Our client, Ms. A suffered an incident at a friend’s house that left her with a significant facial laceration and permanent scar. BBGA attorneys investigated the incident and filed a lawsuit against the responsible parties. They secured a $500,000 settlement before the case went to trial.
The Injuries
Ms. A immediately went to the hospital after her injury. Doctors in the emergency room noted a large facial laceration with shards of glass in the wound. The doctors cleaned the wound, removed the glass, and gave her stitches. She was also prescribed antibiotics, nerve pain medication, and topical ointments commonly used to treat scars and skin conditions. Ms. A attended follow-up visits with a doctor to ensure the wound was healing properly.
Later, Ms. A saw a plastic surgeon to discuss treatment options to reduce the appearance of her scar. The surgeon told her that the scar was unfortunately permanent and could be reduced, but never eliminated. He administered an injection of Kenalog, used to treat skin conditions. He also recommended future treatment with a resurfacing laser to help smooth the scar down.
Effects of the Injuries
While the scar is still visible, the mental and emotional injuries our client suffered are not. Her scar is visible – even when she uses make-up and concealer to try and cover it. Because her scar is prominently on her forehead, it’s the first thing she notices when she sees herself in a mirror or a photo. She wonders what she would look like without it.
Ms. A is self-conscious about the scar and worries about what others will think when they see it. People often look at her scar or ask her what happened, which makes her self-conscious and embarrassed. Every time she meets a new person, she wonders whether they are looking at her scar and whether they will ask what happened. Ms. A recently started her freshman year of college, which of course involves meeting many new people. Instead of enjoying her freshman year of college, it has been a pressure cooker of anxiety and self-consciousness as she worries about meeting new people and going into new social situations.
The Settlement
To secure a fair settlement, we focused on the effects of the scar. We argued that the scar was permanent and could never be removed, even with the best medical treatment. Ultimately, we secured a settlement of $500,000. We are glad to have helped Ms. A with her case, and we wish her the best in her continued recovery.
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