There are many so called facial trauma cases in the UK. This can include soft tissue injuries like lacerations and bruising, fractures and scarring.

Interestingly compensation for these types of injuries differs according to the sex of the injured party.

How do facial injuries arise?

Some injuries are caused in road traffic accidents, particularly those involving a significant crash where the airbags inflate or where seatbelts are not worn. Serious facial scarring used to be seen very frequently in road accidents, but thankfully legislation to enforce the wearing of seat belts has meant a decrease in these sorts of injuries but they are still common where seatbelts have not been worn.

Facial injuries can also be caused in slipping or tripping accidents at work or in public places or in falls from height. They are also commonly caused in sporting accidents and regrettably in assaults. All of these may lead to a claim for compensation if the circumstances show fault on the part of someone other than the injured party

What sorts of injuries can be caused?

• Fractures. There can be fractures to the cheekbone, eye socket and the nose and jaw. These occur when there is some sort of impact to the face.
• Burns. Apart from being extremely painful, they can result in serious scarring and infection. Burns can be caused by exposure to heat, chemicals and other materials used in the workplace but can also result from use of chemicals at home and faulty products such as cosmetics and hair products.
• Lacerations and impact wounds together with abrasions. Often caused in assaults or where the skin has been dragged along a surface, perhaps as the result of a heavy fall and slide.
• Bruising and swelling often happens in facial injuries. The skin is more vulnerable to bruising and whilst it can often look dramatic and can be painful, the results are usually short lived.
• Teeth and jaw injury

Facial injuries have the potential to cause lasting disfigurement and loss of function. Nerve damage can result from fractures, leading to sensory problems and fractures to the frontal bones and nose can cause breathing difficulties. The injury may require stitching of lacerations and deeper wounds to moving bones back into place. In some of the more serious incidents, there can also be brain injury depending on the nature of the impact.

How Much Compensation can I expect?

The following are estimates. Compensation will depend on the accident circumstances ie whether you are actually able to pursue a claim and if so, then your own individual injuries will be assessed.

Awards of compensation vary and are often difficult to assess as there may be three elements involved. Firstly there are the skeletal injuries, the fractures, but there may also be some disfigurement.. In cases of scarring, a distinction is drawn between male and female scarring and in those cases, there can also be an element of psychological damage as well.

Burns are particularly painful and can be awfully disfiguring. They can lead to significant awards in the worse cases and are often associated with psychological injuries.

• Multiple fractures of the facial bones can lead to damages up to £23500
• Fractures to the cheekbones can be anything between £1900 and over £10000 for the worst cases where there is some disfigurement or sensory impairment.
• Scarring in males
• Trivial scarring where there is minimal effect, £1100 -£2000, ranging then from more significant scarring £2500-£8500 to very severe scarring especially in men under 30 where there is permanent disfigurement and psychological reaction, where the compensation can be anything up to £42000
• Scarring in females ranges from £1000-2000 for the most minor scarring up to around £62000 for the most severe with psychological damage.

If you have suffered a facial injury and it was someone else's fault, then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Our solicitors can help you make a no win no fee claim for compensation. You will receive 100% of your compensation with no deductions. So you won't pay a penny, win or lose!