Making a facial scarring claim

A facial scarring claim covers a permanent mark left on the face after a road accident. It is assessed separately from the fracture or cut that caused it, within a wider road accident claim.

A scar cannot be undone the way a broken bone can heal. The claim looks closely at how visible it is and how it affects the person carrying it.

This page explains how a scar is assessed, the evidence it needs, and how it connects to a wider facial injury claim.

What counts as facial scarring

A scar can range from a thin, barely visible line to a raised or discoloured mark. It can change the shape of a feature.

Location matters considerably. A scar near the eye, lip, or hairline is generally treated more seriously than one in a less noticeable spot.

Scarring can also follow surgery to repair a facial fracture, not only from the original cut itself.

How it affects daily life

Beyond appearance, a visible scar can affect confidence in social situations and at work. It can also affect how someone feels in photographs that will exist for years.

Some people experience genuine anxiety or self-consciousness that goes well beyond the physical mark. This is part of why this injury is not treated lightly.

Where the scar is on a hand or another exposed area, similar principles generally apply. The emotional effect is often felt most strongly with the face.

The evidence this claim needs

Clear photographs of the scar are central evidence. They should be taken in good light at more than one point after healing, since a scar can change slightly over the first year.

A specialist medical report from a plastic surgeon or dermatologist should describe the scar’s size and appearance. It should also address whether further treatment could realistically improve it.

Where the scar affects confidence or mood, that should also be noted. It can be relevant to the psychological injury side of the claim.

How scarring factors into your claim

General damages are assessed against a published compendium of injury awards, together with the medical evidence.^[1] This takes into account the scar’s visibility, size, and location on the face.

Age and sex can also be relevant, since visible facial scarring is often given more weight for younger claimants. Cosmetic treatment such as laser therapy or further minor surgery, where realistically likely to help, is claimed as part of future medical costs.

Recovery and realistic outlook

Most scars fade and soften over the first year or two, though they rarely disappear entirely. A specialist’s assessment closer to that point gives a more reliable picture of the final appearance.

What to do next

Ask the treating team early whether scar-reducing treatment is realistic in your case. This affects both your recovery and the medical report.

The general deadline to bring this claim is six years from the accident.^[2] This allows time for the scar to settle before it is finally assessed.