Body Scar Compensation Calculator

Average Compensation Amounts

Body scarring is an unfortunate by-product of many different accidents or injuries, each with their own wide-ranging causes and consequences.

Regardless of how your scarring was caused, if someone else was to blame then we can help you to pursue a compensation claim. Take a look at the information provided above to get an idea of the average amount of compensation you could claim for your injury.

What Influences How Much Scar Compensation You Will Receive?

You may be curious to know how much a scar is worth if you are making a claim for permanent scar compensation. Each claim for a permanent scar will be evaluated in light of the specific facts.

Your permanent scar compensation will include payment for your pain and suffering in terms of general damages. This might cover both the physical scar and any financial recompense for any mental trauma the scarring may have caused.

Special damages may be included in some compensation claims for permanent scars. This tries to cover any monetary loss, such as necessary cosmetic surgery. A loss of wages payout for any time you were unable to work may also be included.

However, you must provide evidence of the expenses you are trying to collect in order to include extra damages as part of your claim for a permanent scar. For instance, pay stubs, invoices, or receipts.

Contact us to talk through your experience today.

What can be claimed as part of your scar compensation claim?

Many people underestimate how many various fees and damages they are legally entitled to claim when claiming compensation for facial scars or for any other sort of scarring. It does not only apply to direct financial losses. Instead, a settlement claim might pay for a wide range of expenses that might arise as a result of scar damage. These consist of:

• General damages are crucial for scar injury claims because they cover difficult-to-quantify costs like mental harm and harm to one's professional reputation, which are especially pertinent to compensation claims for scarring.
• Special damages are those brought on by the injury, such as lost wages or property damage. The loss of earnings is especially relevant to all compensation claims, even though it is less relevant to permanent scar damage.
• Medical expenses are expenses that include things like private medical care, especially if plastic surgery is done to try and lessen the scar.

Assessing the severity of permanent scar injuries

One of the factors that is likely to be most relevant to you when thinking about your permanent scar compensation claim, especially if you are unsure about filing your claim in the first place, is the potential level of compensation. The severity of the injury is the most crucial element in this case. By classifying the injury's severity as one of the following, settlement sums for face scars and other scar-related injuries can likely be calculated:

Minor severity: injuries that have little impact on you and claims with this level of seriousness usually involve the face. This includes minor scarring, which while it is permanent and has an influence on your emotional wellbeing, it has no bearing on your ability to move. Injuries of this severity may have a minimal amount of compensation for a scar on face awarded.

Moderate: injuries of moderate severity may have a noticeable impact on you. This includes moderate permanent scarring that may have a substantial influence on your emotional health but little to no effect on your mobility. Compensation for injuries of this magnitude is typically paid in a moderate sum.

Severe: these are injuries that have a severe impact on you. This includes severe, permanent scarring that affects your movements significantly and has a very detrimental impact on your emotional wellbeing, especially around the face and other prominent portions of the body. These kinds of severe injuries receive the highest payouts in terms of compensation.

While these general guidelines are useful, it is still vital that you receive a medical assessment from a medical professional in order to properly evaluate you in order to help your scar compensation claim.

What to Do if You Have Suffered a Permanent Scar Injury?

Since scar injuries frequently co-occur with other injuries, you should first prioritise getting a medical evaluation of your wounds to make sure you are not in any immediate danger and, to some extent, gauge the severity of the injury.

After that, you should start collecting evidence to back up any future compensation claims you anticipate making. Three categories can be used to organise this evidence:

• Witness testimony or an official accident report are examples of evidence that supports the accident. This proof is meant to attest to the fact that the accident for which you are seeking compensation really did take place and that it did so in the manner you are claiming. The operational report that describes the accident could be utilised in this regard, for instance, if you sustained a permanent scar and are asking for compensation for a facial scar as a result of medical negligence.
• Evidence in support of negligence. This evidence is required to demonstrate that someone's negligence contributed to the disaster. To go back to the first illustration, the operation report might explain how the scarring was brought on by a surgeon making an important error during the process.
• A general medical report or assessment given by a medical expert especially evaluating severity could be used as evidence to support severity. This is necessary to establish the seriousness of your injury because it will have a significant impact on the amount of compensation you might be eligible for.

Making a claim for facial scar compensation

Suffering a facial injury is extremely painful and particularly distressing for anyone.  We are aware of the trauma involved when a single disfiguring scar can alter the course of your entire life. Whether you have a permanent facial scar as a result of criminal activity, a car accident, a botched medical procedure, or cosmetic surgery, it is important to understand that you have the right to pursue maximum facial scar compensation from those accountable for your scar injury if it was preventable. 

Damages for permanent face scars are often higher than those for other scars. This is due to the prominence, and the potentially more severe physical, and psychological effects of a facial scar on the person.

It is completely understandable that your confidence and self-esteem may drop if you have sustained a facial injury and are faced with the possibility of having scars that will not go away. You can feel the need to quit your job, look for a new position where you are not required to interact with others, and stop going out and having a social life. Your compensation claim for a face scar should fairly account for the emotional suffering brought on by the disfigurement that results from a facial accident that was not your fault.

Thankfully, the law does acknowledge that lasting scarring can result in serious mental and emotional hardship in these types of circumstances.

How Long Do You Have to Make a Scar Compensation Claim?

You typically have three years to file a personal injury claim. This time frame starts on the day you suffered the wound that left a permanent scar. The Limitation Act of 1980 contains the deadline for filing a compensation claim.

There are some circumstances, nevertheless, in which this time limit might not be relevant. For instance, if the victim of the injury is under the age of 18, the three-year time restriction does not apply until that day. A litigation friend may make a claim on their behalf in the interim without the usual time restrictions. A litigation friend must be employed in this situation because a child cannot assert their own rights until they are adults.

In a similar fashion, if a claim is to be made for a claimant whose mental capacity has been lost, a litigation friend must also be appointed. Their time restriction is likewise put on hold; should the victim recover, it would only resume. 

The law surrounding limitation is complex and you should seek advice from a solicitor regarding your specific situation, or if you have any questions about how much money you might get for a scar compensation claim. Our compensation calculator may also provide you with a rough estimate of how much compensation you may be able to claim.

How Compensation Could Help You

While no amount of money can fully cover your suffering, a successful compensation claim can go a long way to relieve the stress you feel and the financial difficulties you may encounter as a result of your injury.

Seeking compensation for body scarring could help you to pay for a number of solutions or support, including:

• Loss of past or future earnings
• Rehabilitation
• Plastic surgery

Further Reading

For more information on how to make a compensation claim, click here.

Case studies

• Scars, Cuts and Bruises After Being Knocked From Bike - £1,500

Frequently asked questions

Can I make a criminal injury claim for laceration or scar compensation?

Yes, you can. There is a particular procedure to handle scar settlements and similar sorts of laceration or permanent scar compensation claims if you have been cut, scarred, or otherwise disfigured as a result of a criminal assault.

In England and Wales, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government organisation that provides compensation to those who have suffered physical or emotional harm as a result of criminal assault.

After a violent assault, if you qualify for a scar settlement, the lawyer we put you in touch with will file an application for  compensation with CICA.

How much does it cost if I make a permanent scar compensation claim?

You accomplish this through a conditional fee agreement, sometimes known as a no win no fee arrangement. It is the agreement that you and your lawyer for scar settlements have made.

There are no up-front costs or secret fees, but if you prevail in your claim, you will be required to pay a contribution towards your lawyer’s costs from your compensation. Given that the other party is simply required to contribute to your legal fees, this is likely to occur in the majority of cases.

These expenses, which may include the following, will only be deducted when your compensation is paid:

• A "success fee" reimburses the solicitor for the risk they assume because they won't be compensated if your claim is unsuccessful.
• Any additional legal fees or expenditures, such as the price of any insurance for legal fees, that are not reimbursed by the opposing party.

Your solicitor will obtain legal insurance protection on your behalf when you begin your laceration compensation or scar settlements lawsuit. Sometimes, this is referred to as ATE (After The Event) insurance.

The costs incurred by the opposing party will be covered by this insurance if your claim is denied.

You will not be required to pay for the ATE insurance if you don't obtain any scar compensation. If your claim is accepted, the fees will be deducted from your compensation.

To prepare you for the settlement of your claim, your solicitor will go over this with you beforehand.

Could I receive interim compensation payments?

It can be stressful to think of having to spend hundreds of pounds, if not more, on urgent care to reduce the severity of your scars.

Fortunately, in severe circumstances it may be possible to obtain interim compensation to meet your immediate financial needs while waiting for your personal injury compensation claim to be completely resolved (which can take months if not years to complete).

However, receiving interim payments requires the opposing party to acknowledge liability for the harm. You may be entitled to a temporary amount of compensation if they do acknowledge responsibility. Your final settlement would be reduced by such payments.

It is important to discuss the possibility of interim payments with your solicitor early on so that any necessary treatment can be funded as soon as possible.

My scarring was caused at work - can I claim against my employer?

Yes, all people have the right to make accident claims against their employer if they sustain any kind of harm in a work-related accident through no fault of their own and are left with lifelong scarring. Workplace injuries should be covered by compensation, as well as an additional sum for scarring. Your employer has a strict legal obligation to ensure your safety while working. 

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act of 1974 outlines broad obligations for employers, as well as additional legal requirements based on the industry and type of firm you work for.

What is the CICA?

The government-run CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) allows victims of violent crimes to file claims for damages for their injuries. Whether or not the assailant has been identified, you can file a permanent scar injury compensation claim through the CICA if you have been hurt and are left with scarring. But keep in mind that you must submit your claim as quickly and without delay as possible. Additionally, you must have immediately reported the occurrence to the police (or very soon after). 

Depending on how the scarring developed, you may be able to submit a claim under the CICA programme for your actual scars alone. This is because CICA compensation awards, which are set tariffs for certain injuries, are different from compensation calculations in typical personal injury claims.

Talk to Us

Remember, the compensation amounts provided on this page are just a guide as there are many variables that dictate the sum awarded to you if you are making a claim. If you would like to find out how much compensation you could claim for your specific injury, speak to our specialist solicitors today. Call 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form to speak to one of our permanent scar compensation claims experts.

What can cause body scarring?

Various different events could result in a scarring injury. These include traffic accidents, workplace accidents, and accidents in public spaces. However, you must be able to demonstrate that you were owed a duty of care and that a breach in this caused your damage in order to be eligible for compensation for a permanent scar.

Accidents at work

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the fundamental law governing workplace health and safety. In order to safeguard their employees' health, safety, and wellbeing at work, companies are required to take all reasonably possible measures.

For instance, defective equipment or a lack of personal protection equipment may cause you to get lacerations, leading to permanent scars, even severe facial scarring . A scar may also be left behind if you break a bone, as may happen if you trip or fall at work, this may  be covered by the amount you get in compensation.

Road traffic accidents

The Road Traffic Act 1988 sets the duty of care that road users owe to each other.  This means that they must take all reasonable steps to protect one another from harm, for instance, by adhering to the Highway Code, which provides extra guidelines for using the roadways. 

Burn injuries could be the outcome of a car collision. These could happen if the car catches fire or if the airbag inflates, leaving a lasting scar. You may be eligible to file a claim if you suffered as a result of another driver's failure to exercise reasonable care. 

Accidents in a public place

The Occupiers' Liability Act of 1957 oversees those in charge of public spaces' duty of care. It indicates that whoever is in charge of the area must make reasonable efforts to keep everyone who uses it safe.

For instance, cuts from a pavement accident may leave scars that are lifelong. A trip on the pavement could also cause gravel to get caught beneath the skin. If it needs to be removed medically, this can result in further scarring.

Types of Scars

There are many different kinds of scar, which normally differ due to the instrument that caused the initial wound or the manner in which the body attempts to heal the wound.

The NHS provides the following categories of scarring:

• Flat, pale scars - the most common kind of scar, characterised by a thin, pale line on the skin. However, the larger the initial wound, the larger the scar and the longer the time required for it to fully heal.
• Scar contractures - caused when the skin shrinks, often as a result of burns, and leads to a restriction of movement and tightness of the skin once healed.
• Hypertrophic scars - raised, red scars that are thicker than usual and can restrict movement. They are caused by an imbalance in the amount of collagen produced when healing a wound.
• Keloid scars - similar to hypertrophic scars, keloid scars form when too much collagen is produced at the site of a wound. However, unlike hypertrophic scars, they continue to grow even after the wound has healed.
• Atrophic/’ice-pick’ scars - have a sunken appearance and are often caused by skin conditions.

Scarring from burn injury

Burns can be caused by scorching water, fire, and heat. The skin will also be burned by corrosive chemicals, electricity, radiation, and harsh sunshine. The degree of the burn, as well as the scarring it leaves behind, is determined by the heat or chemical potency, the length of time the skin was exposed, and how promptly the injury was treated.

Three categories are frequently used to classify burn injuries:

• First-degree burns - usually minor, damaging the outer surface layer of skin only, causing pain and redness but rarely leaving a scar.
• Second-degree burns - these burns damage both the outer epidermis of your skin and the dermis layer below it. They are deeper and more painful than first degree burns, usually blister and then leave a scar.
• Third-degree burns - these are serious, penetrating the full thickness of the skin and damaging nerve endings. They require skin grafting to repair. Widespread third-degree burns can overwhelm the body, with fatal results.
• Fourth-degree burns reach into the fat layers under your skin, fifth-degree burns into the muscle and sixth-degree burns damage bone. They can result in amputation or even death.

Effects of Body Scarring

While there are many different types of scars, they can all have a serious mental health impact on those who have to live with a constant reminder of the pain they encountered.

Victims of body scarring typically have to deal with significant psychological damage, often experiencing a loss of confidence - especially if the scarring is visible to others.

Someone with a scar may feel they are unfairly judged by people they encounter as a result of the scarring, whether in their professional or personal lives.

Can I Prevent Scarring From Becoming Permanent?

Unfortunately, scarring cannot be prevented, and neither can scars be reversed. 

Keeping the area wet will often lessen the likelihood of severe scarring (many experts advise applying petroleum jelly and covering the incision), but scarring will not go away entirely. 

Long-lasting or permanent scarring can be treated, nevertheless, to enhance look or make it more bearable. Silicone gel application, skin grafts, steroids, dermal fillers, and even professional makeup can all be used as scarring treatments.

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