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How To Make A Facial Scar Compensation Claim

Suffering an injury that leaves you with scarring on your face can be deeply traumatic. It could lead to you feeling very self-conscious, nervous or anxious about your appearance. If this scarring was caused by someone else, you could be entitled to claim compensation. This guide about facial scar compensation claims will aim to answer any questions that you have about how to claim.

Key takeaways

  • You can claim compensation for your facial scarring if someone else is at fault.
  • The severity of the scarring and its financial impacts will affect the size of the compensation you could claim.
  • You usually have 3 years to start a personal injury claim.
  • One of our expert personal injury solicitors could handle your case on a No Win No Fee basis.

If you would like to speak with one of our advisors call today for your free, no-obligation consultation.

A lady with a mask has a facial scar that is being held together with stitches.

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Am I Eligible For Facial Scar Compensation?

In order for you to be eligible to make a compensation claim for a facial scar, certain criteria must be met.

We need to establish the following:

  • Was there a duty of care owed to you?
  • Did a third party breach this duty?
  • Did the breach result in your injury and/or harm?

Examples of third parties who owe a duty of care:

  • Road users have a duty of care to other road users. They must use their vehicles to avoid harming others and follow the rules set out in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code. 
  • Employers owe a duty of care to their employees. The Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974 places a responsibility on them to take reasonable steps to keep their employees safe from harm.
  • Occupiers of public spaces owe a duty of care to the public. The Occupiers Liability Act 1957 requires occupiers to take reasonable steps to keep the public safe.

Claiming Compensation For Facial Scars Caused By A Criminal Injury

If you suffered a facial scar injury as a result of a violent crime, you might be able to claim compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

The CICA is a government-funded body that compensates victims for their injuries. This is different from a personal injury claim and requires separate criteria for success. There are also different rules for the damages awarded.

The rest of this guide will focus on making a personal injury claim, but you can find more information about how to make a criminal injury victim compensation claim here.

Or, if you prefer, you could discuss your potential CICA claim for facial scar compensation with an advisor.

How Could This Kind Of Injury Impact You?

In a society that at times can be obsessed with appearance, having a facial scar could have a massive impact on your happiness and social life. People with facial scars can face not only physical but mental health issues as well.

The scarring could be very painful at the time of injury, whether gut with a sharp object or burnt with something hot. Some scars will also have ongoing physical issues such as altered sensation, nerve damage or itchiness.

There could be surgeries available to improve scarring or make-ups that could be applied to cover them. Each case will be different, and whilst some remedies might improve scarring, these can have a financial impact on you instead.

Can Scarring Affect Me Financially?

Scarring can affect you financially. As discussed above, make-up might be necessary to cover scars that cause you psychological upset or embarrassment. The cost of this would add up over many months or years. There could also be creams or ointments that might aid your recovery.

If your scarring or the accident that caused it has left you with significant psychological injuries, then it could be that your ability to work has been impacted. In such cases, if supported by medical evidence, you could claim Loss of earnings.

Private cosmetic surgery could be warranted in certain circumstances. Some common financial losses could apply, such as:

  • Travel expenses
  • Treatment fees
  • The cost of painkillers or other medications.

Below, we discuss the amounts of compensation that could be awarded should you make a successful claim for compensation and the differences between general and special damages.

Call our advisors today for a free consultation.

How Much Facial Scar Compensation Could You Receive?

It is difficult to confirm the amount of compensation that you could receive for a facial scar injury, as this would depend on the severity of the scar, any psychological injury, as well as any financial impact.

Compensation can be split into two heads of loss called general damages and special damages. General damages cover your pain and suffering, including any mental harm. Special damages reimburse you for the financial impact, and we looked at examples of these earlier.

The details of your injury and/or harm can be confirmed by an independent medical professional who will, in turn, provide a medical report which will have a prognosis period and confirm if you require any further treatments and/or assessments.

Those responsible for valuing your general damages can use your medical report and documents, such as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), to value your claim. These guidelines provide suggestive compensation values for all types of injuries.

Please note that they are not guaranteed compensation figures and are only guidelines. Below is a table with some JCG entries (except for the first figure) to help you think about how different injuries are valued.

InjurySeverityAmount
Multiple Injuries, physical and mental, with additional financial lossesMost severeUp to £500,000 +
Scarring to other parts of the bodyBurns covering 40% or more of the BodyLikely to exceed £127,930
No Significant internal injuryIn the region of £10,550
Several noticeable laceration scars or one single disfiguring scar£9,560 to £27,740
Post-traumatic stress disorderSevere£73,050 to £122,850
Moderately severe£28,250 to £73,050
Moderate£9,980 to £28,250
Facial disfigurementVery severe scarring£36,340 to £118,790
Less severe scarring£21,920 to £59,090
Significant scarring£11,120 to £36,720

If you would like more advice about making a claim for facial scar compensation, call today for your free, no-obligation consultation.

Types Of Scarring

There are many different types of scarring, including:

  • Fine line scars can be slightly raised in the beginning, usually flattening and fading over time without the need for treatment.
  • Keloid scars are an overgrowth of tissue that can occur when too much collagen is produced at the wound.
  • Hypertrophic scars are usually raised and firm. They also do not grow bigger than the original wound, and the area of the scarring could be uncomfortable or difficult to move.
  • Contracture scars can feel tight, painful or difficult to move. They can be common after being burnt.

This list is not exhaustive, as there are other types of scars. Call today to see if you have an eligible claim by speaking with one of our advisors.

How Could Facial Scarring Occur?

Facial scarring can occur in many different ways. Below are a few examples:

  • A worker is not provided with suitable personal protective equipment at work in the form of a mask, and a hot or toxic substance splashes in their face, causing significant facial burns and scarring.
  • An employee suffers a facial laceration when a pallet that falls while an HGV is being unloaded strikes them. The employee who unloaded the pallet should have made sure that their colleague was out of the loading zone before beginning to take the pallet from the HGV.
  • A person suffers a dog bite while being attacked by a banned breed of dog.
  • A victim is left with a facial scar following a violent criminal act such as assault.

If you think your facial scar was caused due to the fault of someone else, please call our advisors today for your free consultation.

My Face Was Scarred In An Accident. Can I Make A No Win No Fee Claim?

If the third party owed you a duty of care, and the accident was not your fault, then you could make a No Win No Fee claim for compensation under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)

The advantages of a No Win No Fee arrangement are:

  • There are no upfront solicitor’s fees
  • No on-going solicitors fees
  • If the claim is unsuccessful, there’s no charge for the work that your solicitor has done.

If your claim is successful, your solicitor will deduct a small success fee from the compensation. This is legally capped at a certain percentage and is only deducted in successful cases.

Contact Our Team Today

To speak with one of our advisors call today for your free, no-obligation consultation.

Solicitor shaking hands on a facial scar no win no fee case

Learn More About Making A Claim For Compensation

Read more of our guides below.

Further resources.

We appreciate your time in reading our guide on facial scar compensation. If you have any questions, call our advisors today.