Facial injuries from a car accident are some of the most serious and life-changing injuries a person can suffer. Beyond the immediate pain, they can leave permanent scars, disfigurement, nerve damage, dental damage, vision problems, and lasting emotional trauma.

If someone else caused the crash, you may be able to recover compensation for far more than just the emergency room bill. A facial injury claim may include reconstructive surgery, scar revision, future treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and damages for visible disfigurement.

At McHargue & Jones, LLC, we help injured people evaluate serious Illinois car accident claims, including cases involving facial trauma, scarring, fractures, nerve damage, and other permanent injuries. If you are still early in the process, it also helps to understand what to do after a car accident in Chicago so you do not make mistakes that weaken the claim.

Car crashes involve violent force. Your face can strike the steering wheel, dashboard, airbag, side window, shattered glass, or flying debris. The most common facial injuries include:

These injuries are often caused by broken glass, sharp metal, or interior impact points. Many require stitches or plastic surgery and can leave permanent visible scarring.

If your face was cut and scarred in a crash, do not assume the insurance company will value the case fairly. Visible facial scarring is often worth more than victims realize, especially when it affects appearance, confidence, work, or daily life.

Common fractures include:

• Nasal fractures
• Cheekbone fractures
• Jaw or mandible fractures
• Orbital fractures around the eye socket
• Mid-face fractures

These injuries often require surgery, plates, screws, wiring, or long-term reconstructive treatment.

Airbag deployment, flying debris, and blunt trauma can cause:

• Corneal abrasions
• Orbital fractures
• Partial or total vision loss
• Permanent functional or cosmetic deformity

Vision-related injuries can dramatically increase the value and seriousness of a facial injury case.

Facial burns may be caused by airbag chemicals, fire, hot metal, or post-crash explosions. Burns often require skin grafts, revision treatment, and long-term scar care.

Facial nerve injuries can lead to:

• Numbness
• Tingling
• Loss of facial expression
• Difficulty blinking, smiling, or speaking normally
• Long-term neuropathic pain

These injuries may be permanent and can substantially raise the value of the claim.

Car crashes can break teeth, damage the jaw, aggravate the TMJ, and require expensive dental reconstruction, oral surgery, or prosthetic work.

Facial trauma may also involve deeper injuries such as salivary gland damage, deep tissue trauma, airway problems, or internal oral injuries that are not immediately obvious at the scene.

Treatment depends on the severity and location of the injury, but may include:

• Emergency wound care
• Sutures and stitches
• Plastic surgery
• Reconstructive surgery
• Dental reconstruction
• Skin grafts
• Nerve repair
• Vision treatment
• Physical therapy
• Scar-revision procedures
• Counseling for emotional trauma or self-image issues

Many facial injury victims need multiple procedures over months or years. That matters because future treatment, future scarring issues, and future emotional harm can all affect the value of the case.

One of the most important things you can do after a crash is get medical care right away. Even if the injury seems manageable at first, early evaluation creates a medical timeline that connects the facial trauma to the collision.

Waiting even a few days can give the insurance company an opening to argue that the injury was not caused by the crash or was not as serious as you claim. That is why understanding the importance of seeing a doctor after a car accident is so important. Your first visit often becomes the foundation of the entire case.

Facial injury and scarring claims are often worth more than many other car accident cases because the injuries are highly visible, medically complex, and emotionally damaging.

Compensation may include:

• Emergency care
• Hospital bills
• Plastic or reconstructive surgery
• Scar revision procedures
• Dental work
• Vision treatment
• Physical therapy
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Future medical care

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Anxiety, depression, or PTSD
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Altered self-image
• Social anxiety or isolation
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Lifestyle limitations

If you want a broader explanation of how settlement value is evaluated, visit our page on what a car accident case may be worth in Illinois.

Facial injury cases often become more valuable when they involve:

• Visible scars on the face, lips, forehead, cheeks, or jawline
• Permanent disfigurement
• Future plastic or reconstructive surgery
• Permanent nerve damage
• Vision loss or eye injury
• Dental reconstruction
• Work or career impact
• Psychological trauma
• Long-term changes to confidence, social life, or relationships

The more permanent, visible, and life-altering the injury, the more important it becomes to document it properly and avoid settling too early.

In many cases, yes, especially if there is:

• Permanent or visible scarring
• A need for reconstructive or plastic surgery
• Nerve damage
• Vision problems
• Facial fractures
• Dental reconstruction
• Psychological trauma
• A disputed claim or lowball settlement offer

Insurance companies fight facial injury claims aggressively because they know these cases can carry high value. A lawyer can help calculate the full damages, coordinate the right medical proof, and protect you from settling too cheaply.

If you are trying to decide whether legal help makes sense, read our page on when you should hire a lawyer after a car accident in Chicago. If cost is part of the hesitation, it also helps to understand how much a car accident lawyer costs in Illinois.

If you suffered a facial injury in a crash, you should:

1. Get immediate medical care
2. Photograph all visible injuries right away
3. Continue photographing healing, scarring, and changes over time
4. Save all medical records and bills
5. Follow through with specialist treatment
6. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company
7. Do not accept a quick settlement before the long-term picture is clear
8. Speak with a car accident lawyer early

Time matters in these cases, especially when scars are still developing and future treatment is not yet clear. For a broader checklist, review what to do after a car accident in Chicago.

Facial injuries are often undervalued early because the insurance company does not want to account for:

• Future surgery
• Scar revision treatment
• Permanent disfigurement
• Emotional distress
• Long-term career or social impact

Once you settle, you usually cannot go back and ask for more. That is why it is so important to understand both what the case may be worth and when it makes sense to involve a lawyer before signing anything.

What are the most common facial injuries from a car accident?

Common facial injuries include cuts and lacerations, facial fractures, eye injuries, burns, dental injuries, nerve damage, and internal soft-tissue trauma. Many can leave permanent scarring or loss of function.

Are facial injury and scarring claims worth more than regular car accident cases?

Often, yes. Facial injury cases frequently have higher settlement value because they may involve visible disfigurement, plastic surgery, emotional trauma, and long-term impact on work and daily life.

How is compensation calculated for facial injuries after a car accident?

Compensation may include medical bills, surgeries, scar treatment, lost wages, future care, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and damages for scarring or disfigurement.

Do I need a lawyer if I have facial scarring or disfigurement from a crash?

If you have visible scarring, fractures, nerve damage, reconstructive treatment, or a low offer from the insurer, you should talk to a lawyer before signing anything.

What should I do if I suffered a facial injury in an Illinois car accident?

Get medical care immediately, photograph the injuries and healing process, save all treatment records, avoid giving a recorded statement, and do not accept a quick settlement before understanding the full value of the claim.

Facial injuries, scars, fractures, and disfigurement cases are often worth more than victims realize, especially when they involve permanent changes in appearance or function.

Before you accept any insurance offer, get a free evaluation. Call (312) 739-0000 or contact us online today.

You do not pay unless we win.