Facial Scars Injuries In Columbia, SC

Facial injuries from car accidents can result in permanent scars that affect both physical appearance and emotional well-being. Unlike broken bones that heal or bruises that fade, facial scarring often remains visible for life, affecting self-esteem, professional opportunities, and social interactions.

Victims of car accidents in Columbia who sustain facial scarring deserve compensation not only for medical treatment but also for the lasting psychological impact these injuries cause. The attorneys at Stewart Law Offices have 30 years of experience helping injury victims recover full compensation for disfiguring facial injuries.

Why Facial Scars Are Common in Car Accidents

According to the National Safety Council, 5.1 million people sustained medically consulted injuries in motor-vehicle crashes in 2023. Facial injuries represent a significant portion of these cases, often resulting from contact with vehicle interiors, broken glass, or airbag deployment.

Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that facial injuries represent 42 percent of all airbag-related injuries, though airbags prevent far more serious injuries than they cause. The face remains particularly vulnerable during crashes due to its proximity to the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, and other hard surfaces.

Common Causes of Facial Scarring in Car Accidents

Facial scarring in motor vehicle crashes typically results from several mechanisms:

Impact with Vehicle Interior: Contact with the steering wheel, dashboard, or side windows can cause lacerations, contusions, and fractures that lead to scarring.
Broken Glass: Windshield and window glass can shatter during impact, causing cuts ranging from minor lacerations to deep wounds requiring extensive suturing.
Airbag Deployment: Airbags deploy at speeds exceeding 200 mph in less than 1/20th of a second. While life-saving, this rapid deployment can cause facial abrasions, burns from the chemical reaction that inflates the bag, and impact injuries. These injuries are especially common in airbag-related accidents.
Flying Objects: Loose items inside the vehicle or debris from outside can strike the face during a collision.
Ejection from Vehicle: Unrestrained occupants may be partially or fully ejected, suffering severe facial trauma from contact with pavement, other vehicles, or roadside objects.
Fire or Chemical Exposure: Vehicle fires or exposure to hazardous materials can cause burns resulting in permanent facial scarring.

Types of Scarring From Vehicle Accidents

According to a comprehensive study published in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, approximately 81.2% of traffic accident patients with facial trauma sustained facial fractures, with over 51% experiencing open wounds including lacerations, abrasions, and soft tissue defects.

Victims may experience different forms of scarring, including:

Keloid Scars: These raised scars extend beyond the original injury boundaries and often require ongoing medical intervention. Keloids can cause itching, tenderness, and significant cosmetic concerns, particularly on highly visible facial areas.
Hypertrophic Scars: Similar to keloids but confined to the injury site, hypertrophic scars remain raised and discolored. While they may fade over time, many require surgical revision or laser treatment for improvement.
Contracture Scars: These scars occur when skin tissue is lost, and the surrounding edges pull together during healing. Contracture scars can restrict facial movement, affecting your ability to smile, speak, or make normal facial expressions. When near the eyes or mouth, they can impair basic functions.
Atrophic Scars: Depressed or sunken scars that create visible irregularities in facial contours. These often result from significant tissue loss and typically require reconstructive procedures for correction.

Establishing Liability for Facial Scarring Injuries

As with other car accident injuries, establishing liability requires proving the other party’s negligence caused the crash and resulting facial injuries:

Police Reports: Documentation of the crash scene, fault determinations, and witness statements.
Photographic Evidence: Immediate photographs of facial injuries and ongoing documentation of scarring progression help demonstrate severity.
Medical Records: Complete documentation linking facial injuries directly to the crash, including emergency room reports, surgical notes, and treatment histories.
Expert Testimony: Plastic surgeons and other medical experts can testify about the permanence of scarring, future treatment needs, and limitations of scar revision procedures.
Before-and-After Comparisons: Photographs from before the accident contrasted with the current appearance help juries understand the full impact of disfigurement.

Compensation Available for Facial Scarring

Victims of facial scarring from car accidents may recover multiple categories of damages:

Economic Damages

All past and future medical expenses, including reconstructive surgery, scar revision, therapy, and ongoing cosmetic procedures
Lost wages from missed work during recovery and treatment
Reduced earning capacity if scarring affects professional opportunities
Costs of psychological counseling and mental health treatment

Non-Economic Damages

Pain and suffering from the injury and treatment process
Permanent disfigurement and loss of normal appearance
Emotional distress, embarrassment, and humiliation
Loss of enjoyment of life and social activities
Damage to self-esteem and confidence

Punitive Damages

In cases involving gross negligence, reckless driving, or impaired driving, South Carolina law may allow punitive damages to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct.

Insurance Company Tactics to Minimize Scarring Claims

Insurers routinely attempt to undervalue facial scarring claims through predictable strategies:

Arguing that scars will fade significantly over time
Claiming reconstructive procedures are cosmetic rather than necessary
Minimizing psychological impacts of visible disfigurement
Offering early settlements before full treatment and prognosis are known
Challenging the connection between the accident and scarring

Never accept an insurance settlement before consulting experienced legal counsel. Once you settle, you cannot pursue additional compensation even if your scars prove permanent or require more extensive treatment than initially anticipated.

Visit Our Car Crash Attorney in Columbia

Time Limits for Filing Your Claim

South Carolina imposes a three-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims under § 15-3-530. However, waiting too long creates practical problems:

Medical evidence connecting scars to the accident weakens
Witnesses become unavailable or forget details
Photographic evidence of injury progression is lost
Insurance companies become less willing to negotiate

Early legal intervention preserves your strongest position for maximum recovery.

Speak With a Columbia Auto Accident Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one suffered permanent facial scarring in a Columbia motor vehicle collision, contact Stewart Law Offices immediately. We provide free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis; you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Our experienced Columbia car accident lawyers understand that facial scars represent more than physical injuries. They affect how you see yourself and how others see you. You deserve full compensation for every aspect of your suffering.

Call 803-743-4200 or contact us today to schedule your free, confidential case review. Let us fight for the compensation you need to access the best possible treatment and move forward with your life.