The face is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body in a collision. Crash-related facial injuries often result in serious pain and require costly medical procedures (including surgery) to correct. In some cases, medical treatment isn't enough to prevent scars that can affect crash victims for life.
How often do facial injuries occur in crashes?
A 1994 study conducted by researchers at the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Pennsylvania examined the injuries of 461 patients who were involved in collisions.
More than half of them (237) sustained facial injuries, which involved soft tissue injuries (78 percent) and facial bone fractures (22 percent). Seat belts may mitigate the risk of crash-related facial injuries. Roughly 18 percent of the patients in the study who sustained facial injuries wore seat belts, however.
Facial injuries can still occur when someone makes contact with an airbag or steering wheel.
How serious are crash-related facial injuries
The impact of a collision can cause more facial damage than most other injury causes. Crash victims are likely to sustain:
- Cuts
- Burns
- Bruises
- Pain, swelling, and inflammation
- Bacterial infections
- Broken jaw or cheekbone
- Damage to the nerves
- Broken or lost teeth
- Broken bones in the nose or around the eyes
- Loss of sight
- Blocked airways
Facial injuries can also result in life-long emotional trauma, loss of life enjoyment, and inability to socialize due to permanent disfigurement or scarring.
A traumatic brain injury (such as a concussion or mild TBI) can accompany a crash-related face injury, especially when any vital part of the head is affected. This can result in loss of consciousness, loss of memory, mood changes, confusion, dizziness, sleep disturbances, and delayed reaction time.
How can facial injuries be treated?
Treatment for a facial injury may depend on the seriousness of the injury and how it affects your ability to breathe, eat, see, and smell. Treatment for facial injuries may include:
- Ice and rest
- Medication for pain and inflammation
- Antibiotics
- Reconstructive surgery with plates, screws, and wires
How can I recover medical costs and other damages?
If someone else's negligence caused your crash, you can recover damages accrued from your crash by pursuing a car accident claim. An experience Omaha attorney at Ausman Law Firm P.C., L.L.O. can help you obtain compensation for:
- Current and future medical costs associated with your facial injuries
- Wage loss from time taken off from work
- Pain, suffering and emotional anguish
- Loss of life enjoyment and inability to engage in activities you once enjoyed
- Punitive damages, if your crash was caused by willful negligence or reckless behavior
Our law firm has more than a decade of experience helping injured people get the compensation they need. To find out how we can help you, contact us online or call us at 402-378-9352. Our consultations are confidential and free of charge.