Many injury symptoms from car accidents are devastating, but those that affect the face can be especially so. The face is our personal identity, our first physical impression to the rest of the world. It also provides the basic, vital human interactions of sight, smell, and taste. But that can all change in an instant in the wake of a car accident. The leading causes of facial injuries due to a crash include:
- shattered glass that cuts through the skin,
- airbag injury to the face, and;
- road rash from being ejected from a vehicle.
Car accidents are the most common kind of accident in Texas, many resulting in serious facial injuries. Car wrecks, whether they are head-on, rear-end collisions, or side-impact – can cause facial injuries by:
- Being ejected from the car, its windshield, or window
- Fire
- Being hit by debris or flying objects
- Being hit by foreign objects that penetrate through the vehicle
- Shattered pieces of glass
- Hitting the airbag, steering wheel, or dashboard
What are the Different Types of Facial Injuries from a Car Accident?
Facial injuries can exist as a complicated combination of abrasions, cuts, fractures, and more within the layers of an auto accident survivor’s skin. Several of the most common kinds of facial injuries include:
Facial Fractures
As the name implies, facial fractures experienced from a motor vehicle accident are broken bones anywhere on the face. Pain and symptoms include swelling, nosebleeds, restricted jaw movement, eyesight restrictions, bruising, and possible permanent disfigurement.
The main types of facial fractures are:
- Broken orbital bone (bones surrounding the eyeball)
- Forehead contusions
- Cracked nose
- Cracked cheekbone
- Broken upper and/or lower jaw
Soft Tissue Injuries
The most common type of facial injuries, soft tissue injuries, range from cuts and abrasions to road rash, gashes, and deep wounds that need stitches. More often than not, they will leave scars and can even develop infections. These damages occur when the face strikes a hard surface, after a burn, or if the face is lacerated by glass or metal.
Contusions or Hemorrhages
These more serious facial injuries can become life-threatening if not treated immediately in an emergency room after a car accident wherein a driver’s head slams into a side door, window, airbag, steering wheel, or flying object. A contusion is a bruise from a severe blow to the face, crushing muscle and tissue below the skin without actually breaking the skin. A hemorrhage could follow, which can cause brain damage and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This often leads to long-term disabilities and challenging, life-changing effects for the car accident injury victims and their loved ones.
How are Face Injuries from a Car Accident Treated?
If not properly treated, facial injuries can become fatal. When the victim of a car accident with facial injuries gets medical attention, medical professionals must take critical steps to reduce recovery time as much as possible, including:
- First, to stabilize the injured person before any injuries are diagnosed and treated (unless there is significant bleeding or blocked airways).
- Because face injuries are considered a type of head injury, the neck and head will be closely examined to find out if there was any damage to the spine or brain.
- Next, a physician will examine the patient’s (if lucid) level of motor and sensory function in the face, which includes a closer look at whether or not there was any damage to tear ducts, ear canals, nerves, teeth and inner mouth, eyelids, and any underlying bones.
- Use saline on the face injuries to remove debris and foreign material.
- Close open wounds, depending on the type of tissue damage and injury, as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of infection, by using sutures, adhesives, tape, and staples.
- For severe swelling with injuries, the attending physician may take photos of the patient to help determine the best surgical and reconstruction strategy.
What is the Recovery Process for Car Accident Facial Injuries?
The recovery process after sustaining facial injuries in a car accident depends on several factors, including the accident victim’s past health and more, such as:
- Any prior injuries to the face, and the victim’s current health and habits, can affect how quickly wounds heal.
- If the patient consistently takes care of their facial injuries, so they scab faster after the initial treatment.
Long-term consequences from facial injuries can range from scars to other complications, including those to the nose, hypoesthesia, and damage to the eyelids.
The driver responsible for the collision that caused these damages should be held liable. The Lubbock car accident attorneys of Liggett Law Group are longstanding advocates for injury victims and we work tirelessly to support our clients throughout the claims process. The first step in ensuring just compensation is contacting Liggett Law Group today to discuss your case at no cost. There is limited time to act following an accident in Texas, so don’t put this off for another day.