Accidents often result in scarring, especially if the accident is violent in nature. For example, a rear-end collision can cause someone in the front seat to strike the windshield or dash. Others are thrown from the vehicle, causing serious lacerations that result in scarring. While some people are not bothered by scars, others can be disfigured by an accident injury, especially if they are on the face. This can have a permanent impact on the individual’s ability to find work or do their previous job and can cause emotional and psychological trauma.
Personal Injuries That Can Result in Scarring
Although many cases of scarring result from motor vehicle collisions, other personal injuries can cause permanent disfigurement. These can occur in the following areas:
- Car and other motor vehicle collisions: This is a common cause of accident injuries that result in scarring.
- Products liability: A product is expected to be safe if used in the manner in which it is intended. For example, a car with defective brakes can be involved in a severe accident due to the manufacturer’s negligence. In this case, the car accident victim has the right to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer and vehicle designer as well as the dealership that sold the car.
- Premises liability: A visitor to a store or home as well as a tenant in a rented residence who is injured and scarred due to the owner’s negligence is entitled to compensation.
- Burns: A fiery crash can result in burns, which have a significant propensity to scar. Often, the wounds caused by a burn can be very painful, limiting the person’s movement. Plastic surgery is often needed to provide relief.
Common Types of Auto Accident Scars
Scarring is a natural result in the healing process after an injury to the skin. The wound causes a break in the tissue, which can cause collagen to build up. Collagen is used to heal the wound and strengthen it. Scars are made up of the collagen protein. Any significant trauma can cause them to the skin, including accidents, surgery or burns. The different types of car accident scars include:
- Contracture scars: Burns are a common cause of contracture scars, where the skin tightens, and this type of scarring can be severe and disfiguring. Contracture scars can also limit movement around the site, and the burn itself can affect nerves and muscles, depending on its depth.
- Keloids: Keloids occur when the healing process is too aggressive. A keloid is a raised scar that commonly grows much larger than the initial wound. Some areas of the body may be more prone to develop a keloid such as the sternum, back of the neck, upper arm or back and earlobes.
- Hypertrophic scars: This type of scar is often broad, thickened and raised. They occur in particular people who produce collagen in excess during the healing process. Scarring of this type can occur if a wound becomes inflamed or infected, lacks needed stitches or motion of the injured area is too much.
Healing of Scars and Treatment
Scars can take at least one year to heal properly. They can not only be unsightly but can cause itching, pain and soreness. Scars may be red or pink, and the color changes with age so that they can appear noticeably lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. Once the scar is completely healed, some treatments can make them less noticeable such as:
- Steroid injections: Injections of steroids can shrink a scar that is elevated to make it the same level as the skin. In this way, it may be less apparent. Some individuals experience side effects such as contact allergic dermatitis, abscess or infection from the steroids. Injections using steroid treatment may continue for up to two years.
- Cryotherapy: Used to treat keloids and hypertrophic scars, cryotherapy can reduce the area of the scar tissue while causing minimal damage. It does cause the skin to blister from the treatment.
- Collagen injections: Widely used in cosmetic treatments, collagen injections can replace the missing collagen.
- Surgery: Surgery used to remove the scar joins the edges of the skin back together. While a new scar will form, the aim is to make it less noticeable.
- Laser resurfacing: Light is used to burn the damaged skin away.
- Chemical peels: Chemical peels can be useful in treating superficial scars. It works by removing the top layer of the scar. As the skin regenerates, it may improve the appearance.
- Dermabrasion: This is a useful way to remove or treat small scars by removing the top layers of the skin. However, more extensive scars would not benefit much from dermabrasion.
- Skin grafts: Used in contracture scarring, skin grafts are performed by taking a piece of healthy skin and placing it over the area of the scar once it has been surgically removed.
Recovering Financial Compensation for ar Accident Scars
When visiting a physician, the doctor should note whether the scarring caused by an accident is permanent and affects mobility. This notation in the medical record can document the injury, and support your claim for compensation. A personal injury lawyer may perform a search of previous judgments for cases involving scarring to see what damages have been awarded in similar cases. The attorney may also consult with a physician who treats scarring and performs scar removal to calculate what financial compensation would be needed.
If you are dealing with car accident scare, we can help. The Law Offices of David Azizi can provide you a free review of your important scar and injury claim to help you achieve justice and fair compensation. For a trusted car accident lawyer, contact us online or call (800) 991-5292.
