Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Scarring From Accidents
Many different types of injuries can occur when you in an accident. Unfortunately, sometimes the injuries you sustain do not heal completely and you are left with a permanent reminder of the harm that you endured.
Scarring can occur when you suffer burn injuries or when you suffer cuts and lacerations. Scarring is common after:
- Auto accidents: Debris or glass from the windshield can cause you to suffer cuts that lead to permanent scars. Air bag injuries can also cause permanent scarring.
- Fires: The scars from burns are some of the most visible scars, and plastic surgery or skin grafting is usually required to try to minimize the appearance of scars.
- Work injuries: Explosions, defective machinery or falls can also cause you to suffer scars.
- Slip and falls: A blow to the face or any body part can result in bruising that leads to scarring.
- Medical malpractice: When doctors perform surgery but make mistakes, this can lead to unsightly scars.
- Defective or dangerous products: Dangerous products can cause burns, cuts and other injuries that result in permanent scars developing.
- Dog bites: An attack by a dog can result in scarring and disfigurement.
These are just a few of the common causes of scars. In any situation where someone is responsible for causing you to suffer an injury and develop a scar, you may be able to obtain compensation from the responsible party.
Types of Scarring
The formation of a scar is a natural part of the healing process when you are injured. Burns or other trauma to the skin will cause the skin to produce collagen (tough white protein fibers) to repair the damage. A scab forms when this collagen forms and when the scab falls off, a scar remains.
A variety of factors including age, heredity, ethnicity, sex, the location of the injury and the depth and size of the wound will all affect how deeply you scar after an injury. The type of scar also has a major impact on how the scarring affects you. For example, different types of scars include:
- Keloid scars: These result when your body is overly aggressive in trying to heal itself. Unfortunately, keloid scars can extend beyond the original site of the injuries you sustained. Keloid scars are very visible, but unfortunately they can also cause physical problems beyond just altering your appearance. Over time, a keloid scar can affect your mobility and may need to be treated with surgical removal; steroid injections or cyrotherapy.
- Contracture scars: These commonly result from burn injuries. These types of scars cause your skin to tighten. Like keloid scars, they can impact your mobility. These types of scars can also go deeper and can affect your nerves and muscles.
- Hypertrophic scars: These are raised red scars that are similar to keloid scars but that do not extend beyond the area of your original injury. Steroids may be used to treat hypertrophic scars.
When you suffer a scar injury, the person responsible for causing you to develop the scar will need to pay for all medical costs related to treatment as well as for pain and suffering, emotional distress and other losses. The more visible the scar and the more impairment the scarring causes, the more compensation you should be entitled to receive.
An Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Many people don’t realize that scars do more than just affect your appearance but unfortunately, the reality is that scarring can be a serious injury in-and-of-itself. If you have developed a scar as a result of someone else’s negligence, it is important to understand your legal rights in Georgia and it is important to take action to get the full amount of compensation that you deserve.
At Van Sant Law, LLC, our experienced Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Attorneys have handled many different cases with clients who experienced scarring as a result of an accident. We know how to prove your case to get you the maximum in monetary compensation.
To learn more about how we can help you, give us a call at (404) 991-5950 or contact us online today.