Permanent Scar Compensation

Scars on the body are a common outcome of many types of injury caused by a number of different types of accidents. They are caused by the body’s healing process. Scars do not only cause physical problems, but they can also lead to mental and emotional stress for some people. 

Permanent scars can be severe and life-changing, especially if it affects your mental and physical state. For some, a permanent scar could lead to to the victim having to change jobs, especially of their physical appearance is a key factor for their employment, such as modelling or acting. If you have suffered a permanent scar due to someone else’s negligence or breach of duty, you may be entitled to make a claim for permanent scar compensation. 

Whether the accident happened at work or on private property, permanent scar compensation can help you cover the expenses, the inconvenience brought on by the serious health concerns and the pain and suffering.

Types Of Permanent Scars

Permanent scars can vary from minor damage to severe damage. Minor permanent scars can affect your appearance and confidence and may take weeks or months to recover from. More severe permanent scars can also affect your appearance and confidence, as well as cause long-term damage to both the outside and inside of your body. These types of permanent scars will take longer to recover from and may require surgery. The most common types of scars include:

• Scar Contractures: These scars are caused by a contraction of the skin and can cause problems, such as having an aesthetic impact, mobility problems and may cause pain.
• Keloid Scars: This type of scar is usually more painful and will be raised more on the skin than a ‘flat pale scar’. Keloid scars can cause long-term damage to your body if it is formed on a joint or sensitive part of your body. 
• Flat Pale Scars: These scars tend to be small in the area affected and lack any pronounced nature. Little permanent damage is left on the skin, but often has permanent aesthetic effects, impacting the victims’ emotional states and self-confidence.
• Atrophic scars: Skin conditions usually cause these scars, and they have a sunken appearance.
• Hypertrophic scars: Often caused due to too much collagen at the wound. This scar does not continue growing after it has healed. They have a red and pronounced appearance.

 You must get any injury which may lead to a permanent scar assessed by a medical professional as soon as possible so that you can obtain appropriate treatment.

If you have suffered from any type of permanent scar due to an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to claim compensation. Get in touch with Beacon Law today to find out more about making a personal injury claim to obtain the compensation you deserve.

Accidents That Can Lead To Permanent Scars

Beacon Law has dealt with a range of claims for accidents resulting in permanent scar injuries. There are a number of factors that cause permanent scars. The most common cause of injuries which lead to permanent scars include: 

• Road Traffic Accidents– These types of accidents include car accidents, pedestrian accidents, cyclist accidents and motorcycle accidents
• Slips, trips, and falls on or into sharp objects in a public place or occupied building. This may include accidents on public highways, supermarkets, shopping centres, restaurants, cafes, or public transport.
• Accidents at work, such as those which may occur on a building site, slips and trips in offices, suffering a burn because of unsafe use of equipment in a lab, warehouses or factories due to management or staff not following the correct health and safety procedures.
• Being involved in a fire, such as a house fire or fire in a public place and sustaining burns which lead to permanent scarring..
• Chemical accidents: These types of accidents often happen in labs when misusing chemicals. These type of accidents also can occur from bad reactions to makeup products. These reactions can leave facial scars- People often get cosmetic surgeries for treatment.
• Medical Negligence: These types of accidents include diagnosis of a serious illness, operation injuries, bad advice given by medical professionals, poor aftercare, negligent treatment.

If you have suffered any permanent scarring in an accident, even those which are not listed above, you may be able to claim permanent scar compensation. Medical negligence is a common cause of permanent scars. If you have sustained permanent scars due to the negligence of your surgeon for treatments such as cosmetic surgery, you will be able to make a claim for clinical negligence. Contact us to speak to one of our specialist personal injury solicitors, and we will let you know if we think you have a claim.

What Should I Do After Suffering an Injury Which Could Lead to a Permanent Scar?

If you sustained an injury whilst at work, you should report the accident to a supervisor or manager immediately and ensure that the incident has been logged in an accident report book. Make sure all details of the accident have been reported correctly before signing.

If the accident did not happen at work, you should report the incident to the person or company you believe is responsible.

If you suffered your injury as the result of a road traffic accident, contact your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident.

You should seek appropriate medical attention for your injury from a GP or hospital as soon as possible. If your injury is serious, you should seek urgent attention at a hospital.

We would advise that you keep receipts for any medical treatment you have had to pay to recover the expenses when making a claim.

If you would like to make a permanent scar claim for compensation, or if you would like to discuss the claims process with a personal injury solicitor, contact Beacon Law today using the contact forms on our website, or call us on 0330 1332 857.

You should be aware that there is a strict time limit of 3 years from the accident date for making a personal injury claim. This period of time may be extended in special circumstances; however, we would advise that you start your permanent scar injury claim as early as possible to avoid your claim becoming statute-barred.

Permanent Scar Compensation Value?

If you have decided to make a claim, you may be wondering, “how much is my permanent scar claim worth?” It is difficult to determine the exact amount of compensation you will receive for a permanent scar without firstly knowing the severity of the injury and all facts of the case.

 Your compensation award will be split into general damages and special damages.

General damages refer to the amount of compensation you will receive for your injury, i.e., your pain, suffering, and amenity loss. Each case is unique, as are all injuries, and therefore the value of your claim will be difficult to determine without knowing all the facts. The figure will be based on the type of injury sustained and the severity and impact the injury has had on your life, or the impact it may continue to have on your future.

 Special damages refer to any additional financial losses you may have sustained as a direct result of the accident and can include:

• Travel and parking costs.
• Loss of earnings.
• Medication costs.
• Costs of any private treatment you may have required.
• Compensation for any additional care and assistance you required.

In most cases, you will be required to attend an appointment with an independent medical expert who will provide a medical report based on your accident and injuries. Following the receipt of this medical report, we will be able to estimate the value of your injuries. We may also be able to arrange any further treatment for your injuries at this point if the expert states a requirement for this within the report.

We will then value your claim based on the medical report using recent caselaw and the JC Guidelines and will fight to ensure you obtain maximum compensation for your injuries.

How Much Do Claims for Permanent Scar Compensation Cost?

When considering making a permanent scar claim, you may also be concerned about the costs involved in making a claim. The good news is, you should not be left out of pocket when making a personal injury claim.

We offer our services on a No Win No Fee basis. This type of agreement means that you will not be required to pay our fees if your claim is unsuccessful. Our fees will be deducted from your compensation at the conclusion of your case if you successfully make a permanent scar claim.

The only requirement for this agreement is that you cooperate with us throughout the process of your claim and that you are honest with us at every stage.

To find out more, feel free to have a look at our funding section on our website.

Why Choose Beacon Law?

Beacon Law is a leading personal injury law firm that offers a range of personal injury claim services to our clients, including permanent scar claims. We provide a high level of service to all our clients and work hard to ensure they receive the appropriate treatment and highest level of compensation for their injuries.

We work closely with all clients, following their instructions whilst providing specialist legal advice on each case study. We aim to support all our clients throughout a time that is already difficult and provide the best case management possible throughout all legal proceedings.

If you require advice on a potential case or assistance, please contact us on 0330 1332 857. Alternatively, please complete our online form, and a Personal Injury expert will contact you to help you start your claim.

Beacon Law are a Solicitors registered in England and Wales with our registered office based in Manchester. We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.