Cuts and bruises are some of the most common car accident injuries. However, for the unlucky ones, a car accident can mean permanent disfigurement. This is not only physically crippling but can entirely wreak havoc psychologically as well.
In 2022, there were 42,514 fatalities in the US from car accidents, which translates to 1.33 fatalities per 100 million miles driven and 12.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Unfortunately, there are no clear statistics on the number of people suffering disfiguring injuries from a car accident, but experts agree the number is shockingly high.
A majority of auto accidents happen due to carelessness. This is why the at-fault party must be held accountable for their actions. With the help of the car accident attorneys, you can file a lawsuit and receive compensation for your losses.
What is Disfigurement?
An injury that deforms or adversely affects a victim’s physical appearance is referred to as disfigurement, and amputations, cuts, and burns are the most common examples. The defining factor that separates disfigurement from normal injuries is that the effects of the injury persist long after the original injury has completely healed. Recovery from disfigurement can take a long time on the physical and emotional levels, and sometimes it may not return to normal at all.
Surgeries, particularly for injuries to the face, may involve skin grafting and other complex procedures. Nearly all victims require continuous psychiatric treatment as well as physical therapy as part of their rehabilitation after disfigurement from a car accident.
Types of Disfiguring Injuries from Car Accidents
Disfiguring injuries can take many different forms, which can have a wide variety of overall implications. Disfiguring injuries can affect your relationships in both your personal and professional lives, as well as change your confidence and self-image, which is hard to deal with. Take a look at the various disfiguring injuries caused by car accidents:
Scars
Although scars are a part of the healing process, they can be a cause for some. This is especially true if the scar is on the face.
Some scars heal over time, while others don’t. It’s the latter that causes serious psychological issues in car accident victims.
Victims with a scar might be subjected to ridicule. This, in turn, leads to poor self-image and confidence issues. If left unchecked, it can lead to social isolation and other serious psychological conditions.
Severe Burns
Severe burns leave a victim permanently disfigured and cause extreme psychological issues. Disfigurement is mostly the outcome of third- or fourth-degree burns; however, occasionally even less severe burns can result in scarring and disfigurement. For burn victims, even skin grafts and reconstructive surgical operations may not be enough, and the scars can remain permanently.
Amputations
An accident that results in limb loss is a very painful and life-altering event. Amputations can result in significant medical expenses, lost wages, chronic pain, and more.
Accident victims may experience psychological difficulties in addition to physical difficulties in adjusting to the loss of a limb and will require prosthetic limbs to get back to a normal life.
If you suffered disfigurement in an automobile accident, you should get legal counsel from a car accident lawyer and file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. This will help you receive compensation for your pain and suffering, as well as help you pay the medical expenses and make up for the lost income.