Getting Compensation for Disfigurement After an Accident

 Posted on January 31, 2026 in Personal Injury

In most car accidents, you can expect to recover within a few weeks or months. But in extreme cases, victims may be left with lasting catastrophic injuries. When an accident leaves you disfigured, it can affect the rest of your life — not only in terms of financial losses, but your mental health and place in society as well. Your compensation for the accident should reflect the long-term impact of your injury.

At Schwartz Injury Law, our Joliet, IL car accident attorneys can help you seek the payment you deserve. We have built a reputation for aggressive representation in trial, having recovered millions of dollars in payment for victims of catastrophic injuries.

Types of Disfiguring Injuries

Disfigurement after a car accident can look different from person to person. Some injuries heal with minimal marking. Others leave permanent changes to the skin, face, or body shape. Common disfiguring injuries include:

• Deep cuts or lacerations that leave raised or wide scars

• Facial scarring from broken glass, airbags, or impact with the steering wheel

• Burns from vehicle fires, hot fluids, or chemicals after a crash

• Road rash that causes lasting discoloration or textured scarring

• Broken bones that heal with visible deformity or uneven alignment

• Loss of tissue, including injuries that require skin grafts

No matter the cause, these injuries often come with physical pain and emotional stress. Early medical care and careful documentation can help protect both your health and your claim.

The Costs of a Disfiguring Injury

After a serious car crash, disfigurement often means repeated medical visits and a long treatment plan for healing.

Treatment can get expensive fast. You may need stitches, skin grafts, or surgery to repair deep cuts. Some people also need plastic or reconstructive surgery. Follow-up care is just as important. That can include wound care, infection treatment, and physical therapy if the injury limits movement.

Even "small" costs add up. Prescriptions, bandages, compression garments, scar creams, and medical supplies can become a steady expense. If you need imaging or specialist visits, that is another set of bills. Time away from work can also hit your budget right when you need stability the most.

Some scars require ongoing care. Your doctor might recommend laser treatments, steroid injections, or scar revision surgery later. If a facial scar affects eyelids, lips, or the nose, you may need procedures to improve function, not just appearance. Many people also benefit from counseling after a disfiguring crash, especially if they feel panic, shame, or trouble sleeping.

Disfigurement and Scarring Can Affect Earning Potential

A visible injury can change how you feel at work. Some jobs depend on face-to-face interaction. Others require physical ability. If scars limit movement in your neck, shoulder, hands, or legs, your job options may shrink.

Many people miss work for surgeries and follow-up visits. That can mean lost wages now. In harder cases, it can mean a career shift later. If you cannot return to the same role, you may earn less over time. You may also lose eligibility for benefits, promotions, or overtime.

Recovering from a disfiguring injury may require dramatic changes, like vocational training or workplace accommodations. That takes time and money. Even if you stay in the same field, pain and tight scar tissue can make long shifts harder. Stress can affect focus, too. That can lead to missed opportunities.

When you look at the financial impact, it helps to think beyond the next paycheck. The question is not only what you lost this month, but what the injury may cost you for years to come.

Non-Economic Damages in Disfiguring Accidents

Disfigurement can follow you into daily life. It can affect confidence, relationships, and routines. You might avoid photos. You might stop going places you used to enjoy. You might feel anxious in crowds.

Non-economic damages are meant to address those human losses. They can include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of normal life. In scarring cases, they can also reflect embarrassment and the way a visible injury changes how you move through the world.

These losses are real, but they are not easy to measure. That is why documentation matters. Photos over time can show how a scar develops. Medical notes can show complications and future treatment needs. A simple journal can help you track pain, sleep, and activities you avoid.

Should You Accept the First Settlement After an Accident?

After a crash, an insurance company may offer money quickly. That can feel like a relief when you’re inundated with bills. But the first offer is often not reflective of the full value of your claim.

In scarring cases, the largest expenses might only show up later. You may need revision surgery. You may develop nerve pain. You may not know the long-term look of the scar for months. Some doctors wait until the scar "matures" before recommending certain treatments. Keep in mind that once you settle, you usually give up the right to ask for more later on.

How Can Comparative Negligence Affect Your Claim in 2026?

After an accident, insurance companies often look for ways to avoid taking responsibility for damages. They may argue you were speeding, distracted, or too close to the car ahead. They may use a short video clip or a single sentence from a recorded statement as an admission of fault.

Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence rule. In plain terms, your share of fault can reduce what you recover. If you are any more than 50 percent at fault for an accident, you lose the right to seek payment for your damages (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).

Take photos if you can. Get witness names and contact information. Keep records that link the crash to your injury. Be careful with what you say afterward, too. Do not speculate, and do not apologize just to be polite. If you are hurt, seek medical care and get to a safe place as soon as possible.

Contact a Will County, IL Car Accident Attorney

Don’t discount the lasting effects of a disfiguring injury. At Schwartz Injury Law, we can review what happened, gather key records, and help you take action against the liable party. Call 708-888-2160 or contact our Joliet, IL car accident attorneys to schedule a free consultation.