England & Wales
Solicitors for Facial Injuries
Injuries to the face affect how a person looks, speaks, eats and feels about themselves, and the psychological effect is often as significant as the physical one. Our personal injury solicitors and lawyers act for people who have suffered facial injuries across England and Wales.
These claims need particular sensitivity. Compensation can reflect both the physical injury and the effect on confidence, and the medical evidence should address both rather than treating the injury as purely cosmetic.
Free initial claim assessmentNo Win No Fee may be availableClients throughout England & Wales
Can I claim compensation for a facial injury?
Yes, if the injury was caused by someone else's negligence. A facial injury claim can be brought where another person, employer or organisation failed to take reasonable care and that failure caused the harm. These injuries range from cuts and bruising that heal without trace, through to fractures of the facial bones, damage to the teeth, and scarring that is permanent and visible.
Facial injuries raise considerations that other injuries do not. The face is central to how we communicate and how we are perceived, so scarring, asymmetry or a change in sensation can have an effect on confidence and on social and working life that is out of proportion to the physical injury.
The facial bones are complex and close to the eyes, the sinuses and the nerves that supply sensation. A fracture to the cheekbone, jaw or eye socket can affect vision, the ability to eat and speak, and the sensation in part of the face, and it may require surgery under general anaesthetic.
Key takeaways
- Injury Law Specialists provides access to solicitors and lawyers handling facial injury claims throughout England and Wales.
- Compensation has two parts: general damages for the injury itself, and special damages for the financial losses it caused.
- Most personal injury claims in England and Wales are subject to a three year limitation period.
- No Win No Fee may be available, subject to an assessment of the case and the funding terms.
- Legal services are provided by MB Solicitors, trading name of MB Legal Solicitors Ltd, regulated by the SRA under SRA ID 8000764.
Types of facial injuries
The face is made up of a number of bones, and around it sit the structures that allow us to see, eat, speak and breathe. Injuries to this area can affect any of those functions as well as appearance.
Because the face is so visible, the effect of an injury to it often extends beyond the physical. It is entirely proper for a claim to reflect that, and the evidence should address it rather than concentrating only on the injury itself.
Facial fractures
Breaks to the cheekbone, jaw, nose or eye socket. These may require surgery and can affect vision, eating, speaking and sensation in part of the face.
Scarring
Cuts and lacerations that leave permanent marks. Where the scarring is visible, the claim reflects both the appearance and any effect on confidence.
Dental damage
Chipped, cracked, loosened or lost teeth, and damage to the jaw that affects the bite. Restorative treatment such as crowns, bridges or implants can be costly.
Eye socket and orbital injuries
Fractures around the eye, which can affect vision, cause double vision, or leave the eye sitting differently within the socket.
Nerve damage
Injury to the nerves supplying sensation to the face, which can leave numbness or altered sensation that may be permanent.
Jaw joint injuries
Damage to the joint where the jaw meets the skull, which can cause pain, clicking and difficulty opening the mouth or chewing.
What evidence these claims need
Photographs are particularly important in facial injury claims, taken at intervals over time, because they show how the injury and any scarring have changed. Medical evidence should address both the physical injury and, where relevant, the psychological effect.
Where dental treatment is needed, a report from a dental surgeon is usually obtained setting out what work has been done, what remains to be done, and what it will cost. That is a separate element of the claim from the injury itself.
Evidence we look for
- Hospital records and operation notes
- X-rays and CT scans of the facial bones
- Photographs taken over time showing the injury and scarring
- A maxillofacial or plastic surgery report
- A dental report on treatment needed and its cost
- A psychological report where confidence has been affected
- Records of lost earnings and time off work
- Evidence of any treatment costs already incurred
What compensation can include
Compensation is built from the injury itself and from the financial consequences it has caused. Both have to be evidenced, and what is recoverable depends on your own circumstances.
Pain, suffering and loss of amenity
General damages for the injury itself and the effect it has on your life, including the activities, work and everyday tasks you can no longer manage as before.
Loss of earnings
Pay lost while you were recovering, and where the injury affects your ability to work in future, the difference between what you would have earned and what you can now earn.
Medical and treatment costs
Treatment you have paid for, physiotherapy, prescriptions and private care, along with the cost of treatment you are likely to need in future.
Care and assistance
Help with household tasks, childcare, gardening and personal care while you recover, whether paid for or provided by family members who stepped in.
Travel and other expenses
The cost of getting to medical appointments, aids and equipment, and other expenses the injury has caused that can be supported by receipts.
Future losses
Where the injury has lasting effects, compensation can include future treatment, ongoing care, equipment, and the longer term effect on your earning capacity.
We do not publish figures for particular injuries, because compensation is not decided by the injury name alone. Two people with the same diagnosis can receive very different awards depending on severity, how long symptoms last, the medical prognosis and the financial losses each has suffered. Any reliable figure has to come from the medical evidence in your own case.
How personal injury compensation is assessedHow these injuries typically arise
The cause of the accident changes who the claim is brought against. It does not change the way the injury itself is assessed.
Solicitors for Road Traffic Accident Claims
Where the injury happened on the road, including as a driver, passenger, rider, cyclist or pedestrian.
Road traffic accident claimsSolicitors for Accidents at Work Claims
Where the injury happened at work because of unsafe conditions or an employer's negligence.
Accidents at work claimsSolicitors for Public Place Accident Claims
Where the injury happened on premises open to the public, such as a shop, restaurant or pavement.
Public place accident claimsSolicitors for Serious Injury Claims
Where the injury is life changing and long term care and future loss must be considered.
Serious injury claimsWhat our solicitors do for you
- Assess the circumstances and explain whether there may be grounds to claim
- Identify who was responsible and put the case to their insurer
- Gather the evidence, including records and footage before it is lost
- Instruct independent medical experts on the injury and prognosis
- Work out the value of the claim, including lost earnings and expenses
- Handle the correspondence so it does not land on you
- Advise on any settlement offer, including when to challenge one
- Issue court proceedings where they become necessary
Facial Injuries: frequently asked questions
Can I claim for facial scarring?
Yes, where the scarring is significant. Compensation reflects both how the scarring looks and any effect it has on movement or sensation. Where further treatment such as scar revision, laser treatment or skin grafting is needed, the cost of that treatment also forms part of the claim. Photographs taken over time are the main way of showing how the scarring has changed.
Can I claim for dental treatment?
Yes. Where teeth have been damaged, chipped, loosened or lost, the cost of restorative treatment such as crowns, bridges, veneers or implants forms part of the claim. A dental surgeon will usually report on what treatment is needed now and what may be needed in future, including the likelihood that work such as a crown will need replacing over time.
What if the injury has affected my confidence?
That is a recognised consequence of a facial injury and can be claimed for. Where the effect on confidence, social life or mood is significant, a psychological report may be needed to evidence it. The claim can reflect both the physical injury and the psychological effect, provided both are supported by evidence.
Will my facial fracture need surgery?
It depends on the fracture and whether it has displaced. Many facial fractures are treated conservatively, but where the bone has moved, or where vision, the bite or the movement of the eye is affected, surgery is often needed to reposition and fix the bone. The medical evidence will explain what treatment is appropriate.
How long do facial injury claims take?
Where there is no permanent scarring and the injury resolves, a claim may settle within six to twelve months. Where scarring is permanent, or where dental work or further surgery is needed, it usually takes longer, because the claim cannot be valued properly until the outcome is reasonably clear.
Does it matter where the scar is?
Yes. A scar on a prominent part of the face, such as the cheek, forehead or lip, generally attracts more compensation than one in a less visible position, because the effect on appearance is greater. The medical evidence and the photographs should make clear where the scarring is and how visible it is.
Can I claim if the scarring may improve with treatment?
Yes. Where further treatment is expected to improve the appearance of scarring, that treatment should be completed or its likely effect assessed before the claim is settled, so the claim reflects the position after treatment rather than before it. The cost of the treatment is claimed separately.
Is there a time limit for a facial injury claim?
For most claims in England and Wales the limit is three years from the accident. Different rules apply to children and to people who lack capacity, and where the injury developed gradually the three years may run from the date of knowledge. Anyone close to a deadline should take advice immediately.
The answers above explain the position generally. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and any medical questions should be directed to your treating team. Every claim turns on its own facts.
Who provides the legal services
Injury Law Specialists is a marketing and advertising platform and is not a law firm or a provider of regulated legal services. All personal injury legal advice, legal services, casework, representation, legal support, and any free initial assessment or consultation promoted or arranged through Injury Law Specialists are provided by MB Solicitors, a trading name of MB Legal Solicitors Ltd.
MB Legal Solicitors Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales under Company Number 12281731. The firm is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) under SRA ID 8000764 and is a member of The Law Society. Injury Law Specialists does not itself provide legal advice or carry out reserved legal activities. Any solicitor-client relationship arising from an enquiry will be directly between the client and MB Legal Solicitors Ltd.
Read our Regulatory InformationRelated injuries
Related information
Not sure whether you can claim for your injury?
Tell us what happened and a member of our team can explain whether there may be grounds to claim, what evidence would be needed and how the process would work. The assessment is free, and speaking to us does not commit you to anything.
Free initial claim assessmentNo Win No Fee may be availableClients throughout England & Wales