Many injuries have the potential to change a victim’s life forever, but car accident face injuries are some of the most significant.
If you’re dealing with car accident injuries to the face, an experienced Moncks Corner car accident lawyer may be able to help you to recover compensation when you’re dealing with facial fractures, scars, or other injuries from a car accident.
Contact West Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers today if your life has changed because of damage to your face.
How Does Damage to the Face Happen in A Crash?
There are many factors that can influence whether someone suffers face injuries from a car accident. Although some people may try to protect their face using their hands during an accident, it’s often difficult to prevent the many kinds of injuries that can harm someone in a serious accident. Even when wearing a seatbelt, a person’s body can quickly be thrown forward and backward with little to no protection for the face.
Injuries to the face can be caused by things like:
- Flying objects or debris
- Fire
- Being ejected from the vehicle through a window/windshield
- Airbag damage
- Hitting the dashboard or steering wheel
- Broken glass flying by from the rear windshield
Common Kinds of Facial Injuries
Some of the most common types of facial injuries include facial burns, open facial wounds, facial lacerations, and facial fractures.
Although burns are relatively rare, some motor vehicle crashes cause explosions or fires. Third- and fourth-degree burns can damage the outer layer of the skin and the deep skin tissue, bone, muscle, and tissue beneath.
Open facial wounds break the skin and require immediate treatment to prevent infection. Some facial wounds may cause permanent scarring even with prompt medical intervention. Facial lacerations refer to injuries that scratch, scrape, or penetrate the skin. Depending on the depth of these injuries, they may damage nerves, connective tissue, skin, muscle or bone.
Facial fractures refer to broken bones in the face and most frequently occur in the form of nasal fractures. Other possible fractures due to car accidents can include upper jaw fractures, frontal bone fractures, broken jaws, eye socket damage or broken cheekbones.
Treatment Options for A Damaged or Scarred Face
Getting medical attention immediately is extremely important for a victim of a vehicle accident with facial injuries. A doctor’s prompt intervention can help to determine the most appropriate treatment based on the type of injury.
Sometimes, a simple cleaning and bandaging of the wound to prevent further infection is all that’s required. With deep lacerations, however, anti-inflammatory drugs or stitches may be required.
For broken bones, surgery may be an open or a closed reduction. Open reduction surgery may be required if there are compound bone fractures or if the bone fractures must be repositioned.
Many types of facial trauma require comprehensive surgery, including wiring the jaws shut, plastic surgery, rhinoplasty, surgery for a fractured nose, reconstructive surgery or installing metal plates on either side of a facial bone fracture to support and stabilize the bone at that location.
How Can I Get Compensation for My Treatments?
If someone else caused your facial injuries or scarring, you may be entitled to compensation. Compensation can include payment for emotional distress and pain and suffering, reimbursement for lost wages or income and payment for all medical bills and costs associated with your treatment. Medical care for facial injuries can add up quickly.
Attempting to seek financial compensation from an at fault party may be your only opportunity to get the medical treatments needed and to move forward with your life.
How are facial injuries diagnosed?
Emergency treatments may be required to help a patient with signs of major bleeding or restricted airways. Once a patient’s overall condition is stable, doctors can look more deeply at the severity of facial injuries.
During the initial examination, doctors will also inspect the patient’s head and neck to determine if more serious internal damage has occurred. A medical examination also includes facial motor and sensory nerve functions.
Other injuries may be caused by facial damage, including those affecting the:
- Ear canal
- Facial nerves
- Teeth
- Inner mouth
- Underlying bones
- Eyelids
- Tear ducts
How long do I have to file a lawsuit for facial injuries in South Carolina?
You have a maximum of three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury suit. You can speak to an attorney much sooner than this deadline so you understand all your options. Working with a lawyer as soon as you can makes it easier to collect evidence.
If You Suffered Facial Injuries in a Car Accident in SC, Contact Us
Many facial injury victims carry their scars forward, and some of them live with permanent disfigurement. Even if your injuries heal over time, the cost of treating these and the pain you underwent may prompt you to retain a car accident face injuries lawyer.
A lawyer can help you total your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages, communicate with any involved insurance companies, and file your paperwork for your lawsuit.
The West Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers can help you decide your next steps. Reach out online to begin.