Facial injuries can leave victims with permanent injuries

Facial fractures — broken bones anywhere in the face — are an unfortunate consequence of serious car accidents. Even if an air bag exploded and kept you from further harm, you can end up with facial fractures from the sudden force.

What are the symptoms of a facial fracture?

Even if you don’t feel like anything is broken, you should be checked out by a doctor if you have any of the following signs of a facial fracture:

• Your cheek seems strangely shaped.
• You have numbness on your face, including the lip, eyelid or nose.
• Your eyelids are swollen.
• Your eyes seem sunken or out of position.
• You have trouble seeing, including double vision or floaters in your sight.
• You can’t move your eyes as well as you should and there’s pain when you move them.
• You have obvious dental injuries (like missing teeth) after the wreck

All of those are signs that you may have one or more broken bones in your face. A doctor will likely order x-rays or other tests to determine what’s going on.

What happens after a facial fracture?

A facial fracture is unlike other types of broken bones because of the effect on your appearance, your ability to see clearly, your jawline and ability to bite down, chew or smile and more. The surgeries are often invasive and the recovery intensely painful. Reconstructive surgery is also often necessary down the line to repair the victim’s appearance.

Even the best surgery may not totally restore your appearance or damaged nerve endings. You may be left with permanent scars and problems with your mouth or bite.

If your life has been changed due to the facial injuries you suffered in a wreck, you may be able to claim compensation from the party at fault. Learn more about how to protect your rights.