Am I right in thinking that a woman would get more scarring injury compensation than a man would? My daughter was injured in an accident which has resulted in a prominent facial scar and is worried about how much compensation she may receive.
How much scarring injury compensation an individual may receive depends on the severity of the scar but consideration is always given to the victim’s age and their sex. The law acknowledges that women place a higher value on their personal appearance than men do, and even when a physical scar may be exactly the same in two separate claims one involving a man, the other a woman, the amount of compensation for a scar injury will be influenced by the emotional trauma the woman suffers because of her injury.
Another issue to consider in such a case is the plaintiff’s age; the younger the victim is, the more likely they are to receive a higher scarring injury compensation settlement as a younger person will be recognised as having to live for a longer length of time with the disfigurement. Young plaintiffs have also been known to have received special damages for the purpose of covering the cost of plastic surgery to remove a facial scar.
When the Injuries Board is assessing a claim for scarring injury compensation, they refer to a publication known as the Book of Quantum which lists possible personal injuries and assigns to them a financial value. However, the Book of Quantum does not cover compensation for scarring injuries, so it is advisable that you consult with an experienced personal injury solicitor who can discuss the circumstances of your daughter’s case and can provide more information on the degrees of facial scarring which entitle the victim to claim compensation.
All scarring injury compensation claims are unique and the amount of compensation awarded should be calculated by referring to each case’s individual merits. In general, women do receive more compensation for visible facial scarring, but it would be in your daughter’s best interests to speak with a solicitor at the first possible moment, to accurately estimate how much compensation for scarring injuries she is rightfully entitled to.