Some injuries cause more extensive scars and disfigurement than others. With these wounds, you must deal with the injury and the permanent reminder of getting injured. Also, scar tissue can cause painful contractures that can limit movement and function. A Lake Charles scarring & disfigurement lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers could help you go after compensation from the at-fault party.
Common Causes of Scarring and Disfigurement
Wounds that develop prominent or highly visible scars can result from work-related accidents, motor vehicle collisions, dog bites and attacks, and other accidents. Also, criminal activity like assaults and the violent use of weapons can cause permanent reminders of the attack in the form of scars or disfigurement.
An incident that involves chemical or thermal burns can give the skin a “melted” appearance. In addition, some medical treatments can cause scars, for example, surgical incisions and skin grafts. Finally, in an accident, a person who loses a body part like a hand, foot, finger, or leg will experience disfigurement.
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Recoverable Damages for Scarring and Disfigurement in Lake Charles, LA
A person who got injured due to someone else’s negligence and then developed disfigurement or scars in addition to the initial wounds will have a claim for their losses for both the first injury and the disfigurement. Some of the common categories of monetary damages in these cases include:
- The cost of medical treatment for the initial wound. This category could include the ambulance, emergency room, doctors, hospital, surgery, physical therapy, prescription drugs, and pain management.
- The cost of medical treatment for the scars or disfigurement. This item could include scar revision surgery, plastic surgery, prosthetic devices, physical therapy to increase function and range of motion, and other related expenses.
- Lost income. You might experience financial hardship if you miss work while undergoing the initial medical procedures or treatment of the scars or disfigurement.
- Lost future income. Your injuries, scars, or disfigurement could decrease the amount of income you could earn if you have an impairment.
- Pain and suffering. This means the physical discomfort of the wounds and medical treatment, the inconvenience, and the emotional distress of the accident or intentional act.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many people develop PTSD after witnessing or experiencing an accident with debilitating or fatal injuries.
- Scars or disfigurement. Having to go through the rest of your life with marks on your body from a traumatic injury can be devastating. In addition, people with extensive scars or disfigurement often develop emotional and psychological conditions like depression, negative body image, or suicidal ideation.
After suffering an injury severe enough to cause disfigurement or scarring, you want a law firm with a track record of getting significant client wins. Here are a few examples of verdicts and settlements we have won for our clients:
- $5,250,000.00 – Auto accident resulting in brain injury
- $5,000,000.00 – Judgment for a paralyzed driver
- $2,000,000.00 – Auto accident resulting in spinal cord injuries
- $1,200,000.00 – Trial verdict for a motorcycle accident victim
A disfigurement lawyer in Lake Charles, LA, can talk to you about your disfigurement case and evaluate your claim.
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Factors We Have to Prove to Establish Liability in Disfigurement Cases
We will have to prove four separate elements for the judge to hold the at-fault party accountable for your losses in your disfigurement case.
- The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care under the law. Let’s walk through a scenario involving a car accident. Everyone who drives a car in Louisiana has the legal duty to obey traffic laws.
- The defendant violated their duty of care. Let’s say that the defendant drove while intoxicated by alcohol. Violating traffic laws is negligence. Negligence alone, however, is not enough to establish liability.
- The negligence of the defendant caused the accident that injured the plaintiff. The alcohol impairment caused the defendant to lose consciousness at the wheel and crash into the side of a car at an intersection.
- The fourth element is quantifiable losses. Physical injuries satisfy this requirement. For example, the driver of the car struck by the drunk driver suffered extensive, severe injuries, including the amputation of a leg. Amputation is a type of disfigurement.
This scenario demonstrates how to prove the required factors to establish liability in a disfigurement injury case.
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Three Things to Do After Suffering Disfiguring Wounds in Louisiana
Here are three steps you might want to consider taking after suffering disfiguring injuries that were not your fault:
- If appropriate, call the police to get an official investigation and report of what happened and an assessment of causation. For example, if your injuries occurred in a motor vehicle accident, you will want a police report that documents the parties involved and their injuries and assesses fault.
- You will want to get medical attention for your injuries as soon as possible. However, you do not want to give the defendant an argument that your scars would have been less severe with prompt medical treatment.
- Talk to a disfigurement attorney in Lake Charles, LA, right away. You do not have long in our state to take legal action in these cases. CC Art. 3492 sets the filing deadline for personal injury claims at one year. The wrongful death statute of limitations is also one year, according to CC Art. 2315.2. After the deadline passes, the law can prevent you from seeking compensation.
We can provide much more guidance after we talk to you about your case and you become a client. We tailor our legal services to the needs of our clients and their unique circumstances.
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Contact a Lake Charles Scarring & Disfigurement Attorney to Get Started Today
After going through a traumatic experience like an accident that injured you and left you with scars or disfigurement, the last thing you need is to fight a billion-dollar insurance corporation for the compensation you deserve. When someone else injures you through carelessness, you should not have to bear the financial and physical costs.
For a free consultation, you can contact a Lake Charles scarring and disfigurement lawyer at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today. If we take your disfigurement and scar case, you will not have to pay upfront legal fees. Instead, we will handle the claim on a contingency-fee-basis, which means that we wait until the end of the matter and then receive a portion of the settlement or court award. Therefore, you do not owe us any legal fees until you win.
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