Orbital blowout fracture accident lawyer

An orbital blowout fracture is a break of the thin bone forming the floor or wall of the eye socket, caused when a blunt impact raises pressure inside the orbit. It matters far beyond the bone: the muscles that move the eye can become trapped in the fracture, producing double vision, and the eye can sink back into the socket, altering appearance. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles orthopedic and facial injury claims in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York.

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What the imaging and records show

CT with thin slices through the orbits is the study, showing the fracture, the volume of the orbit, whether soft tissue or muscle has herniated into the sinus below, and whether a muscle is entrapped. Plain radiographs are inadequate. Ophthalmological assessment documents the functional consequences: measured eye movement in each direction, formal assessment of double vision, and measurement of how far forward the eye sits compared with the other side.

Why this injury meets the legal threshold

A fracture confirmed on CT with documented double vision or measurable displacement of the globe is objective injury with a visible functional consequence. Where surgical repair was performed, severity is established by the intervention. Double vision in particular has immediate practical effects on driving and on work.

Typical treatment course and prognosis

Small fractures without entrapment or significant displacement may be observed, with decongestants and instructions to avoid nose blowing. Surgery is indicated where a muscle is trapped, where double vision persists, or where the eye has sunk noticeably. Repair involves placing an implant to reconstruct the floor. Recognized outcomes include persistent double vision in certain fields of gaze, altered sensation in the cheek and upper lip from injury to the nerve running through the floor, and residual asymmetry.

How insurance carriers attack this diagnosis

That the fracture healed without operation and is therefore minor. That double vision has resolved in primary gaze, ignoring persistent diplopia when looking up or down. That numbness is subjective. That appearance changes are cosmetic rather than functional. The response is formal ophthalmological measurement across the full field of gaze, objective measurement of globe position, and documentation of the practical consequences for driving and work.

Proving the accident caused it

The mechanism is usually clear — an impact to the eye region from an airbag, a steering wheel, a windscreen, a fall or an assault. Obtain the CT and the ophthalmological assessment rather than relying on the emergency note. Document double vision formally, including the fields of gaze in which it occurs, because a person who sees normally looking straight ahead but doubles when looking down has a real and disabling problem that a casual examination will miss.

Available insurance coverage

What can be recovered is limited by what coverage exists. The at-fault party’s policy is the starting point, but it is frequently not the only source: the injured person’s own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, household policies, employer coverage where a vehicle was used for work, umbrella and excess layers, and the coverage of any additional responsible party can all apply. Underinsured coverage typically requires notice and consent before any settlement with the at-fault party — settling first can forfeit it. Identifying every available layer is early work, not closing work.

How damages are categorised and proven

Damages are not a single number that gets negotiated. They are separate categories, each proven by different evidence. Past medical expense is proven by billing records and the reasonableness of the charges. Future medical expense requires a physician’s opinion that the care is reasonably certain to be needed. Lost income is proven by employment and tax records; lost earning capacity is a different and larger question requiring vocational and economic analysis. Non-economic loss — pain, limitation, and the effect on daily life — is proven through the medical record and through testimony from people who can describe specific changes rather than general decline. No one can responsibly tell you what a case is worth before that evidence exists, and any figure offered at the outset is a guess.

Filing deadlines

Every injury claim is governed by a statute of limitations, and the periods differ by state and by claim type. For personal injury actions the period is two years in Virginia under Va. Code § 8.01-243(A), accruing at the date of injury; three years in Maryland under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101; three years in the District of Columbia under D.C. Code § 12-301(8); two years in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; and three years in New York under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214(5). These are general periods. Discovery rules, tolling for minors and incapacity, claims against government entities — the District imposes a six-month notice-of-claim requirement for claims against the District government — and claim-specific statutes can shorten or extend them. Do not rely on a general period for your own case; have the deadline confirmed on your facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a blowout fracture?

A fracture of the thin bone forming the floor or inner wall of the eye socket. A blunt impact to the eye raises pressure inside the orbit, and the thin bone gives way — which actually protects the eye itself. Tissue and sometimes an eye muscle can then herniate into the sinus below.

Why do I see double?

Usually because an eye muscle or the tissue around it has become caught in the fracture, restricting how far the eye can move in one direction. The two eyes then point slightly differently in that field of gaze and the brain receives two images. It can also result from swelling early on, which settles.

My eye looks sunken. Will that improve?

Where the fracture has enlarged the volume of the socket, the eye can sit further back than before. Swelling initially masks this, so it may become more apparent as the swelling settles rather than less. Surgical reconstruction of the floor addresses it. Measurement comparing both sides documents the difference objectively.

My cheek is numb. Is that connected?

Very likely. A nerve supplying sensation to the cheek, side of the nose, upper lip and upper teeth runs through the orbital floor and is commonly injured in these fractures. The numbness often improves over months but can be permanent, and it should be documented and mapped rather than mentioned in passing.

Does double vision affect driving?

It can, significantly, particularly where it occurs when looking down toward instruments or in the peripheral fields used for mirrors. This is a practical and compensable consequence. It should be assessed formally by an ophthalmologist rather than described generally, and any restriction on driving documented.

How long do I have to bring a claim?

Two years in Virginia and New Jersey, three years in Maryland, the District of Columbia and New York for personal injury actions, subject to tolling and discovery rules and to shorter notice requirements where a government entity is involved. Confirm the deadline on your own facts.

About Mr. Sris

Mr. Sris is the owner and founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., which has practiced since 1997. He is a former prosecutor and is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York. Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with the firm and handle matters alongside him. In 2019 Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee on House Bill 635.

Speak with Mr. Sris

Injury claims are governed by filing deadlines that vary by state and by claim type, and evidence degrades quickly. Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.

Last reviewed: August 22, 2026.

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