When an accident in Louisiana or Texas leaves you scarred or disfigured, the long-term costs that ensue can be steep. The devastating aftermath of disfigurement and amputation extends far beyond the initial trauma, ushering in a period of emotional, physical, and financial challenges that affect the injured victim’s life.
Disfigurement isn’t just a financial or aesthetic problem. Injured victims face psychological difficulties accepting their bodies. Treatment and counseling to deal with permanent scarring of the body or face may be extensive, costly, and lifelong. The long-term costs of disfigurement shed light on the full scope of damages that personal injury victims incur, reinforcing the need to seek compensation.
Common Causes of Disfigurement
Disfigurement is a severe body or facial change that affects one’s appearance. Amputation, on the other hand, is the loss or removal of a body part, such as a leg, hand, finger, foot, or toe.
According to the Amputee Coalition, approximately 2 million people in the U.S. live with some form of limb loss. The leading causes of limb loss include vascular diseases, such as peripheral arterial disease and diabetes, as well as cancer. Regrettably, around 185,000 amputations occur in the U.S. each year.
While vascular diseases are the leading cause of amputations, catastrophic accidents also result in many amputations and disfigurements. Here are other common causes of disfigurement:
- Car accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Industrial accidents, including accidents in warehouses, oilfields, and refinery plants
- Construction site accidents
- Electrocution
- Burns
- Explosions
- Assault
- Firearms
These are just a few examples of incidents that can lead to disfigurement. If any of these events cause catastrophic injuries that surgery can’t fix, this may necessitate the amputation of the body part.
Types of Disfigurement Stemming From Accidents
Injured accident victims in Louisiana and Texas commonly experience various types of disfigurements, including:
Facial Trauma
These are injuries to the face that may include a broken jaw, cheekbone, or nose. Broken teeth and deep lacerations are examples of disfiguring facial injuries. Cosmetic surgery may be necessary to enhance a victim’s appearance.
Traumatic Amputation
During an accident, any body part that is pinned may require immediate amputation at the accident scene or once the victim arrives at the hospital. In extreme cases, partial or total severance of the body part may occur during the crash. During such cases, surgeons may reattach severed body parts, such as fingers or hands. When this isn’t possible, one must learn how to live without the amputated body part.
Road Rash and Burns
This is common in motorcycle and bicycle accidents, particularly for motorcycle operators and their passengers. Road rash typically affects the face, arms, and legs, leading to severe skin and nerve damage.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Depending on the extent and severity, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage can sustain injuries that can be considered disfiguring.
The Long-Term Financial Implications of Disfigurement
Regardless of the cause of your amputation and disfigurement, dealing with the ordeal after an accident isn’t inexpensive. The average lifetime healthcare costs for individuals with limb loss is slightly over $500,000, with some amputees incurring much higher expenses depending on the severity and nature of their injuries.
Some of the long-term costs associated with amputation and disfigurement that accident victims in Louisiana incur include:
- Emergency medical expenses: A catastrophic injury may require extensive surgery and other procedures to save the victim’s life and mitigate potential risks, such as infections. ER visits could quickly run into the tens or hundreds of thousands.
- Long-term medical care: If you are disfigured, you may require ongoing care beyond initial treatment at the hospital. In some cases, disfigurement leads to comorbidity, requiring patients to frequent their doctors for checkups.
- Prosthetics costs: After an accident, you may need a prosthetic limb to help with mobility. Depending on the part, features, and functionality, you can expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to over $120,000 for a prosthetic device.
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity: You may need to take time off work to heal and recover after your accident. But what happens if you can’t return to work due to your injury? Take, for example, a construction site worker who loses a limb and is permanently unable to return to work. Workers’ compensation insurance can cover such an employee’s temporary and permanent disability benefits.
Amputation and disfigurement can have a psychological impact on victims and their loved ones. Scarred victims can suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders that may require therapy and long-term psychiatric counseling, which is costly.
Factors That Affect Disfigurement Damages in a Personal Injury Claim
Factors that may affect your disfigurement damages include:
- Whether the disfigurement is long term or permanent
- The extent and size of the disfigurement
- Location of the disfigurement
- Flexibility and loss of mobility
- Effect of disfigurement on your professional, romantic, and social life
- Impact of disfigurement on your mental health
- Medical expenses relating to disfigurement
- Medical devices and aids necessary due to disfigurement
Steps and Considerations When Proving Liability
Disfigurement can be a life-changing event. An experienced personal injury lawyer can gather and examine evidence to establish liability if you have suffered disfigurement due to someone else’s negligence.
Here are the key steps involved when proving liability in a personal injury claim:
- Gather evidence: This may include medical records, photographs, videos, witness statements, and police reports.
- Establish duty of care: Your attorney must show that the defendant had a legal obligation to act responsibly.
- Show breach of duty: Your lawyer must then prove the accused failed to fulfill their legal obligation. For example, drunk driving in Louisiana is considered a breach of duty of care.
- Prove causation: Your attorney must establish a direct link between the defendant’s actions and the injury that led to your disfigurement.
- Demonstrate damages: Your lawyer must prove that you suffered damages as a result of the accident, such as medical bills and lost income.
Consult a personal injury lawyer to understand how the claims process works and how experienced counsel and representation can strengthen your case.
