Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Facial Injury Compensation Claims
If you have suffered a facial injury as the result of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim. Our lawyers are experts in all areas of personal injury and can provide specialist accident claim advice on a cost-free, confidential basis.
Contact The Legal Line on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online, to find out how we can help you.
Facial Injuries
Accidents Involving Facial Injuries
Treatment of Facial Injuries
Protection Against Facial Injury
Making a Facial Injury Claim
Facial Injury Compensation
Our Specialist Personal Injury Lawyers
Successful Facial Injury Compensation Claims
Facial Injuries
There are many different types of facial injury and they can vary greatly in severity from case to case. Some of the common types of injury to the face are:
• Facial fractures – Fractures to the nose, cheekbone, jaw and eye socket can occur in accidents where there is an impact to the face.
• Facial wounds – These range from deep lacerations and puncture wounds caused by sharp objects, to abrasions and grazes where the skin has been dragged across a rough surface.
• Burns – Facial burns and scalds can result in unsightly scarring and there is also a risk that they can become infected. In addition to burns caused by extreme heat, chemical burns may also affect the face. This mostly occurs through exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, but can also be caused by faulty products such as defective batches of cosmetics and toiletries.
• Bruising and Swelling – Impact injuries to the face usually result in a certain amount of swelling and bruising. The skin on the face is thinner and more delicate than elsewhere on the body, especially around the eyes, so this can often be quite severe and very painful.
• Eye Injuries and Loss of Sight – Injuries to the eye socket, eyelid or eye itself can be very serious, especially if they result in a partial or total loss of sight. Foreign bodies and flying debris are common causes of eye injuries. Protection from sources of bright light, such as welding, is also important in preventing damage to the eyes.
• Mouth and Teeth Injuries – Teeth can be knocked out altogether, cracked, snapped or chipped, or they may be painfully pushed out of alignment. Injuries to the mouth include damage to the lips, gums, tongue and the inner part of the cheeks. Medical, dental, or even surgical treatment may be required.
Facial injuries can obstruct the airways in some cases and people who have suffered blows to the face may also be at risk of head injuries and spinal injuries, so it is always important to seek prompt medical attention, especially if there is a lot of bleeding or swelling.
There are some circumstances under which facial injuries can be caused by medical negligence or dental negligence. For example negligence during the delivery of a baby can cause birth injuries such as damage to facial nerves, a surgical error in an operation could cause injury to the face and laser hair removal may result in facial scarring if performed incorrectly. Negligence during cosmetic surgery can also result in disfigurement.
Accidents Involving Facial Injuries
There are a number of ways in which facial injuries can occur. Some of the more common causes are road accidents, sports accidents, accidents at work, falls from height, explosions and fires, military accidents and tripping accidents.
Falling objects and flying debris often cause injuries to the face and they can also happen as a result of accidents in the home.
Treatment of Facial Injuries
A minor facial injury, such as a small cut, graze, bump or minor bruise, can often be treated at home with a first aid kit, by keeping the affected area clean and using cold compresses as necessary.
Moderate or severe facial injuries usually warrant hospital treatment. In particular, in the case of a deep wound, severe bruising or swelling, heavy bleeding, any loss of consciousness, if vision or breathing is affected or where any part of the face appears misshapen, prompt medical attention is required.
Protection Against Facial Injury
Certain measures can be taken to try and prevent facial injuries when engaging in activities that carry a risk of injury to the face.
For example, personal protective equipment such as goggles or masks may be provided for high risk activities at work, helmets and mouth guards / gum shields may be worn when playing sports, and airbags and seatbelts can be used whilst driving. Personal protective equipment should however be the last resort and making the systems of work and equipment safe from the outset is the prime objective.
Making a Facial Injury Claim
In every case medical evidence will be required and, in any personal injury claim, it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence. There may also be a breach of a statutory requirement thus giving rise to liability.
It is important to seek the advice and assistance of a specialist lawyer with extensive experience in recovering compensation for victims of facial injuries. They can collate and prepare all of the necessary evidence to put forward the claim and deal with the matter on your behalf to achieve the best possible outcome.
You should try to record as much information as possible about the accident and your injuries, including details of any medical treatment that you have received. Remember to keep receipts for any injury related costs and expenses, as these may be useful in your claim.
Facial Injury Compensation
There are two elements to a compensation award. The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and any loss of amenity (perhaps an inability to play sports, drive or do DIY). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after an accident or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.
The second element of a compensation award, for your losses and expenses, (known as special damages) aims to put you back in a position financially as if the accident had never occurred. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to the accident so that these can be reclaimed. In serious cases, further surgery may be necessary and skin grafts so there may be significant future costs to be assessed. The skin grafts can leave disfigurements on other body donor sites.
In serious cases, where a person is no longer able to continue their employment, this can be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, medication and painkillers, loss of pension, transport and housing modifications can also affect the calculations. If the person is still able to work but not in the same role as before, particularly if they held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer, an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that an injured worker's prospects on the open labour market may be limited.
Our Specialist Personal Injury Lawyers
The Legal Line’s solicitors are personal injury specialists, with extensive experience in recovering compensation for the victims of accidents, clinical negligence and industrial disease.
We can offer expert accident claim advice and assistance on a confidential, cost-free basis if you have suffered a facial injury. Your lawyer will collate all of the necessary evidence and advise on the best way to pursue your personal injury claim.
Successful Facial Injury Compensation Claims
To read about some of the many facial injury claims handled successfully by our lawyers, follow the links below or visit our personal injury news and success stories sections:
Poor Workplace Health and Safety Causes Chainsaw Accident
Ms Smith, who suffered facial injuries in a fall at work
Personal Injury Claim for Accident in Public Place
Employee Injured at Work by Falling Object
Cycling Accident Caused by Defect in the Road
Compensation Claim for Victim of Assault at Work
Serious Eye Injury Caused by Lack of PPE and Unsafe Equipment
Firefighter Suffers Personal Injury in Avoidable Accident at Work
Head Injury Compensation for Victim of Accident at Work
Pothole on
Pavement Causes Personal Injury
Industrial
Injury Compensation for Man Seriously Injured in Factory Accident
Teacher
Awarded Compensation for Ankle Injury at Work
Faulty Chair Causes
Accident at Work
Machine
Operator Injured by Defective Equipment Receives Compensation
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