"Doug Miller" wrote in message

In article , Joe Gorman


Prescription. They were supposed to be safety lenses, according
to the optometrist who sold them. I don't go there anymore.

Sounds like you might want to talk to a lawyer. At the minimum, if I were
in
your shoes, I'd be looking for the optometrist to pay for the medical
treatment and a replacement pair of glasses.

I tuned into this thread a bit late, but perhaps I can be of some help. As
an optometrist, I can at least shed some light on the problem with the
lens--which appears to have broken due to impact, if I'm extrapolating
correctly--or at least with why it didn't protect the eye. Please feel free
to inquire.

As to seeking legal help, that should be a last resort effort. As soon as
you retain an attorney, any cooperation between the doctor and the patient
evaporates, by instruction from the doctor's lawyer. Most problems can be
worked out without dragging the issue into a legal environment.


Keep in mind, also, that even safety prescription glasses don't afford as
much
protection as safety goggles do, because the lenses are smaller. Like you,
I
also wear prescription eyeglasses, and goggles are often a PITA (for those
who don't wear eyeglasses, if you do, goggles often make your glasses fog
up,
and it's easy to knock your eyeglasses askew when taking the goggles on
and
off).

Contrary to popular belief, safety glasses really provide very little
protection against impacts of significant velocity and/or mass. At best
they will keep flying particles and tiny objects out of the wearer's eyes,
but are limited in effect with respect to heavy objects flying at
significant velocities. Crown glass safety lenses are really no better than
CR-39 hard resin (plastic) lenses made for non-safety glasses, and most
likely worse. The best lenses are polycarbonate, but their ability to
resist significant impact is limited by the ability of the frame to hold the
lens in place without releasing the lens or collapsing under the impact.
Polycarbonate generally won't break or shatter. And you are correct w/r/t
goggles--they offer superior eye protection. So do polycarbonate face
shields.


About five years ago, I switched to using a face shield, and I'll never go
back to goggles. The face shield never fogs up, and I've never bumped my
eyeglasses with it, even once. It's so easy, and so quick, to put on, that
I
use it *far* more than I ever used goggles, which increases the safety
factor
that much more. Another bonus: there are other things on your face,
besides
your eyes, that deserve protection: how'd you like to have a table saw or
a
lathe throw a chunk of wood into your teeth?

Fine advice.

Max