Facial Scar Compensation Claims
Free advice on where you stand, whatever caused it
A facial scar is harder to put behind you than most injuries, because you meet it in the mirror every day. If yours was caused by an accident that was not your fault, or by an assault, you may be able to claim facial scar compensation for the injury, the treatment and the effect it has had on you. We handle scarring and every other kind of facial injury claim on a No Win No Fee basis, and will give you a straight answer about your options.
Regulated solicitors
Years' experience
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Can you claim facial scar compensation?
Usually, yes, if someone else was responsible. Most facial injury claims are brought against whoever was at fault: a driver, an employer, an occupier of a shop or public space, or the owner of a dog that was not kept under control. You need to show they owed you a duty of care, failed to meet it, and that your injury followed. The same test applies whether you were left with a scar, a fracture or damaged teeth.
There is a second route that many people do not know about. If your face was injured in an assault, there may be no insured defendant to claim against, but you may still be able to apply for a government award through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The rules and the deadline are different, and the section below explains them. Whichever route applies to you, we can tell you in one free conversation.
If your facial injury was caused by an assault
Violence is one of the most common causes of facial injury, and it is the situation where people most often assume nothing can be done. There is usually no insurer behind the person who hurt you, and they may never be caught or may have nothing to pay with.
That is what the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority exists for. It is a government scheme that can make an award to a victim of a violent crime in England, Wales or Scotland, funded by the state rather than by the attacker. You do not need anyone to have been convicted, and you do not have to wait for a trial to finish before applying.
Two conditions catch people out. The crime must have been reported to the police, and the application must normally be made within two years, which is a year shorter than the usual injury claim deadline. If you were assaulted and have not spoken to anyone about a claim, that shorter deadline is the reason to do it now rather than later.
the usual deadline to apply after a violent crime
Applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority must normally be made as soon as reasonably practicable and within two years of the crime, and the crime must have been reported to the police. Limited extensions exist, for example where someone was unable to apply sooner because of their physical or mental health, and different rules apply to childhood abuse. An award may also be reduced in some circumstances, including where someone did not co-operate with the police.
Source: GOV.UK guidance on claiming compensation for a criminal injury. Check your own position with a solicitor.
Common causes of facial scarring and injury claims
Facial injuries reach us from a wider range of accidents than almost any other injury we handle, and most of the causes below can leave permanent scarring.
Road traffic collisions
Impacts with the steering wheel, windscreen or airbag, and injuries to cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
Assaults and violent crime
Injuries caused deliberately by another person, including attacks at work and in licensed premises. See the section below.
Accidents at work
Flying debris, chemical splashes, falls from height and machinery injuries where face protection was missing or inadequate.
Slips, trips and falls
Falls onto hard edges, steps or glass in shops, workplaces and public spaces, which often break teeth and cheekbones.
Dog bites and animal attacks
Bites to the face, which are common in children and frequently leave scarring that needs specialist treatment.
Faulty products and treatments
Defective equipment, exploding glass, and burns or scarring from cosmetic or beauty treatments that went wrong.
Facial injuries we handle compensation claims for
You do not need to know the medical name for what happened. Describe the accident and the symptoms, and the medical evidence will do the rest.You do not need to know the medical name for what happened. Describe the accident and the symptoms, and the medical evidence will do the rest.
Compensation for facial scarring: how claims are valued
No honest figure can be given before the medical evidence is in, and no online calculator can produce one either. Facial injuries vary more than most, because two scars of the same size can affect two people’s lives very differently.
Facial scar compensation is not assessed on measurements alone. What matters is how visible the scar is, how it has settled over time, whether further treatment can improve it, and the effect it has had on you. The psychological impact is part of the claim, not an afterthought to it, and it is assessed on evidence in the same way the physical injury is.
Alongside the injury itself, a claim covers what it has cost you. Once the evidence is complete, your solicitor will explain what your claim should include and why. The same approach applies to facial injury compensation claims that did not leave a scar, such as fractures or dental damage.
- The injury, the treatment you have been through, and any lasting scarring
- Psychological harm, including anxiety and distress about your appearance
- Future treatment, including revision surgery and replacement dental work
- Lost earnings, travel, care and any effect on the work you can do
How much compensation can you get
for a knee injury?
There is no set amount, and any website that quotes you one before seeing your medical evidence is guessing. Knee injury compensation claims vary widely: two people with the same diagnosis can have very different claims, because what the law compensates is the effect on your life, not the label on the scan.
A claim is made up of two parts. General damages cover the injury itself: the pain, the recovery, and any lasting limitation. Special damages cover what it has cost you, such as lost earnings, treatment, travel, care from family and adaptations at home.
Once the medical evidence is in, your solicitor will explain what your claim is likely to include and why. We will not put a figure on it before then.
- How severe the injury is, and whether surgery was or will be needed
- Whether you have made a full recovery, and how long it took
- The effect on your job, particularly physical or standing work
- The risk of arthritis or further surgery in future
- Your financial losses, evidenced by payslips, receipts and records
Evidence that supports a facial scar claim
One piece of evidence matters more here than in almost any other claim, and it is the one people wish they had: photographs taken as the scar changed.
No photographs? Still call. Hospital records usually document the injury, and a medical expert can give an opinion on how a scar is likely to have looked.
No Win No Fee facial injury claims
A No Win No Fee agreement, properly called a Conditional Fee Agreement, means there is nothing to pay upfront. If the claim does not succeed, you do not pay us for our work, subject to the terms of your agreement.
If it succeeds, a success fee agreed with you in advance is deducted from your compensation. Insurance is usually arranged to protect you against the other side’s costs. All of it is set out in writing and explained before you sign anything, and you are free to ask as many questions as you need to first.
No pressure and no obligation. Asking whether you have a claim commits you to nothing.
Facial scar compensation:
your questions answered
The questions we are asked most, answered plainly.
Can you claim compensation for a facial scar?
Usually, if someone else was responsible. Most claims are brought against the person or organisation at fault, such as a driver, an employer, an occupier or a dog’s owner. If your injury was caused by an assault, you may instead be able to apply to the government’s criminal injuries scheme. A free assessment will tell you which route fits your situation, whether you were left with scarring or another facial injury.
How is compensation for facial scarring worked out?
There is no set amount, and any site quoting one has not seen your medical evidence. Scarring is assessed on how visible it is, how it settles over time, whether further treatment can improve it, and the psychological effect it has had, alongside your financial losses. Once an independent specialist has reported, your solicitor will explain what your claim should include.
Can I claim if I was attacked and nobody was ever charged?
Possibly, yes. An award through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority does not depend on anyone being convicted, and you do not have to wait for a trial to conclude. What matters is that the crime was reported to the police and that you apply in time, normally within two years. Some circumstances can reduce an award, so it is worth getting advice on your particular case.
Can I claim for damage to my teeth?
Yes, dental damage is part of a facial injury claim. It is worth claiming properly rather than settling on the cost of the first repair, because crowns, implants and bridges generally need replacing over a lifetime. A dental expert can set out what your treatment is likely to involve in future so the claim reflects it.
Does a claim cover the psychological effect of a facial injury?
Yes. Anxiety, low mood, avoidance of social situations and distress about your appearance are recognised parts of a facial injury claim, and so is the cost of counselling or therapy. They are assessed on evidence, usually a report from a psychologist or psychiatrist, in the same way the physical injury is. Tell us about this side of it even if it feels harder to describe than the injury.
How long do I have to claim facial scar compensation?
For a claim against someone at fault, usually three years from the injury. For an application to the criminal injuries scheme after an assault, normally two years, which catches people out. For children the three years runs from their eighteenth birthday, and where an injured person lacks the mental capacity to claim, the time limit generally does not run. Check your dates with us rather than assuming you are too late.
Find out where you stand
Tell us what happened and how you have been since. We will explain which route applies to you, what it would involve, and whether it is worth pursuing. If it is not, we will say so.
- Free, confidential and without obligation
- No Win No Fee available
- SRA-regulated solicitors
Check if you can make a claim
Takes less than 60 seconds
Other claims we handle
Find out whether you have a claim
If your injury came from an assault, the deadline is shorter than most people expect, so it is worth asking sooner. Whatever caused yours, the conversation is free, private and puts you under no obligation.
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