You Can Seek Damages for Facial Scarring and Disfigurement

Facial scarring and disfigurement can result from several accidents and injuries. Treating your scars and disfigurement may require several doctor appointments, medical procedures, or reconstructive surgeries. While the physical pain may eventually go away, coming to terms with the change in your appearance can be a challenge.

We understand that for some folks, this is a life-long struggle. It could affect not only your mental health, but also your employment or social prospects. These are a few of the reasons why you might want to seek damages for your facial scarring and disfigurement.

Seven accidents that often lead to facial scarring and disfigurement

Many different accidents can lead to facial scarring and disfigurement. Seven of the most common include:

1. Dog bite accidents: According to the Animal Health Foundation, more than four million people are bitten by a dog each year in the United States. When a dog bites, their teeth can go through the skin, resulting in deep wounds and damage to the nerves, blood vessels, tissues, or muscles. When these bites occur on the face, it can result in loss of eyesight, oral motility, or significant bleeding.
2. Heat-related accidents: Heat-related accidents can lead to facial scarring and disfigurement, such as fires, explosions, hot liquid spills, and electrical accidents. The tissues in the face can be damaged, often causing facial deformity. A heat-related accident can occur while doing something as simple as boiling water on the stove, or on the job like working on electric wires at a construction site. Regardless of what type of heat-related accident, the skin on the face can become discolored, inflamed, and even permanently damaged.
3. Boating accidents: Boating accidents involving the propeller can severely damage a person’s face. The propellers are usually located underneath the boat. When an individual is thrown off the boat or even jumps in on their own, they can quickly find themselves cut by or tangled up in the propellers. Boat propellers spin extremely fast, which can result in a deep wound to the face, which may lead to significant facial disfigurement or scarring.
4. Car accidents: Car accidents are a common cause of facial scarring and disfigurement in Chicago. The face may come into contact with broken glass and flying debris during a crash. Depending on the severity of the car accident, you may strike the dashboard or steering wheel, or even be ejected through a windshield, causing severe facial scarring or disfigurement. While airbags and seat belts help protect, the force of a collision can still lead to facial injuries.
5. Motorcycle or bicycle accidents: Motorcycle and bicycle riders do not have an outer shell protecting them during their rides like an automobile driver. Every time that motorcycle and bicycle riders get on their bikes, they are at risk of being struck by a flying object. When these riders are involved in accidents with other vehicles, they may also be thrown over their handlebars, often onto the hard pavement. The facial disfigurement and scarring that results from bicycle and motorcycle accidents can be horrific, often affecting the individual for the rest of their life.
6. Workplace accidents: Workplace accidents are another common cause of facial scarring and disfigurement in Chicago. Whether working on the tall buildings downtown or spending the workday in a manufacturing plant, facial trauma can lead to lifelong scarring and disfigurement. Common workplace accidents that result in facial scarring and disfigurement include impacts with equipment or work vehicles, trips, slips, and falls, objects falling from above, welding sparks, and more.
7. Sports accidents: Athletes frequently suffer injuries to the face and neck. A puck can impact the face during a hockey game, tackle playing football, thrown from a horse while horseback riding, or crash into a tree while snowboarding can all cause facial disfigurement. While some people may be able to heal quickly from the effects of these accidents, others may suffer severe scarring and disfigurement for the rest of their lives.

The most serious injuries that can result in facial scarring and disfigurement

While almost any type of injury to the face can lead to scarring and disfigurement, some injuries may cause more harm than others, such as:

• Burns
• Deep lacerations
• Road rash
• Nerve damage
• Broken or missing teeth
• Broken jawbones
• Crushed facial bones
• Fractured eye socket
• Nasal, eye, or ear amputation

What type of damages are available for facial scarring and disfigurement in Chicago?

Any type of accident that leads to facial scarring and disfigurement may allow the victim to seek damages from the at-fault party. Facial scarring and disfigurement can affect an individual physically, mentally, and financially for many years to come, which is why accident victims who file a claim for these types of injuries may be able to recover significant compensation. The following are a few of the damages you might receive following facial scarring or disfigurement:

• Emergency room and doctor’s office expenses
• Reconstructive surgery costs
• Physical and occupational therapy (these services may help you learn how to eat, drink, and communicate again)
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of enjoyment of activities
• Psychological therapy and counseling
• Current and future lost wages

At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, we understand that facial disfigurement and scarring can drastically alter a person’s life. You may need multiple procedures and surgeries, or might spend years in physical therapy or counseling overcoming the physical and mental complications from these injuries. Individuals with scarring and disfigurement may receive top medical care, but their appearance may never be fully restored to what it once was. That’s why the Chicago personal injury attorneys of Gainsberg Law have spent more than two decades advocating for victims of scarring and disfigurement. We are ready to help you fight for the compensation you need to move forward with your life. Please call our office or submit our contact form to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation today.