Facial injuries (maxillofacial trauma) from traumatic events are quite common. For example, more than half of those involved in a car crash sustain some type of facial trauma. Apart from causing agonizing pain, facial injuries can be extremely psychologically devastating for the victim.
Causes of Facial Injuries
In a car crash, for example, there are numerous ways that the face can get injured. When the force of the crash throws the body of the driver and/or passenger forward:
- The windshield can shatter, and bits of it can fly into the face;
- The face can get slammed into the steering wheel or dashboard; or
- An airbag could open with force and injure the face.
Other event types are similar. The face is often injured in a fall. While a person’s natural instinct is to use the arms to “break” a fall, this sometimes causes both arms and the face to sustain serious injuries.
Types of Facial Injuries
Some events are minor and result in less serious types of facial injuries, such as superficial cuts or bruises that heal with time. Other types of injuries, however, can be much more severe. These may include:
- Fractured facial bones
- Permanent scars or deformities
- Lacerations from broken glass
- Burns from explosions, electrical fires, or hot engine parts
- Damage to nerves in the face
- Damage to or loss of one or both eyes
Medical Treatment
You must seek immediate medical attention after you have endured facial trauma. Clearing the air passage, minimizing bleeding, preventing infections, and relieving pain are the most basic obligations of treating facial trauma. Other treatments may range from stitches for lacerations to surgical operations for treating fractured bones, scarring, or re-sculpting certain bone deformities that may have stemmed from the crash.
Call a Personal Injury Attorney to Pursue Compensation for Your Injuries
The medical expenses associated with the treatment for facial injuries can quickly pile up, particularly if your injury needs to be re-visited with several surgeries. Not to mention, any kind of injury to the face, regardless of whether the victim was disfigured, scarred, or seriously harmed, can leave the injured person with low self-esteem and a diminished personal image for life. This emotional pain is hard to put a price on.
If you or a loved one have sustained a facial injury in a collision that was caused by the actions or negligence of someone else, the car accident attorneys at Samples Ames PLLC can help you file a lawsuit to get justice. We can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, physical suffering, mental distress, and other damages related to the crash.
Contact us today for a free case review. You can text or call us at 469-466-2600.