Not Only Physical, but Also Emotional and Financial Areas of Life Are Significantly Affected for Victims of Disfigurement Injuries in NJ
When you have a severe accident or other tragedy, you may focus exclusively on surviving the incident. But on your road to recovery, you may discover your life changed irreparably by a disfiguring injury. Your path may move from struggling to heal from your wounds to learning to adapt to your new way of being. Adaptation may be difficult on all levels, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And when your disfigurement results from another’s negligence or intentional acts, you may battle conflicting emotions. You may worry about your future and financial situation. Talking to an experienced personal injury attorney can help answer some of your questions about your injuries and possible economic recovery through legal channels in New Jersey.
Our accomplished personal injury lawyers are poised to assist you with recovering economically, physically, and mentally after suffering disfigurement due to an accident anywhere in New Jersey. We have decades of combined experience handling lawsuits and obtaining successful verdicts and settlements on behalf of victims who have been injured in various types of accidents and those harmed by defective or dangerous products. If you have questions about filing a lawsuit for disfiguring or scar injuries caused by someone else’s negligence in Belmar, Toms River, Howell, Long Branch, Tinton Falls, Brick, Asbury Park, Manasquan, Colts Neck, or elsewhere in Monmouth and Ocean County, contact 732-825-6120 now to talk to a lawyer. Our accident attorneys provide free case evaluations and can discuss the options you may have to sue a liable party for the harm you or someone you love suffered in NJ.
What Exactly is a Disfiguring Injury?
In the law insider dictionary, disfigurement is “a serious or protracted blemish, scar, or deformity that spoils a person’s appearance or limits bodily functions.” In essence, disfigurement affects a person’s way of being in the world and their appearance. So, for example, a person who suffered burns escaping a house or car fire may have disfiguring burns to their face and other body parts. They may need extensive surgeries to repair skin and nerve damage and intensive infection prevention. A burn victim with visible facial scarring may suffer severe emotional distress that disrupts their life enjoyment.
Kinds of Scars and Disfiguring Injuries
Injuries to the face, especially the eyes, nose, and jaw, can be devastating as those injuries affect critical life tasks. Facial injuries may cause sensory problems concerning the ability to eat, breathe, and navigate safely through life. Other facial injuries include scarring lacerations or burns, which cause others to stare or look away in discomfort. The psychological detriment to those with facial injuries is enormous.
Those with facial and other bodily injuries may require reconstructive surgery to repair burns, blunt force fractures or breaks, and lacerations. In some cases, several surgeries are necessary to reconstruct a body area. And even after reconstructive surgery, an accident victim’s physical ability and appearance may not improve. They may be left with permanent scars and disfigurement despite reconstructive surgery.
Leading Causes of Disfiguring Accidents
Other disfiguring injuries include muscle, skeletal, or nerve damage that affects an individual’s physical abilities and appearance. For example, a rollover car accident in Monmouth County may result in multiple disfiguring injuries, such as severe bone fractures, lacerations, and spinal cord injuries. Broken hips or femur bones can cause internal nerve damage or diminished physical capability when bones pierce the skin or damage neighboring nerves. Nerve and spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis, leaving the victim paraplegic or quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound. A person could lose a limb to amputation, resulting in extreme physical and psychological effects.
However, motor vehicle accidents are not the only cause of disfigurement injuries. People endure tragic accidents on or near construction or industrial sites when exposed to falling objects, heavy machinery, or dangerous chemicals. Inhaling hazardous chemicals can cause permanent lung damage and respiratory problems that result in being tethered to an oxygen tank. Job sites are often sources of grave injuries, but even residential accidents leave permanent disfigurements, such as electrocution and gas or propane tank explosions.
But even ordinary events can turn tragic. People slip and fall, use defective products, or suffer an animal attack. They may get hit by a motor vehicle walking through a pedestrian crosswalk or on the sidewalk or slide tackled during a recreational soccer game, which results in debilitating back injuries and reduced mobility due to fused disks.
Different Types of Consequences of Disfigurement
All catastrophic injuries result in pain and suffering that may continue for months, years, or a lifetime. Individuals with disfiguring injuries may need ongoing medical treatment for prosthetics, skin grafts, or reconstructive surgeries. One who experiences a disfiguring injury may suffer depression, embarrassment, low self-esteem, and diminished life quality. Disfigurement impacts an individual’s confidence and self-image. Their personal and professional relationships may suffer as a result. Their employment and financial status may suffer as they can no longer work in their profession or work at all while still needing medical assistance.
Seeking Compensation for Disfigurement Injuries in NJ
Fortunately, personal injury law allows compensation to those injured by the wrongdoing of others. When disfigurement results from the negligent, violent, or intentional acts of another, the victim may receive compensation for economic and noneconomic damages. For example, they may get compensation for past and future medical bills and lost wages, which are economic damages. They may also receive compensation for noneconomic damages, such as pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and trauma. A spouse may lose their spouse’s intimacy and companionship due to disfigurement and claim loss of consortium. Grossly negligent actors may pay punitive damages to dissuade them from harming others in the future. The liable party pays for the damages they cause to another, typically through insurance.
How Are Payments Handled for Disfigurement Damages?
So, when a business is responsible for producing defective products or dangerous premises that lead to a victim’s disfigurement, its insurer must pay for damages. Homeowners carry homeowner insurance, and drivers carry motor vehicle insurance to cover accidents. Although, not all accidents can be settled through insurance company payments. Sometimes, personal injury compensation awards go to juries at trial for a decision on liability and the award amount. However, disfigurement may cause a jury to award additional damages, given the deep emotional, psychological, and physical pain such injuries cause.
Why is it Crucial to Have a Personal Injury Lawyer on Your Side?
Understanding that a jury may feel sympathetic to one with permanent disfigurement, an insurer may be more inclined to settle a personal injury claim or risk paying more when a jury decides the damages amount. Since insurance companies attempt to pay less than full compensation to injury victims, a personal injury attorney is an invaluable asset to an injured claimant. Personal injury lawyers have experience negotiating with adjustors, so they will push hard for their client’s total compensation amount. And if they cannot reach an agreement because an insurer denies their insured’s liability or does not agree to full compensatory damages, an attorney can take a claim to trial to convince a jury.
Connect with Our Compassionate Scarring and Disfigurement Injury Lawyers in a Free Consultation
If you suffered disfigurement from another person or entity’s wrongdoing, consult our personal injury lawyers for advice and information. You can pursue your claim for the financial help you need with an experienced personal injury lawyer on our talented team with local offices in Asbury Park, NJ. We can help you obtain monetary compensation from those responsible for your scarring or disfiguring injuries throughout Ocean and Monmouth County, including in Sea Bright, Point Pleasant, Wall, Red Bank, Eatontown, Freehold, and Middletown. Call 732-825-6120 or send us an online message to request a free consultation today.
