This page was written, edited, reviewed & approved by Ruben Davidoff following our comprehensive editorial guidelines Ruben Davidoff ,the Founding Partner, has 30+ years of legal experience as a New York personal injury attorney.
Car accidents can cause more than just broken bones or bruises. Some injuries leave deep, lasting marks. Scars and disfigurement can change how a person looks and feels about themselves. These injuries can also lead to more medical costs, emotional pain, and problems at work.
If you or a loved one has suffered scarring after a crash, you don’t have to go through it alone. Davidoff Law helps you understand your rights and options. Our team knows how to handle complex auto accident claims and works hard to hold the right people accountable. We’ll stand by your side to help you recover medical bills, lost wages, and fair compensation for your pain.
As your trusted Queens car accident scarring and disfigurement lawyer, we’re here to support you every step of the way and fight for the financial recovery you deserve.
Table of Contents
Understanding Scarring and Disfigurement Injuries After a Car Accident
Some car accident injuries leave lasting physical marks that change a person’s appearance. Scarring and disfigurement can affect both body and mind, leading to pain, emotional distress, and expensive medical treatment.
In Queens car accident cases, these injuries may be permanent and qualify as serious under New York insurance law. Below are key points to understand.
What Is Considered Scarring or Disfigurement?
Scarring or disfigurement refers to any injury that causes visible changes to the body. This includes deep cuts, burns, or surgical marks. These injuries often occur on the face, neck, hands, or arms, places that are hard to cover.
They can also limit movement, cause discomfort, and affect self-esteem. For many people, scarring becomes a lifelong reminder of the trauma from a serious car accident.
How Car Accidents Lead to Disfigurement
Disfigurement happens in many car accident cases. Broken glass can cause severe lacerations, airbags may cause facial burns, and crushed body parts may need surgery or even amputation. In some crashes, fire or chemical exposure makes the injuries worse. These injuries may require skin grafts or leave permanent scars. Even with treatment, full recovery is not always possible, making legal support essential.
Common Types of Disfigurement from Vehicle Collisions
Motor vehicle accidents often lead to injuries that cause long-term changes in appearance. These visible injuries can deeply affect a person's health, confidence, and daily life. In Queens car accident cases, many victims face high medical expenses and emotional pain.
Here are common types of disfigurement that can result from serious car accident injuries:
Facial Scarring and Burns
The face is one of the most vulnerable areas during a car crash. Flying glass, broken metal, and airbag impact often cause deep cuts or burns. Fire or chemicals from the vehicle may also damage facial skin. These injuries can require surgeries, skin grafts, or leave permanent marks. Facial scarring affects not only appearance but also emotional well-being and social interactions.
Amputation and Loss of Limbs
Some Queens car accident injuries are so severe that doctors must remove a damaged limb to save a person’s life. Amputation leads to major changes in mobility and daily function. Victims often need long-term physical therapy, prosthetics, and ongoing medical treatment. This type of disfigurement causes both physical and emotional trauma, along with major financial strain due to medical bills and lost wages.
Skin Grafting and Surgical Scarring
When skin is badly damaged in a car accident, doctors may need to perform skin grafting. This involves taking healthy skin from one area of the body and placing it over the injured area. While this helps healing, it often leaves visible scars.
In many Queens car accident cases, these scars can be large, uneven, and permanent, even after several procedures.
Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars
Keloids and hypertrophic scars form when the body heals too aggressively after a wound. These thick, raised scars are more common after severe car accident injuries like deep cuts or burns. Keloids can grow beyond the injury site, while hypertrophic scars stay within the original area.
Both types can cause discomfort, limit movement, and require ongoing medical treatment, increasing overall medical costs for the injured person.
Legal Rights of Disfigured Car Accident Victims in Queens
Victims who suffer visible injuries after a Queens car accident may have the right to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Scarring and disfigurement can qualify as serious car accident injuries under New York insurance law.
Understanding these legal protections can help injured people recover lost wages, medical bills, and other damages linked to their trauma.
When Scarring Qualifies as a “Serious Injury”
Under New York law, a scar may be considered a “serious injury” if it is permanent, visible, and significantly changes a person’s appearance. Facial scars, surgical marks, or lost limbs often meet this legal standard.
Once this is proven, the injured person can file a car accident lawsuit to seek compensation. A Queens car accident lawyer can help show how the injury has affected your daily life and future.
Proving Negligence and Liability
To win a personal injury claim, the injured person must show that the other driver caused the accident through careless or reckless actions. This may include distracted driving, driver inattention, or speeding.
Your Queens car accident lawyer will gather evidence such as photos of the accident scene, witness statements, and expert reports. Proving negligence is key to recovering fair compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and emotional harm.
What If the Other Driver Was Uninsured or Underinsured?
If the other driver does not have enough insurance (or has none at all) you may still be able to seek compensation. Many car insurance policies in New York include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This allows you to file a claim with your own insurance provider.
An experienced Queens car accident scarring and disfigurement lawyer can help you understand your options and make sure you are not left paying for someone else’s mistake.
How a Queens Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
After a disfiguring crash, dealing with insurance companies and legal rules can feel overwhelming. A Queens car accident lawyer can handle the legal work while you focus on healing. They help build your personal injury claim, deal with the insurance provider, and fight for the financial recovery you need.
Here are important ways an experienced car accident attorney can assist:
Proving Physical and Emotional Damages
Visible injuries are easy to see, but the emotional pain they cause can be just as serious. Queens car accident attorneys will work to prove both the physical and emotional trauma caused by your car accident injuries.
This includes showing how your appearance has changed, how it affects your daily life, and how it may lead to long-term emotional struggles. These details help increase the value of your personal injury lawsuit.
Working With Medical, Surgical, and Psychological Experts
To strengthen your personal injury claim, your experienced car accident attorney may work with expert witnesses. These can include surgeons, skin specialists, and mental health professionals. They help explain the extent of your disfigurement, the need for future medical treatment, and the emotional toll of the injury. Expert opinions give your case more weight when dealing with insurance companies or in court.
Securing Maximum Compensation Through Negotiation or Trial
Insurance companies often try to settle car accident cases for as little as possible. Your Queens car accident lawyer knows how to push back. By using strong evidence like medical records, photos, and expert reports, they can demand fair compensation.
If a settlement can’t be reached, your lawyer can take the case to trial. Whether through negotiation or courtroom results, the goal is to recover full payment for medical costs, lost wages, and pain.
What To Do If You Suffer Scarring or Disfigurement in a Car Accident
Taking the right steps after a serious car accident can protect both your health and your legal rights. Disfigurement often brings long-term medical expenses and emotional trauma. Acting quickly helps build a strong personal injury case.
Some of the most important things to do if you’ve been seriously injured in a Queens car accident are:
Seek Medical and Psychological Treatment Immediately
Get medical treatment right away, even for injuries that seem minor. Some wounds worsen over time and may lead to permanent scarring. Also, speak with a mental health professional to manage emotional trauma. These medical records will show the true impact of your injuries and support your car accident claim. Insurance providers often look at these records when deciding how much to pay.
Photograph Injuries and Keep All Documentation
Take clear, dated photos of your injuries as they heal. Include close-up shots and full-body views if needed. Also, save all medical records, receipts, and notes from doctors. Keep a journal of your symptoms and how the injury affects your life. This documentation helps prove your damages in a Queens car accident lawsuit and strengthens your personal injury claim.
Do Not Accept a Settlement Before Legal Review
Insurance companies may offer quick settlements that seem fair, but they often don’t cover the full cost of your medical bills, lost wages, or future care. Once you accept, you may lose the right to seek more money later.
Always let a Queens car accident lawyer review any offer before you sign. Legal advice protects your chance to seek fair compensation.
Contact a Local Personal Injury Attorney in Queens
If you suffered scarring or disfigurement, don’t wait to get legal help. A local law firm with experience in Queens car accident cases can explain your rights and help you file a strong claim. An experienced car accident attorney will guide you through each step, deal with the insurance provider, and fight for the financial recovery you deserve.
FAQs
Are scarring and disfigurement considered common car accident injuries?
Yes. While soft tissue injuries and fractures are more typical, disfigurement from burns, cuts, or surgeries is also among the common car accident injuries, especially in high-speed crashes or serious car wrecks. These types of injuries may require long-term care and lead to lasting emotional and physical harm.
What if I have other injuries like traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries along with scarring?
Many victims of automobile accidents suffer multiple injuries at once. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and internal injuries can happen in the same crash as facial or body scarring. These injuries may increase your need for future medical expenses and can add value to your personal injury case.
How do car accident statistics relate to disfigurement claims?
Car accident statistics show that severe injuries often happen in high-speed or distracted driving crashes. Disfigurement claims are more common in major car wrecks, where vehicle damage and property damage are severe. These statistics can support your car accident claim by showing how serious the impact was.
Can a car crash attorney help me deal with the other driver's insurance company?
Yes. A car crash attorney will speak directly with the other driver's insurance company so you don’t have to. They make sure your injuries, including any medically determined injury like scarring, are fully accounted for when asking for compensation.
What happens if reckless driving caused my injuries?
If the other driver was speeding, texting, or breaking traffic laws, that’s considered reckless driving. Your lawyer can use this to prove fault and demand payment for your medical bills, emotional pain, and property damage. It also makes it easier to seek full compensation for long-term care and future medical expenses.
Contact Our Queens Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Scarring and disfigurement can change your life forever. You may face not only physical pain but also emotional struggles and high medical costs. Davidoff Law understands what you’re going through. We help people hurt in Queens car accidents recover compensation for what they’ve lost -- both seen and unseen.
Most personal injury cases are complex, and the claims process can be confusing. That’s why we guide you through every step of the legal process. We’ll build a strong case, deal with the insurance company, and fight for the full amount you deserve.
Don’t wait to get help. If you or a loved one has suffered from a disfiguring injury in a crash, contact us and schedule a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer in Queens today. Let us help you move forward with support, care, and results you can count on.
