You were involved in a car accident when you least expected it. A driver came speeding out of nowhere and hit you as you were driving through an intersection, and as a result you received various injuries, as well as lacerations on your face and arms. With some of these lacerations being quite deep, you knew it was a possibility that you would receive scars from your injuries. Scarring is actually a natural part of the healing process after you have been injured. But now going to work and facing your loved ones is an everyday struggle because you are feeling insecure about your appearances from the scarring. Today we will look more closely at how serious lacerations occur and how much your claim could be worth.
Various Types of Lacerations
There are many types of lacerations that can lead to scars in car accidents. They include the following:
Split: This injury occurs when the body is crushed between two objects. Perhaps, in your car accident, your hand was crushed between two pieces of your vehicle and the skin and tissues tore from compression. These lacerations are very common on your face and hands.
Stretch: These wounds happen when a single force comes at your body from an angle and pushes or pulls on the skin.
Grinding Compression: These wounds occur when objects strike the skin at blunt impact with an angle or sweeping motion, with skin being peeled back.
Cut: This is the most common type of laceration and happens when sharp objects come into contact with the skin, which is common in car accidents with all the sharp shards of metal.
Tear: When the skin is broken by an object and causes a tear to occur, you have this common type of laceration.
What Type of Recovery to Expect
Scars or disfigurement that stem from serious car accidents can leave a huge impact on your life. It could cause you emotional trauma related to the accident, as well as prevent you from receiving a job or enjoying time with your friends. A jury may consider the nature, extent, and duration of the injury, and the pain, discomfort, suffering, disability, disfigurement, and anxiety already experienced and reasonably probable in the future (RAJI Civil, Personal Injury Damages 1). Where a scar is, such as the face, neck, hands, or arms, and how it affects work and daily life can be part of that picture, but no rule sets how much weight a jury gives it.
Serious scars can also cause physical problems, and not just ones on an emotional level. For instance, aside from the cosmetic issues, inflexibility could occur when you receive a scar in a certain area. This is especially prevalent when your scarring occurs at a tissue or joint, as a loss of mobility could occur, which can affect your day-to-day life in the workplace and more. You may even experience nerve sensitivity if the scarring is serious enough.
When you have received scars or disfigurement from an accident, you may be able to bring a claim against a person whose fault caused the injury. Arizona uses pure comparative fault (A.R.S. 12-2505), so a claim is generally not barred because you share some of the blame, though any compensation is reduced by your share. How long the scar affects you, and the medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering it causes, are facts the claim is built on. Nothing in the law sets an amount.
If you have been injured in a car accident and sustained scarring or disfigurement, you can talk with a lawyer about what the records show. We handle personal injury cases, including claims that involve scarring, and we are glad to speak with you. Call us at (602) 333-3333.
Sources
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedures-scars#1
https://www.justia.com/injury/types-of-injuries/scarring-disfigurement/
