Facial injuries are typically caused by trauma to the face, like falls, sports injuries, and fights. They can also result from car accidents. You might not be aware that crashes are a leading cause of facial injuries. Crash survivors often need extensive surgeries, procedures, and rehabilitation to heal. In some cases, there is major scarring and even disfigurement.
Common facial injuries and symptoms from car accidents include:
- Broken cheekbones: These fractures can also extend to the upper jaw and symptoms include jaw pain, cheek flatness, problems seeing, and a strange feeling beneath the eye.
- Broken jaw: In addition to pain, broken jaws cause swelling at the jaw, under the tongue, and under the ear. Bringing the teeth together correctly can be challenging; some may be loose or missing.
- Broken nose: The symptoms include bruising, pain, difficulty breathing, and nosebleeds.
- Eye socket fractures: Symptoms include a black eye, vision problems, bleeding and redness in the white of the eye, numbness, and swelling with orbital fractures.
Car accident survivors can experience other kinds of facial injuries in addition to broken bones. There might be open wounds related to deep cuts and skin tears. Those can lead to lasting nerve, muscle, and connective tissue damage. The eyes, nose, ears, and lips can be destroyed in severe cases. Some accident survivors even lose their sight.
When car accidents cause explosions and fires, drivers and passengers might have badly burned facial skin. Skin grafts may be needed.
How Do Car Accidents Cause Facial Injuries?
Car accidents happen in seconds, causing many serious injuries. The airbag can hit the face with great force. The driver might strike the dashboard, steering wheel, or other stationary objects.
Facial injuries also occur when drivers and passengers are hit by flying debris like books or water bottles. Shattered glass can also strike one’s face during a collision. Another possibility is one of the most frightening – being ejected through the windshield.
Effects of Facial Injuries From Car Accidents
Providers perform various tests for an accurate diagnosis during a medical evaluation of facial injuries. Extensive surgical intervention and long recovery periods are common, with plastic surgeons and other specialists doing their best to repair the damage and minimize scarring.
Facial injuries are complicated for people to live with when the scarring and deformities reduce their quality of life. There can be ongoing emotional harm in addition to long-term pain and inability to work or perform the activities of daily living. Even with the best treatment available, patients might never be able to return to their old lifestyles.
Contact a West Chester Car Accident Lawyer at Eckell Sparks for Legal Guidance
Facial injuries from car accidents can be debilitating. If you need legal help after a crash, contact a West Chester car accident lawyer at Eckell, Sparks, Levy, Auerbach, Monte, Sloane, Matthews & Auslander, P.C. Call us at 610-565-3701 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Located in Media and West Chester, Pennsylvania, we serve clients in Delaware County, Chester County, and Montgomery County.