Facial Trauma & MVAs
After being involved in a motor vehicle accident, you may suffer from a variety of injuries, including traumatic facial injuries. These injuries can range from minor cuts and bruises to more serious fractures. Regardless of the severity, facial trauma caused by motor vehicle accidents can have a significant impact on your life. To help you understand the potential consequences of this type of injury, let’s take a closer look at what these injuries are and how they are treated as well as what compensation you can receive for these injuries.
Types of Facial Injury
Facial trauma refers to a variety of injuries including those that may cause loss of vision, hearing, or other senses and facial fractures, scarring, cuts, and disfigurement. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may require medical attention for proper diagnosis and treatment. Some common types of facial trauma and injuries sustained in car accidents include:
- Airway damage, which can be caused by a broken nose (or another fracture and swelling) that affects a person’s nasal passageway and ability to breathe.
- Contusions, which refer to bruising that results from blunt force trauma. These injuries can usually heal on their own over time with proper rest and care.
- Damage to salivary glands, which includes any injury or trauma to these glands. These injuries are caused by penetrating facial wounds or excessive trauma to the adjacent facial structures (i.e. facial and lingual nerves, the ear, bony structures of the face, etc). You have three pairs of major salivary glands that are located under and behind your jaw, and you have other minor, tiny salivary glands in your lips, inside your cheeks, and throughout your throat and mouth. If these glands are damaged or aren’t producing saliva, your ability to taste, chew, and swallow can be affected. This type of damage can also increase your likelihood of developing mouth infections, losing teeth, and getting cavities.
- Facial burns, which include burns of varying degrees on the face. These injuries are often thermal or chemical burns caused by fires at the scene, airbag chemicals, and or other factors at the scene.
- Fractures, which include any type of break in the bone. These injuries can occur in any area of the face, including around the eyes, nose, eye socket, and jaw.
- Laceration of the tongue, which are cuts sustained specifically on the tongue. These injuries can affect your ability to speak, eat, and/or swallow.
- Lacerations, which are deep cuts that tear through skin and muscle tissue. These injuries often require stitches or other medical procedures to repair them.
- Nerve damage, which can include different types of injuries that affect a person’s ability to feel sensation, smile, blink, bite, chew, and/or move their eyes to focus.
- Neurological issues, which include facial injuries associated with head trauma. If a person has uneven pupils, fluid leaking from their nose, or other facial conditions that point to a central nervous issue, they may have suffered an injury to their skull, brain, or forehead that affects their neurological functions.
- Whiplash, which refers to a neck injury that occurs when the head is jerked forward quickly due to an abrupt stop. This type of injury can cause pain and stiffness in the neck as well as headaches.
Treatment for Facial Trauma Caused by Motor Vehicle Accidents
The treatment for facial trauma depends on its severity; minor injuries may only require home remedies such as ice packs and rest, while more severe injuries may need medical attention such as surgery or physical therapy.
Other treatments may include medications to reduce swelling or pain medications to manage discomfort. In some cases, you may require surgery to repair the damage/treat the affected area.
Counseling or psychological therapy may also be recommended to help cope with any emotional distress caused by facial disfigurement or scarring resulting from the accident. Victims may suffer from chronic pain and headaches due to nerve damage or bone fractures as well as other injury complications. In addition, victims may experience depression, anxiety, or other emotional and mental distress due to changes in their physical appearance or fear of permanent disfigurement.
Compensation for Facial Trauma & Injuries
Victims who have suffered facial trauma caused by a motor vehicle accident may be entitled to compensation for:
- medical bills,
- lost wages,
- pain and suffering,
- emotional distress,
- loss of enjoyment of life activities,
- and other economic and noneconomic damages related to their injury.
Calculating your damages can be challenging, especially as it relates to your noneconomic damages (as these damages aim to compensate you for losses that do not have a clear cost). Working with an experienced attorney, they can help you calculate your damages and work to ensure you have a fair settlement.
In many cases, insurance company representatives will try to offer auto accident victims lowball settlements. Thus, even if they have made you an offer, you should consult with an attorney before signing or accepting anything.
Dedicated to Helping Car Accident Victims Pursue Compensation
No matter how minor or severe your facial trauma is after an accident, it’s important to seek medical attention right away if necessary so that your health isn’t further compromised down the road. It’s also important to speak with an experienced attorney who has experience working with clients dealing with motor vehicle accident claims.
Backed by decades of collective experience, the attorneys at McHargue & Jones, LLC are equipped to help you fight to receive fair compensation. If you or a loved one have suffered facial injuries, you can trust that our team can help you understand your legal rights and options and navigate the claim process (should you have grounds to pursue compensation).
Call (312) 739-0000 today to discuss your case with a member of our team.
