Facial trauma is one of the most common types of injuries sustained in car accidents. Facial fractures are often associated with other injuries such as head injuries, eye injuries and facial lacerations.
Facial fractures are broken bones anywhere on the face. The main types of facial fractures related to motor vehicle crashes include a broken orbit, cracked nose or cheekbone, forehead injuries, and a broken upper and lower jaw. In a car accident, several different facial bones can get fractured.
Facial Fracture Types
Facial bone fractures: Those who have sustained a facial fracture may experience swelling, bruising, and tenderness at the injury site. In the case of a nose fracture, the person may have nasal deformity and nosebleed. If the middle part of the nasal bone is fractured, it can also cause a fracture of the bones on the inside of the nose. This can expose the person’s brain to the external environment, and the person may experience clear nasal discharge and ongoing nosebleeds.
Fractured jaw (Mandible): The common symptoms include bruising to the underside of the tongue, pain, swelling and difficulty bringing the teeth together. If the fracture is located at the middle part of the face, he/she may have clear nasal discharge difficulty bringing teeth together, bruising, and visual problems. In case of a cheek fracture, the person may experience symptoms such as a depressed or flattened area in the cheek, problem moving the jaw, vision problems, presence of blood inside the eye or changed sensations in the affected area.
Cheekbone fractures (Zygomatic bone): Also known as zygomatic fractures, these fractures cause symptoms such as flatness of the cheek, visual problems, changed sensation under the eye on the affected side, blood in the eye on the affected side, pain with jaw movement.
Orbital fractures: Those who suffer an orbital fracture as a result of a car accident may have eyes that appear sunken. The patient may also experience other symptoms such as double vision and altered sensation around the injured eye. In case the temporomandibular joint gets dislocated, the patient may have a jaw that is out of line and may not be able to close their mouth. This joint is located in the front of the ear at the place where the jaw and the temporal bone are connected.
Recoverable Damages
Facial fractures can be extremely painful and often require prolonged and extensive treatment. The patient may have to undergo multiple surgeries. Some victims are left with permanent scars or disfigurement as a direct result of the injury or because of the surgery. Recovery is often slow and painful.
You will need an experienced attorney by your side to help you fight relentlessly to recover compensation for your injuries and pain & suffering. Damages can be recoverable for lost wages, medical expenses, and overall pain & suffering.
Representation for Facial Fracture Injuries
If you or a loved one have suffered facial fractures from a North Carolina motor vehicle collision, you need to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Maginnis Law handles North Carolina personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis – meaning that you pay no attorneys’ fees unless we reach a settlement or obtain a verdict or settlement in your case.
Maginnis Law’s lead personal injury attorney, T. Shawn Howard, is experienced in handling complex personal injury cases. He is a million dollar and multi-million-dollar advocate, meaning that he has obtain settlements for his client in excess of $1,000,000 and $2,000,000. He has also been designated a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2016.
You can contact the Raleigh personal injury attorneys of Maginnis Howard at (919) 526-0450. You can also send us a confidential message to our intake team through the contact page.
