A Scar is Not the Same as Pain and Suffering
If you’ve been scarred in a car accident that was not your fault, you need to know that a scar is not the same as pain and suffering. An insurance company should pay an additional amount for your scar, and it’s a lot more than you think. Hi, I’m Joel Hudson with Carrollton Injury Law here in Carrollton, Texas. We know that a scar is a physical and emotional injury. Let’s face it, you’re going to see it every day when you look in the mirror as a painful reminder of a horrible day you’d like to forget, but the insurance company doesn’t care about your scar. They’re going to try to lump it into what’s called “pain and suffering”.
We DO care about your scar, and we’re going to make sure the insurance company pays the most amount for your pain and suffering, and an additional amount for your scar.
What is a Scar?
Even if your skin heals just fine, that cut or scratch still has value. And if your scar is permanent, the legal term we use for that is “permanent disfigurement”. I know that’s a horrible term, but let’s face it, scars are horrible. And the more permanent disfigurement you have, the more reasons you’re going to need an attorney to help you get the money you deserve for your claim.
As you know, a scar can come in many forms. It might be a cut or a scratch. It might be burn marks from airbags deploying, or it can be road rash, for instance, if you were on a bicycle or a motorcycle, or in a pedestrian in an accident. You can also have a hematoma or some other type of knot from your head or some other body part hitting the inside of your vehicle.
Don’t forget, you’re also going to have a remaining scar after surgery.
How to Document Your Scar
In order to get the most money for your scar, you need to document the injury.
First of all, report it to your first treating doctor. Even if they’re not treating that wound at all, it needs to be documented that this wound and this eventual scar came from this car accident.
The next thing you need to do is start taking photos of your wounds now, before they heal, and then continue to take your photos every so many days or weeks and keep them in a journal so we can show just how long it took for you to actually heal from this wound. Don’t forget to put dates on the photographs for future’s sake.
Another pointer I’d like to give you is that sometimes burns and scars are hard to see in photographs. Make sure you take all kinds of pictures from different angles. Try taking pictures on the inside of your house and the outside of your house.
Any way you put it, a picture is worth a thousand words and a good scar photo can be worth thousands of dollars.
Carrollton Injury Law Can Help
You need to seek an attorney’s help if you have scars from a car accident. The stakes are even higher if your scars on your face, your neck, your arms, or your hands. If you’re a woman, a scar anywhere on your body can be horrific. We want you to know not to give up. We have a series of specialists that we can refer you to for scar revision procedures, and there will be no money out of your pocket to do so.
If you’ve been scarred by a car accident, call or text us today at 972-848-5766 for your free injury claim evaluation. Thank you for watching this video, and thank you for allowing us to put personal back into personal injury law.
