There are many different types of injuries victims can suffer in a car accident, however, some types are more common than others. Studies and statistics have concluded that more than fifty percent of all car accident victims suffer some type of facial injury.
At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, our Virginia car accident attorneys have represented countless crash victims who have suffered facial injuries. We understand that these types of injuries can have significant impacts on victims’ lives that result in both economic and non-economic losses. Read on for an overview of these types of cases. For more detailed information, contact our office.
Study
In one study, conducted by the Medical College of Pennsylvania, researchers analyzed the medical records of 460 car accident victims. In more than half of those accidents, the victim had sustained some degree of facial injury.
The most common types of facial injuries car accident victims face include:
- Facial deformities – A facial deformity can happen from or in conjunction with other facial injuries, such as a broken nose. These injuries can change the victim’s appearance. These injuries can also cause chronic or long-term effects, such as headaches, low self-esteem, and other emotional issues.
- Fractures and breaks – There are 14 different bones that make up a person’s face, significantly raising the risk of a car accident victim to suffer a facial fracture. In addition to the broken bone, other damage can occur to the brain, mouth, tongue, and sinus cavities. There is also a high risk of broken or knocked-out teeth in a car accident.
- Scarring – While a facial scar may be less severe than facial deformities, their presence can still create an emotional or traumatic impact for the victim, one that lasts their lifetime, affecting their self-image and even their overall quality of life.
- Injuries to eyes – Eye injuries are also common injuries in car accidents. An injury to the eye can result in a partial total loss of vision. If both eyes are affected, the victim could be left permanently blind.
- Facial burns – Although not as common as other facial injuries, victims can suffer facial burns in crashes. These can be some of the most severe injuries, requiring years of painful treatments, skin grafts, and other invasive procedures. There is also a high risk of dangerous infections from burn injuries. Burns can also leave permanent scarring or disfigurement, greatly affecting the victim’s life.
Special Circumstances
Any injury can have a serious impact on a victim’s life, but facial injuries can be even more distressing because of the mental effect that these injuries have on a person’s self-image, confidence, and overall emotional health. Legally, this means that in addition to the other damages a victim can seek financial compensation for, the emotional impact of their injuries is also a loss that tends to be a more frequent one recovered in facial injury cases.
This is where having a skilled car accident attorney advocating for you can make all the difference in the outcome of your case. The emotional anguish the aftermath of a facial injury can leave a victim with is more difficult to measure than an economic loss, such as medical bills or lost wages, which have an actual dollar value that can be used as evidence. Emotional damages can be subjective, so having an attorney that can effectively navigate the negotiation process and who will not hesitate to litigate your case if necessary is crucial to obtaining the financial compensation you deserve.
Contact a Virginia Personal Injury Attorney for Assistance
If you have been injured in an accident caused by another party and have suffered facial scarring or disfigurement, contact a Virginia accident attorney to find out what legal options you may have. Not only may you be entitled to medical expenses and loss of income, but you may also be entitled to financial compensation for pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and the scarring or disfigurement your injuries have left.
The legal team from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp have been advocating for injured clients since 1985 and will do all we can to ensure you receive the best possible outcome under the circumstances of your case. If you would like to meet with one of our skilled car accident attorneys to find out how we can help, call our office to schedule a free case evaluation.
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