What Injuries Constitute Disfigurement?

Some personal injury accidents result in such severe injuries that they are categorized as catastrophic. One such type of injury is any that result in disfigurement. The courts treat cases involving disfigurement much more delicately than other types of personal injury cases and, if the plaintiff can prove liability, will award special damages. Special damages include those such as lost wages, diminished earning capacity, career diminishment, and past and medical expenses that the victim may accrue as a result of the bias that exists in the real world against disfigured people. The theory is that individuals who become disfigured or sustain considerable scarring will experience a decrease in self-esteem, psychological damages, and an overall diminished quality of life.

If a person hopes to recover special damages for a permanent injury, he or she must prove that his or her injuries qualify as catastrophic. At Brassfield & Krueger, LTD., our Illinois personal injury attorneys have helped countless accident victims fight for just compensation for scarring and disfigurement. If you or a loved one has sustained catastrophic injuries that cause you to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable in public, contact our personal injury law firm to discuss your injuries and possibilities for compensation.

Injuries That are Categorized as Disfigurement

Damages for disfigurement or scarring are generally awarded when a person sustains permanent injuries to an area of the body that is visible when clothed, such as the neck, face, or hands. Examples of disfigurement or scarring would include but are not limited to the following:

• Facial scarring or disfigurement;
• Burns;
• Loss of an ear or eye;
• Loss of a limb;
• Loss of fingers or toes; or
• Loss of hands or feet.

Some types of disfigurement result in nothing more than cosmetic embarrassment. Others result in inflexibility in certain areas of the flesh, while others still result in loss of mobility, diminished nerve sensitivity, or loss of a sense, such as sight, vision, or taste. Many disfiguring injuries cause emotional distress and other intangible difficulties, such as the inability to get married, make friends, or get a job. For these reasons and many more, catastrophic injuries are treated with utmost delicacy and additional damages are often awarded outside of the typical forms of compensation.

Common Causes of Scarring or Disfigurement

Any type of accident can cause scarring or disfigurement. However, at Brassfield & Krueger, LTD., we most commonly see these types of injuries after the following types of incidences:

• Fires;
• Explosions;
• Motor vehicle accidents;
• Accidents involving defective products;
• Slip and fall accidents;
• Dog bites/mauling;
• Medical mistakes; and
• Exposure to unsafe chemicals.

Helping Victims of Disfigurement Fight for Compensation

If you or a loved one has been in an accident that left you or he or she scarred or disfigured, you understand better than most that the damages go beyond money. Your life has been irreversibly altered because of someone else’s negligence, and as a result, you may be entitled to compensation for damages beyond the standard medical expenses and lost wages. However, you can increase your odds that you receive the full and fair amount of compensation by retaining the help of a skilled Illinois personal injury attorney. Call Brassfield & Krueger, LTD., to discuss your case today.