When you are injured in a North Carolina car accident that wasn’t your fault, the healing process can be long and difficult. While some injuries eventually fade, others leave behind physical scars. Whether a scar is from the initial impact or a necessary surgery, you have the legal right to seek compensation for the permanent physical changes to your body.
How Much Is My Scar Worth?
Car accident injury compensation is determined by many factors. These include the size of the scar, the location of the scar, coloring of the scar, the age of the injured person and sometimes, the sex of the injured person. Insurance companies and juries determine the dollar amount of compensation for scar injuries by evaluating these factors and the overall impact on the injured party.
Permanent Scar From a Car Accident
If a scar is permanent, you’re entitled to recover the value of that disfigurement calculated over the remainder of your life. Courts will typically use NCGS 8–46 to predict a person’s future life expectancy for purposes of calculating damages.
Generally, the younger the person, the longer they must live with the physical and emotional effects of the injury, which is a key factor in a personal injury claim. The visibility and location of the scar also play a significant role. For example, a facial scar is often viewed with greater weight than a scar on a less visible area, such as the bottom of the foot, because of how it impacts a person’s self-esteem and daily social interactions. In the eyes of the law, the more prominent and significant the scarring is, the more it changes a person’s quality of life. Our goal is to ensure the insurance company recognizes that a larger or more visible scar represents a greater permanent loss to the individual.
How Scar Excision Makes a Difference
One other factor to be considered when evaluating permanent disfigurement is the cost of cosmetic procedures to improve the appearance of the scar. Sometimes it is possible to cut out the scar. This is called scar excision. This can often improve, but seldom eliminate, the appearance of disfigurement. There are also laser therapies, skin peels and other cosmetic procedures that can reduce the appearance of a scar. These procedures are typically expensive, and the cost of those procedures can often be added to your case to increase the value.
How To Document Your Car Accident injuries
When it comes to personal injury claims involving permanent scarring, thorough medical documentation is one of the most powerful tools you have to support your case. After a serious accident, every detail recorded by your healthcare providers, from initial emergency care to follow-up visits and surgical procedures, serves as critical evidence of your injuries and the impact they have on your life.
When you document your car accident injuries, look closely at the specific nature of the tissue damage. Not all scarring is the same, and the legal system recognizes that different types of permanent marks require different levels of specialized care.
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Keloid and Hypertrophic Scars: These are raised, thickened areas of skin that can be painful or itchy. Because they often require ongoing treatments like steroid injections or laser therapy, documenting them properly ensures your claim covers these long-term medical needs.
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Contracture Scars: Often resulting from burns, these scars tighten the skin and can actually restrict your ability to move your limbs or joints. We document these not just as visible marks, but as functional limitations that affect your daily life.
For those with extensive scar tissue, the road to recovery often involves future surgical procedures or scar revisions. Because these treatments are costly, they are a vital part of your personal injury case. We work closely with you to document these future needs today, ensuring that any compensation covers not only your current bills but also the anticipated medical costs for the years ahead.
Let Bradley Law Group Fight for Fair Compensation for Permanent Disfigurement Victims
Bradley Law Group has stood by North Carolinians who are living with the lasting changes of permanent scarring and disfigurement after a motor vehicle accident. We understand that these injuries are deeply personal, which is why we collaborate with medical experts, including plastic surgeons, to fully document the physical and emotional impact of your journey.
Our experience allows us to build a comprehensive case that respects the seriousness of your injury. You shouldn’t have to navigate the complexities of a legal claim or face the insurance company alone while you are still healing. Let’s work together to help ensure you receive the care, respect, and compensation you deserve for the road ahead.