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How Is Compensation Awarded In Facial Injury Claims?
By Stephen Hudson. Last Updated 12th June 2024. There are many ways an injury to the face could occur. If you have experienced such an injury yourself because of negligent or criminal behaviour by another party, then you may be able to claim compensation for this. In this guide, we’ll discuss when a facial injury claim may be possible and how the process works.
Also in this guide, we’ll discuss the different types of facial injuries that can occur and the types of accidents that can cause them. We’ll also talk about potential compensation amounts if you have strong grounds to make a facial injury claim. We’ll also discuss No Win No Fee solicitors and how making a claim under a No Win No Fee agreement can benefit you.
If you would like to speak to an adviser about potentially claiming for an injury to the face, then you are welcome to contact Legal Expert for support today. You can contact us online using our contact form or our 24/7 live chat service. You can alternatively call us on 0800 073 8804.
Select A Section
- Facial Injury Claims – How Much Could You Be Owed?
- Who Could Make Facial Injury Claims
- What Are The Main Causes Of Facial Injuries?
- A Guide To Making A No Win No Fee Facial Injury Claim
- Useful Links
Facial Injury Claims – How Much Could You Be Owed?
If your facial injury claim is successful, there are up to two payouts that could potentially make up your compensation value. These are known as special damages and general damages.
General damages is the head of claim that will always be awarded in successful facial injury claims. This payout addresses the psychiatric and physical harm you have suffered as a result of your injury. As such, here are some factors that can determine the value of your general damages:
- Loss of amenity.
- Your pain.
- How long-lasting your injury is.
You may also be asked during the claims process to go to an independent medical assessment. The reports made from this assessment can be used alongside the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help calculate what your general damages payout could possibly be worth.
The JCG contains guideline compensation figures for different psychiatric and physical injuries.
Guideline Compensation Table
We have provided the table below as guidance to show you how your face injury claim may potentially be valued. These injuries and figures have come from the JCG (except for the first figure, which is our own).
| Injury | Severity | Award |
|---|---|---|
| More than one serious injury and special damages | Serious | Up to £250,000+ |
| Facial disgifurement | Very severe scarring (a) | £36,240 to £118,790 |
| Less severe scarring (b) | £21,920 to £59,090 | |
| Facial skeletal injuries | Jaw fracture (d) (i) | £37,210 to £55,570 |
| Le fort fractures of frontal facial bones (a) | £29,060 to £44,840 | |
| Jaw fracture (d) (ii) | £21,920 to £37,210 | |
| Multiple fractures of facial bones (b) | £18,180 to £29,220 | |
| Nose fracture (c) (i) | £12,990 to £28,220 | |
| Cheekbone fracture (c) (ii) | £12,450 to £19,260 |
Special Damages
Special damages is the head of claim that is occasionally awarded in successful facial injury claims. This payout addresses the finances you have lost as a result of your injuries.
Here are some types of finances you may lose after suffering facial injuries in an accident:
- Loss of earnings.
- Prescription costs.
- Travel expenses.
Since this payout is only occasionally awarded, providing evidence of your injury’s financial losses will be extremely helpful for you. So, keep hold of any payslips, bank statements, invoices, and receipts that could support you.
To speak with an advisor about how compensation for your facial scarring claim could potentially be valued, please call us.
Who Could Make Facial Injury Claims
There are various instances where you may suffer a facial injury. However, in some of those instances, you may have been owed a duty of care. This is a legal responsibility placed onto someone for your health and safety. Some examples of when you are owed a duty of care include:
- At work: Your employer owes you a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety while working.
- On the roads: Everyone who uses the roads owes a duty of care to each other to use the roads in a responsible manner to avoid causing harm. They must also adhere to the regulations and rules set out within the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
- In public places: The party in control of a public place owes you a duty of care under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 to take necessary measures to ensure your reasonable safety while you are using that space.
All facial injury claims need to meet the following eligibility requirements in order to be deemed eligible:
- You must have been owed a duty of care.
- This duty must have been breached.
- You suffered your injuries as a result of this breach.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your case and see whether you may have a valid claim.
What Are The Main Causes Of Facial Injuries?
Injuries to the face can be caused by different circumstances such as criminal assaults, fires, and even workplace accidents.
Who is responsible for these injuries depends on the environment in which they happened. Burns to the face can be caused by things such as a fire or even toxic chemicals. If this occurs whilst you are at work, then your employer may be held responsible. That’s provided that your facial injury occurred because your employer acted negligently and breached the duty of care they owe you. People also suffered facial injuries as a result of road traffic accidents. If you have been in a collision or hit by a car as a pedestrian, and it wasn’t your fault, then the liable driver’s insurance company is likely going to be required to provide a compensation payout.
Facial injuries can also happen when people are physically assaulted. If this has happened to you, then you may be able to make a compensation claim for this. Even if you were unable to identify the assailant, or they are never found, you could potentially lodge a claim with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. This organisation assists people who suffer an injury as a consequence of a criminal act.
In the next few sections, we are going to take a closer look at some of the types of incidents that could eventually lead to a facial injury claim. If, at any point, you would like to speak to an advisor about such claims, then you can contact Legal Expert for support.
A Guide To Making A No Win No Fee Facial Injury Claim
If you have valid grounds to claim for an injury to the face, you could consider getting support from a solicitor. If you speak to our advisors about your claim, they may connect you with our No Win No Fee solicitors.
Our solicitors can support facial injury claims under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under this type of agreement, you won’t have to pay upfront or ongoing fees to your solicitor for their service. You also won’t need to pay your solicitor for their work if your claim proves unsuccessful.
You usually only need to pay your No Win No Fee solicitor if your claim is a success. The solicitor will take what’s called a success fee, which is typically a legally capped percentage subtracted from the compensation awarded to you.
To learn more about how a solicitor could help you, please contact our advisors for free. To get in touch, you can:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Write to us through our contact page
- Or you can use our 24/7 live chat service
Useful Links
Health and Safety Training
Information about Health and Safety Training from the Health and Safety Executive.
Accident At Work Claim
Find out how you can make a No Win No Fee accident compensation claim after suffering an accident at work with Legal Expert.
Get advice on claiming for injuries caused by trapped fingers in a door. Learn more with our guide.
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