Facial injuries are a common result of car accidents. Vehicle occupants can suffer facial injuries after hitting their face on an airbag, on the steering wheel or dashboard, or elsewhere on the inside of the passenger compartment. Facial injuries may also be caused by broken glass, shrapnel, or other debris sent flying in the crash, or when a car accident victim is ejected from their vehicle in the crash. Below are some of the most common types of facial injuries that occur in car accidents.
Broken Bones
The face is made up of about 14 different bones, including the mandible (lower jaw), zygomatic bones (cheekbones), and nasal bones. Any of the bones in the face can be broken in an impact with an airbag or a hard object.
Burns
Car accident victims can suffer facial burns, including from an airbag when the explosive charge inflates it, or from a car fire that results from the crash. Serious facial burn injuries almost always result in scarring.
Permanent Deformities
Injuries to the face can leave a car accident victim with permanent deformities like a crooked nose or sunken cheekbones. When significant, permanent facial deformities can cause someone to experience embarrassment, humiliation, or emotional distress and trauma due to the change in their appearance.
Eye Injuries
Eyes can be injured due to flying debris in a car accident. Eye injuries have the potential to lead to vision loss or blindness. A violent car accident can even impart forces that damage retinal nerves, also impacting a car accident victim’s vision.
Scarring from Cuts and Abrasions
A car accident victim may experience deep lacerations or abrasions after hitting their face or after being struck in the face by a flying object. Severe cuts and abrasions have the potential to leave lasting scarring when they heal.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissues in the face include ligaments, tendons, muscles, and other fibrous tissue cushioning bones. A car accident can cause serious injury to the underlying soft tissues in the face, potentially requiring extensive surgery to repair. Even after surgery and rehabilitation, a car accident victim who has suffered soft tissue injuries may experience permanent impairment to facial functions and/or a permanently changed appearance.
What Compensation Can You Recover If You Suffered Facial Injuries and Scarring in a Car Accident
When you have suffered facial injuries or scarring in a car crash that was caused by another negligent or reckless driver, you may be entitled to recover financial compensation for the losses that you have incurred, such as:
- Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation for your facial injuries, including ER visits, surgeries (including plastic surgery to remove scarring or repair deformities), prescriptions, and physical or speech therapy
- Lost wages or income from the time you take off of work to treat and recover from your facial injuries
- Physical pain from your injuries and recovery from treatments and surgeries
- Emotional trauma and distress and lost quality of life due to humiliation or embarrassment from scarring or a changed facial appearance because of your injuries
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Case in Florida
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in Florida? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Lawlor, White & Murphey represent clients injured because of car accidents in Coconut Creek, Plantation, Pompano Beach, and Pembroke Pines, and throughout Florida. Call (954) 525-2345 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 2211 Davie Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, as well as offices in Pembroke Pines, Weston, Coconut Creek, Plantation, and Pompano Beach.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly