A Maine car accident lawyer explains what you should know
Facial injuries sustained in car accidents can have serious consequences. Whether you’re dealing with a fractured nose, burns, an open face wound or another type of injury to the face, crash victims often need extensive medical care, treatment, and support.
Facial trauma is also very common in car accidents. A recent study conducted by surgeons who treat crash victims found that more than half – 51 percent – of people injured in motor vehicle accidents sustained some form of facial injury.
When an injury to the face occurs, it’s important to receive immediate medical care. The cost of your medical expenses (e.g., emergency room care, hospital bills, ambulance fees, stitches, surgery, etc.) and other accident-related expenses can add up fast. That’s why it’s important to seek fair and full compensation for your short- and long-term expenses.
But in many cases, actually getting the money you’re entitled to can be difficult. That’s why if you or a loved one sustained a facial injury in a bad car accident, it’s important to understand your legal rights and options. Otherwise, you might lose out on the compensation you deserve.
Motor vehicle collisions and facial trauma
During a car accident, injuries can happen when a person’s face hits the steering wheel, windshield, dashboard, or another part of the car. Debris from the vehicle – especially shattered glass and twisted metal – can also cause deep cuts and lacerations to the face.
Facial injuries are also common when crash victims are ejected from the vehicle or if the vehicle catches fire as a result of the collision. While these types of incidents are less common, they can cause especially serious facial injuries that may require reconstructive surgery, skin grafts, and other complex medical procedures.
What are common facial injuries?
The aforementioned medical study found that certain facial injuries were more common than others. The most common were major soft tissue injuries, which accounted for 78 percent of facial injuries in the study. Soft tissue injuries include facial lacerations, facial abrasions, facial burns, and other damage to the skin tissue on the face caused by objects scraping or cutting the skin.
Facial bone fractures occurred in the remaining 22 percent; facial fractures can cover a wide range, including nasal fracture (broken nose), maxilla fracture (broken jaw), maxilla fracture (upper jaw fracture), zygomatic maxillary fracture (broken cheekbone), and orbital fracture (eye socket fracture).
Facial injuries usually require emergency medical treatment. Otherwise, permanent scarring and infections can occur, especially in cases involving open facial wounds and severe burns to subcutaneous tissue, which is the innermost layer of skin.
Treatment for a facial injury
Medical care for facial injuries varies widely from one injury to another. Sometimes, the treatment simply involves cleaning a wound or applying stitches for deep cuts and other lacerations. Other times, a facial injury might require surgery.
An emergency operation may be necessary if there’s excessive bleeding or the injury restricts the person’s ability to breathe. This is often the case in facial injuries involving compound bone fractures and other severe facial trauma.
Additional surgical procedures may be necessary as well depending on the severity and location of the facial injury. Follow-up surgical procedures often include reconstructive surgery or plastic surgery, especially if there’s deep tissue damage.
Talk to a car accident attorney in Maine about your legal rights
You might think you don’t need an attorney if another driver clearly caused a collision that resulted in an injury to you or a loved one. But the reality is cases involving severe injury are often high stakes, and they can quickly turn into complicated legal battles. That’s why it’s important to fully understand your rights and legal options.
At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein, our attorneys can help you every step of the way. We know how to investigate and find evidence to build a compelling legal case. That’s why we have such a strong track record of obtaining sizable settlements and verdicts for clients located throughout Maine.
Focus on what matters most – your recovery. We can take care of everything else, including settlement negotiations with the at-fault driver’s insurance company or filing a lawsuit, if necessary. We will leave no stone unturned while we seek the best possible outcome for your case.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Maine car accident attorney. We have seven offices conveniently located throughout Maine.
