Dealing With Facial Injuries After an Accident

Facial injuries after an accident are painful and traumatic. There are 14 facial bones that could be affected by a serious accident and impact the function and look of your face. Facial trauma could also impede the function of your eyes, nose, mouth and ears if the force of the accident is powerful enough. Dealing with facial injuries can be a significant challenge to your daily routine.

Facial Trauma From Accidents

Facial trauma happens after some serious accidents. Car accidents, motorcycle collisions and boating crashes are the most common situations where facial trauma could happen. Some of the situations that may lead to a significant facial injury include:

•   Airbags – When your vehicle slams into another object, your airbags may go off. Your face may also slam into the airbags causing facial injuries.
•   Glass – If your windshield or windows shatter, the glass may get into your face and cause injury.
•   The Road – Motorcycle accidents and vehicle ejections may lead to your face coming into contact with the road and causing significant facial trauma.

Facial Fractures

After a serious crash, you may be left with one or more facial fractures. Fractures may occur to the nose, jawbone, cheekbones, forehead, eye sockets or mid-face. It’s also possible to break more than one facial bone. Facial fractures may be extremely painful and change your appearance. Treatment includes setting the bones and in some cases, surgery.

Lacerations

Another type of injury to the face after an accident is a laceration. Glass and other objects in a vehicle may come flying towards the face during an accident and result in one or more cuts. Lacerations can be minor and require no treatment. Serious cuts to the face may require stitches, skin glue or plastic surgery repair.

Soft Tissue Injuries

If you experience facial trauma due to blunt force from an airbag or another part of the vehicle, this could also result in a soft tissue injury. Soft tissue injuries to the face could be bruises, contusions or hemorrhages.

Skin Burns

Burns to the face from road rash or fire are also possible after an accident. In the most extreme cases, the vehicle may explode in the aftermath of an accident. A severe burn could cause serious disfigurement and require painful surgeries and skin graft procedures.

Treatment and Recovery

If you suspect you have a facial injury after an accident, you should get treatment immediately. Quick action during your treatment may help you experience a better outcome. Long-term treatment for serious facial injuries may be costly and require multiple surgeries.

The recovery outlook for a facial injury varies. Some facial injuries are minor and don’t have a long recovery timeline. Serious facial injuries may require a long road to recovery. Some facial injuries may also impact the function and look of your face and lead to changes in your mental health.

Get Guidance After Experiencing a Facial Injury

Facial injuries may impact your life significantly. If you have suffered an injury from an accident, you need a team of professionals by your side who can advocate for you. The team at Mills & Mahoney P.A. can help you with the next steps. Contact us at (919) 683-2135 to get a consultation for your case.