attorney

If you have suffered an eye injury due to blunt force trauma, you may be eligible for compensation. At TSR Injury Law, our personal injury attorneys are skilled, aggressive litigators and have been named Super Lawyers many times by Law & Politics. Partner Chuck Slane was named to the prestigious list of Minnesota Top 40 Personal Injury Attorneys. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form.