When a person suffers a serious injury in an accident, there may be an extended period of recovery that includes surgery, treatments, and rehabilitation. This not only impacts the victim’s physical condition but can also impact the emotional condition. This can be even more of a factor if the victim has been left with scarring or disfigurement because of the injuries.
It is important for accident victims to be aware that any scarring or disfigurement they have suffered is also considered damage for which they may be entitled to financial compensation. This often occurs in vehicle accidents and dog bite accidents. A Virginia Beach personal attorney can explain how.
Disfigurement and Scarring Injuries
There are a number of ways a victim can be left with permanent scarring or disfigurement in an accident:
- Lacerations caused by shattered glass in a vehicle accident, from the pavement if the victim was ejected from the vehicle, or from a dog’s teeth or claws in a dog attack.
- Eye injuries from any type of accident. This can leave the victim with vision impairment or even loss of the eye.
- Fractured and broken bones from any type of blunt force trauma. This often occurs in the facial and head areas.
- Burn injuries, which can leave permanent scarring or disfigurement of limbs.
- Loss of a limb.
When the accident that caused these injuries was caused by the negligence or recklessness of another person, a victim can sue that person for damages. While every case is different, some of the more common damages include:
- Medical expenses for treatment of injuries for the scarring, including any cosmetic surgeries to improve the victim’s appearance.
- Lost income, particularly if the victim’s income depended on physical appearance and the scarring or disfigurement affects their opportunity for work.
- Emotional trauma and pain and suffering the victim has endured as they deal with the changes the scarring or disfigurement has left on their physical appearance.
In order to obtain the full financial compensation a victim is entitled to for scarring and disfigurement injuries, an attorney will present evidence that demonstrates that not only were the injuries caused by the other party’s negligence but that the victim has suffered losses because of the accident. Evidence used in these cases include:
- Police report of the accident
- Witness statements
- Medical reports
- Video footage of the accident scene
- Photographs of the accident scene
- Before and after photos of the area that has been left disfigured or scarred
- Testimony from the victim, family, and friends of how their injuries have impacted the victim’s life.
Contact Our Office Today
If you have been injured in an accident caused by another party, contact Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp to find out your legal options. The legal team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has almost 100 years of combined legal experience advocating for injured victims and their families and will help you get the financial compensation you deserve, like the $1.5 million insurance settlement we were able to obtain for one client, a three-year-old child who suffered significant facial scarring after a dog attack.
Call our office today for a free and confidential case evaluation. For your convenience, we have offices in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton, and Portsmouth.