Many injured people experience pain, medical struggles and physical limitations after an accident. These medical challenges are not the only way injuries can impact a person’s life. While scarring, paralysis, damage to the bone structure and other injuries that change a person’s appearance can also create significant challenges.
How might a disfiguring injury impact a person’s social life?
When an accident changes a person’s appearance, that damage can be emotionally painful. For example, people with facial palsy report various psychological challenges ranging from low body image to anxiety and depression related to their condition.
In addition to the impact that disfiguring injuries can have on a person’s emotional state, these injuries can also impact their relationships. Bias can lead some people to make negative judgments about people’s personality and social attributes with facial differences.
Disfigurement may also harm a person’s career.
While disfigurement might not impact a person’s ability to perform their job tasks, it may also still have a profound impact on their career. Bias against facial differences can affect others’ perceptions of their abilities both in their current job and when hunting for new positions. In addition, one 2011 study indicated that interviewers might remember less about people with facial scarring and other disfigurements, leading to lower ratings in job interviews.
Disfigurement and scarring can have a profound impact on a person’s life. Thankfully, personal injury claims may offer some compensation for the struggles a person experiences due to these changes to their appearance.