Last Updated: 2/1/2024

When a severe car accident leads to a disfiguring injury, you may wonder what the future holds. You face not only immediate treatment and increasing medical bills but also uncertainty about the long-term implications. An Iowa injury law firm can evaluate your case to determine what your next step should be.

While you spend time focusing on your healing and recovery, a law firm that handles accident claims can work on putting together a solid case that proves negligence. A lawyer can work hard to fight for your rights and the compensation that you may be entitled to receive.

Disfiguring Injuries Resulting from a Car Accident in Iowa

Person in hospital bed after a car accident in iowaWhen an accident is especially severe, different types of disfiguring injuries resulting from a serious car accident can occur, such as;
  • loss of limb;
  • burns (permanent scarring); and
  • facial scarring (loss of eye, broken teeth or nose, etc.). 

These types of injuries can impact every area of an individual’s life. It can affect the ability to socialize and go out in public. It may prevent him or her from returning to a job or being able to work at all. Many victims who suffer disfiguring injuries have not only the physical repercussions to deal with but also emotional trauma. Considering the medical care that addresses the injury and lost income, it may be necessary to seek psychological counseling. 

When a car accident in leads to disfigurement, compensation for your injuries may be available through a claim. Burn injuries are extremely costly to treat because of the amount of time spent in the hospital, including follow-up visits and sometimes in a burn care facility or unit.

In addition, there may be surgery, skin grafting and long-term use of medication that only adds to the costs. The stress of the injury itself is enough without adding the financial burden.

These are just the physical implications of a burn injury. Another consideration is the emotional damages that are often experienced. Accidents of any nature can lead to psychological injury. However, when the injuries are disfiguring, the risk of developing anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder is even greater.

Again, this may lead to the need for counseling or some other form of psychological help which costs only add to the already mounting medical expenses. 

Unfortunately, if the disfiguring injury is the loss of a limb, a traumatic amputation could also mean the permanent loss of a limb. It may not be possible to reattach the limb; therefore, the use of a prosthesis may become necessary. This can be very difficult to accept. The emotional trauma of such an injury can last a lifetime.

If the traumatic amputation occurred to one or both legs, it could mean getting used to a wheelchair. This type of limited mobility can affect all areas of an individual’s life, from their ability to socialize to work. It could also mean being unable to return to the same job as before or even becoming permanently disabled.

You may also need treatment for facial injuries and may include surgery to repair broken bones, orthodontic care, neurological procedure or implanting an artificial eye.

Despite treatment, an individual may be left with a misshapen face, blotchy skin, and other permanent scars. As a result, emotional injuries may need to be treated with some form of counseling.
 

When you suffer disfigurement from a car accident in Iowa, then you may be able to file a claim which can address all of your financial losses (wages and medical care) and other types of compensation. You should speak with an Iowa injury law firm to learn how you can protect your rights. 

What To Do Now?

While nothing can change the circumstances of your disfiguring injury, there is something you can do to try and get your life back. By filing a claim after your car accident in Iowa, you can attempt to recover the damages that address all of your financial, physical and emotional losses.

The Iowa injury law team at Walker, Billingsley & Bair work hard to level the field between injured Iowans and insurance companies. That’s why we provide this FREE book; The Legal Insider’s Guide to Iowa Car Accidents: 7 Secrets to Not Wreck Your Case. To learn more about what our legal team will do to help you protect your Iowa injury claim, contact Walker, Billingsley & Bair to schedule a no-cost consultation. Call 641-792-3595 to order your free accident book today. 

Corey Walker
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With over 28 years legal experience, Corey has been recognized for his work as an injury attorney.