Facial scar compensation
By Daniel Janeway. Last Updated 25th November 2022. Have you suffered a facial disfigurement in an accident that wasn’t your fault? If you could prove the negligence of a third party, you could receive a compensation payout for your facial scar. This guide provides an example case study for a £180,000 compensation payout for a scarred face injury. And it’ll also be covering care claims, general and special damages, compensation calculators and No Win No Fee.
Our friendly team is always available to talk to you about your facial disfigurement injury. To get in touch, you could call 0800 408 7825, use our Live Chat service or complete our online form. Our advisors can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In the meantime, you can jump ahead to a section of your choice by clicking the headings below.
Choose A Section
- A Claims Guide To Calculate Facial Scar Compensation Amounts
- What Is Facial Disfigurement?
- Financial Losses Could Happen
- Facial Scarring – Evidence You’ll Need To Claim
- Care Claim Amounts For Victims
- Facial Disfigurement Compensation Estimates
- Case Study: £180,000 For A Scarred Face
- Our Experts Calculate Compensation Estimates
- No Win No Fee Agreements Simplified
- Get The Best Personal Injury Lawyers For Your Case
- Discuss Today
- Extra Advice
A Claims Guide To Calculate Facial Scar Compensation Amounts
This guide answers all of your questions about claiming compensation for your facial scar, as well as:
- What facial disfigurement is
- The financial losses from a facial scar
- Care claims
- General and special damages
- An example case study of a £180,000 compensation payout
- Compensation calculators
- No Win No Fee
Whenever you’re filing a compensation claim for an injury such as facial disfigurement, remember that there is a personal injury claims time limit. So, you would have 3 years to claim from the date that you were injured although there are exceptions to this rule. When it comes to a child (someone aged under 18) or someone who lacks the mental capacity to claim, a close relative or another appointed representative could be their litigation friend. They could then process a claim on their behalf, unless the child turns 18 or if the victim becomes capable of representing themselves, at which point their 3-year window begins. Chat with our specialist team anytime to discuss any of the topics above.
What Is Facial Disfigurement?
Facial disfigurement generally consists of a scar or facial disability. In the vast majority of cases, scars would develop and slowly fade before essentially disappearing. Now, in that scenario, the remaining disfigurement would be so minimal that one would barely even notice it. In severe cases, however, the scars may be much more prevalent and for a lot longer. They could provide a more striking long-term residence on the affected part of the face.
Now, if the facial disfigurement occurs via an avoidable accident, you could make a compensation claim for your facial scar based on negligence. To prove this, you have to meet the following 3 criteria:
- A third party has owed you a duty of care
- However, a breach in the duty of care occurred
- And the result of that was you suffering an injury such as a scarred face.
There are key pieces of legislation that ultimately applies a duty of care. We begin with employer’s liability (EL), which makes an employer liable if an employee is injured through their negligence. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that all employers should so far as reasonably possible uphold their employees’ health, safety and wellbeing. But there may be hazardous locations or dangerous machinery to cause an accident at work. Such an accident would mean a breach, and that could lead to a scarred face at work claim for a work injury payment.
Next, we move onto public liability (PL), which would be covering accidents in a public place. According to the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, there is a duty of care in place to avoid the possibility of accidents in public places. Slips, trips and falls in the likes of parks could result in you being injured in a public place and suffering a facial disfigurement. If the fall was caused through the park being in a poor state of repair or equipment was faulty this could cause a slip and fall which resulted from failure to maintain the park. And that could result in a public accident claim, a public injury claim or a public liability claim, through public liability insurance impacting.
Last but not least, we come to road traffic accidents (RTAs). The Highway Code notes how every road user should show a duty of care towards fellow road users. But a breach could occur in the form of a crash or a collision. Also, it’s possible that your facial disfigurement is just one of multiple injuries, potentially resulting in a multiple injury claim.
Financial Losses Could Happen
It’s possible that you incur significant financial losses due to your facial disfigurement. The lost earnings, the required medical treatment and potential cosmetic surgery all add up when it comes to expenses. However, though you could make major losses in the short-term, they could form the basis when claiming compensation for your facial scar in the long run. Call our friendly team today for further information.
Facial Scarring – Evidence You’ll Need To Claim
You need to be able to establish negligence in order to make a personal injury claim. The more evidence you have to do this, the better your chances can become.
Here are some examples of how you can establish negligence for a facial scar:
- Medical records – Scars can arise from lacerations and other injuries. You may need treatment for an injury that leaves a scar. The details of your treatment and the injury itself will be present in these records. It’s your legal right to request these records at any time.
- Visual evidence – The incident that scarred your face may have been captured on CCTV, for example. You can also take photographs of the injuries themselves.
- Witness contact details – If others saw how you sustained your injury, they could submit a written account. Make sure you have a way of getting in touch with them so they can do so.
Get in touch if you have any questions on a claim for a facial scar and the compensation you could be owed.
Care Claim Amounts For Victims
The specific amount would be calculated depending on the extent of the extra care and support that you receive after your disfigurement injury. That would include:
- Additional care from family and friends
- Professional nursing treatment
- Home care services like cleaning and gardening.
Our Live Chat is available 24/7 if you have any questions to ask about care claims.
Facial Disfigurement Compensation Estimates
You would undergo a full medical check as part of the claims process. By receiving an independent medical evaluation, you could have your facial scar evaluated. Also, you could have your rehabilitation and recovery period confirmed. And it could prove that, but for the accident, your face would not have a disfigurement. After that medical check, we could provide you with a compensation amount estimate for your facial scar. And it would be split into general damages and special damages.
General Damages
Beginning with general damages, the physical and psychological fallout would be the subject. That means the pain, the suffering and the direct impact of the injury on your life.
Special Damages
On the other hand, special damages handle the additional fallout of your facial disfigurement. That could encompass the likes of lost earnings, public transport costs, medical expenditure and potential rehabilitation and physiotherapy services. Call us using the number above to learn more about what could comprise general damages and special damages.
Case Study: £180,000 For A Scarred Face
Ms Byrne, 21, had just completed her university degree at Sheffield. Still living at home with her parents. Ms Byrne had just got a job at a recruitment firm.
One morning, she was driving to her work. She was not too far away when she was hit in a head-on collision by a car dangerously overtaking. Ms Byrne was knocked unconscious by the crash, with severe bleeding from the left side of her face. She was soon revived by medical personnel who were called to the scene by a witness.
Ms Byrne was taken to the hospital, and it was there that she learned about the significance of her injuries. She had suffered a deep scar on the left side of her face, which would always be present even after healing. Ms Byrne needed several operations one of which was for cosmetic reasons.
It became clear very quickly to Ms Byrne’s family that the incident had been devastating to her, both physically and mentally. The suddenness and severity of the crash left her incredibly shaken. So much so that she demonstrated serious signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. This consisted of her continuously being very upset over the collision and the impact on her face. The accident shocked her enough that she no longer wished to drive, and she also refused to leave her home unless one of her parents accompanied her.
All of this would prove to be life-changing for Ms Byrne. She was also very concerned with how the scarring would affect her career ambitions. Ms Byrne two years on had still not returned to work due to the psychological effects of the crash and also her facial disfigurement.
After seeking legal advice, Ms Byrne filed a compensation claim for her injuries against the dangerous driver. She received £180,000 as an out-of-court settlement. This included £140,000 in general damages and £40,000 in special damages.
| Type Of General Damages | Includes: | How Much? |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Facial Disfigurement | The development of a noticeable scar on her left cheekbone | £90,000 |
| Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | The mental toll of her accident | £50,000 |
| Type Of Special Damages | Includes: | How Much? |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Expenses | Prescriptions and Counselling | £5,000 |
| Professional Care | Regular professional nursing care costs | £2,000 |
| Loss of Earnings | Time taken away from work – 2 years | £34,000 |
The case of Ms Byrne is purely an example. It is based on our past experiences of handling and valuing claims and serves to illustrate how accidents can happen and how they are valued.
Our Experts Calculate Compensation Estimates
By avoiding online personal injury claims calculators and focusing primarily on you, our experts could give you real accuracy when estimating your facial scar compensation amount. Your circumstances and the specifics of your injury would be the foundation for our prediction. And, by the way, this service is absolutely free, even if you choose not to pursue your claim. Why not contact our legal specialists today for further details.
No Win No Fee Agreements Simplified
Our No Win No Fee service forms the backbone for how we could help claimants. To explain the benefits of No Win No Fee agreements in a simple manner, they include:
- You don’t have to pay legal fees up-front
- And you don’t have to pay legal fees during the case
- In fact, if your case does not succeed you do not have to pay any legal fees to your solicitor
- Only if you receive a compensation amount for your scarred face would your personal injury solicitor take a nominal amount to cover their legal costs (called a success fee and capped by law).
For more information about working with a No Win No Fee solicitor, you can use our Live Chat.
Get The Best Personal Injury Lawyers For Your Case
When considering which solicitor to choose for your compensation claim consider expertise, excellent credentials, strong reviews, various specialities and a long-standing successful track record. Why not call us today to chat about what your facial scar case through our free consultation we offer all potential clients. If you have a valid claim we will refer you to our panel of expert No Win No Fee personal injury solicitors.
Discuss Today
To speak with us about potential compensation amounts for your facial scar, you can use the following methods:
- Call 0800 408 7825
- Use our Live Chat feature
- Complete our contact form
Our team can be reached 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Keep in mind that there would be no obligation to proceed with your case.
Extra Advice
We hope you have gained real knowledge about how to calculate a compensation amount for your scarred face. But the links below can provide further relevant reading for you.
Our website explains our services in full detail.
For more information about making a compensation claim, click here.
To read about facial scarring, click here.
Click here to learn about the recommended treatment for facial scars.
You can click here to find out everything you need to know about the different NHS services.
Article by AR
Publisher EC.