Car crashes can cause a variety of facial injuries that can have a lasting physical and psychological impact on victims. The physical recovery could take a while, but the emotional trauma caused by the victim’s altered appearance can last much longer. Permanent scars and disfigurement could have a negative impact on the victim’s quality of life.
In this blog, Galloway Jefcoat discusses the various types of facial injuries that often happen in vehicle collisions, their long-term effects and how crash victims may be able to seek compensation. If you are suffering from facial injuries after a car collision, our Lafayette car accident lawyers may be able to help you seek compensation.
How Do Facial Injuries Occur During a Car Accident?
Vehicle collisions are violent incidents that can cause injury to many body parts, including occupants’ faces.
Here are some of the ways that victims may sustain facial injuries during a car crash:
- Debris could crash through the windshield, hitting vehicle occupants in the face, along with glass shards from the windshield.
- Victims’ faces could strike the windshield, especially if they were not wearing a seatbelt.
- Drivers could get thrown forward into the steering wheel.
- During a side impact collision, someone’s face can hit the window or door.
- If someone’s body is ejected from the vehicle during a crash, he or she could have facial injuries from impact with the road, other objects or vehicles.
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What Are the Most Common Facial Injuries From a Lafayette Crash?
These are the common types of facial injuries that can happen during a car crash:
Lacerations
Lacerations are severe cuts that likely require stitches to repair. Lacerations in a car crash are often caused by broken glass or sharp metal edges, which could be from debris that crashes through the windshield. If lacerations are not treated properly, victims may be at increased risk of infection or excessive bleeding that could become life-threatening.
Fractures
Fractures are broken bones, which can happen when there is blunt force trauma to the face. For example, you could suffer a fracture of an orbital bone around one of your eyes. You could also break your nose or jaw.
Bones usually break because they are put under extreme pressure. Bones could also break if they are crushed.
Eye Injuries
One or both of your eyes could be injured by flying debris or airbag deployment. For example, the nerves in your retina could sustain damage, potentially leading to double vision or permanent vision loss.
Other examples of car crash eye injuries include:
- Retinal detachment
- Hyphema
- Vitreous hemorrhage
Burns
Some car crashes result in fires or even explosions. Some victims’ bodies may catch fire. However, even if a victim does not catch fire, being too close to the flames could result in severe burns to the face.
First-degree burns heal on their own, but third-degree burns require medical treatment, such as skin graft surgery. This is a procedure where a surgeon will take healthy skin from somewhere else on the patient’s body and use it to cover the burned skin.
Dental Injuries
Car crashes can chip or knock out vehicle occupants’ teeth. Some people may also suffer severe injuries to their jawlines, which may need to be repaired with surgery.
Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Sometimes the injuries discussed above are accompanied by a concussion or another type of TBI. For example, a hit to the head may cause bruises or fractures, along with a concussion.
How Are Facial Injuries Treated?
Facial injury treatment can vary depending on the victim. The first step to treating an injury is to get a diagnosis. After a car crash, it is important for victims to seek medical attention immediately, even if injuries seem minor. Delaying treatment for a laceration, eye injury, traumatic brain injury or another facial injury could increase the risk of permanent damage.
In some cases, surgery may be needed for victims to heal from facial injuries. Other forms of treatment could include:
- Physical therapy – facial exercises can be used to heal muscles
- Laser therapy – this could be used to reduce the appearance of scars
- Pain management – Over-the-counter medicine to help relieve the pain
- Wound care
- Dental care
- Speech therapy
- And more
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What Are the Long-Term Effects of Facial Injuries?
While many facial injuries may heal, they could result in permanent scarring or disfigurement. This type of damage not only alters your physical appearance, it can also affect your ability to chew, speak or swallow.
When car crash victims seek medical assistance, they may be able to improve these functional impairments. However, the recovery process can take significant time. Factors like existing medical conditions, age and response to treatment could cause some victims to recover quickly, while healing may take much longer for others.
Psychological Effects
Facial injuries can have a negative effect on victims’ mental health. They may feel self-conscious about their appearance, affecting their self-confidence and self-esteem. This can cause severe anxiety that prevents people from going to work or engaging in social activities. This can lower quality of life and affect relationships with friends and family members.
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What Compensation Can I Seek for Facial Injuries?
People who suffered facial injuries in a car crash may be eligible for many forms of compensation:
- Pain and suffering: This refers to physical pain and mental suffering caused by the injury. For example, skin grafts can cause significant pain. Permanent scarring can also cause pain while chewing, talking or swallowing. There can also be significant emotional trauma, especially if the injury permanently alters your appearance.
- Medical expenses: Compensation for medical expenses can include prescriptions, doctor appointments, surgeries, physical therapy, and more. Victims can seek compensation for past and ongoing medical care.
- Loss of consortium: This type of compensation is non-economic and is used for a spouse or family member who may not be able to spend time with the victim due to injuries.
- Loss of wages: This type of compensation can be used for victims who could not work due to their injuries. For example, victims may be out of work while they are recovering. They may also miss work to attend follow-up appointments with doctors.
Call Galloway Jefcoat To Discuss Your Lafayette Car Crash
If a crash occurs due to another driver’s negligence, you may be able to obtain compensation.
Galloway Jefcoat can help you throughout the legal process. Our firm has obtained millions for crash victims in Louisiana.
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