Legal aspects of management of ocular trauma.

Patients suffering from blunt ocular trauma pose several legal challenges for primary eye care practitioners. Although optometrists in private practice are under no legal duty to examine patients with ocular trauma, failure to do so breaches ethical considerations. When an optometrist undertakes examination of an injured patient, a medical standard of care will be applied, and "Good Samaritan" statutes afford no shield from liability for negligence committed during the course of examination and treatment. If specialized care is necessary, a timely referral must be arranged. Practitioners are liable for the acts or omissions of employees, and receptionists who schedule appointments should be able to triage patient complaints so that same-day appointments are scheduled for patients requiring urgent assessment and care. Documentation of the disposition of these patients is essential; forms are an ideal way to record and preserve essential information.