By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 14th November 2023. In this guide, we’ll talk you through permanent scar compensation claims. If you have endured any degree of scarring due to the fault of a negligent third party, you may consider taking legal action to get body or face scar injury compensation. Within this guide, outline how a personal injury solicitor could support a claim seeking scar settlements on your behalf. We also explain why asking how much compensation per stitch in the UK you could get for scars on the face might not give you an accurate guide when it comes to individual cases for facial scarring compensation.
If you’re seeking compensation for scars, and want to know whether there’s a scar compensation calculator in the UK that could give you insight into compensation for permanent scarring, our compensation section could help.
For more support with claiming compensation for permanent scars, you can call Accident Claims UK on 0800 073 8801 and speak to one of our advisors.
They can provide free legal advice and provide more information on how much compensation per stitch in the UK you could receive. You can also contact us online using our call-back form or our 24/7 live chat service.
A guide to claiming for a permanent scar
Select a Section:
- Permanent Scar Compensation Calculator
- When Could I Claim Permanent Scar Compensation?
- Steps To Take To Claim Permanent Scar Compensation
- What Evidence Can Support Claims For Permanent Scars?
- No Win No Fee Compensation For Permanent Scar Injuries
- Useful Links Relating To Scar Settlements
Permanent Scar Compensation Calculator
Permanent scar compensation can vary widely between claims. This is because the factors of each individual claim will impact how much is awarded.
Successful claims for permanent scars could result in general and special damages. General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering your injuries have caused you to experience.
Those calculating general damages in personal injury claims could refer to a document known as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). It provides compensation guideline brackets for various different injuries at different levels of severity.
Some figures from the 2022 edition of the guidelines have been used in the table below. However, this should only be used for guidance.
The top entry in this table does not feature in the JCG, however.
| Scar | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple injuries | Up to £100,000 + | Multiple injuries leading to significant costs and pain and suffering. |
| Very Severe Scarring - facial (A) | £29,780 to £97,330 | A severe mental reaction to very disfiguring facial scars in a relatively young person. |
| Less Severe Scarring - facial (B) | £17,960 to £48,420 | There has been a significant mental reaction to facial scars that are substantial in their disfigurement. |
| Significant Scarring - facial (C) | £9,110 to £30,090 | The mental reaction may have gone done to minor or was not great to begin with. This was due to scarring that have been or is due to be reduced by plastic surgery. |
| Less Significant Scarring - facial (D) | £3,950 to £13,740 | There's a marred appearance from one scar or many tiny scars with a mental reaction that is no greater than that of an ordinarily sensitive person. |
| Trivial Scarring - facial (E) | £1,710 to £3,530 | A minor impact. |
| Hair Damage (A) | £7,340 to £11,020 | Stemming from dermatitis, eczema or burning sensation on the scalp |
| Hair Damage (B) | £3,950 to £7,340 | Minor cases where only a few bald patches result. |
| Bodily scarring (11) | In the region of £8,640 | An exploratory surgery scar where no internal injury was found. |
Special damages are awarded to compensate you for the expenses and financial losses you have incurred due to your injuries and could include:
- Medical expenses, such as prescription costs.
- Loss of income if you needed to take time off work to recover from your injuries and lost earnings as a result.
- Travel expenses, such as train tickets or bus fares, to take you to medical appointments or to visit your lawyer’s office.
You will need to be able to provide evidence that the cost and losses were sustained as a direct result of your injuries. Examples could include payslips and bank statements.
Please contact an advisor to learn more about how compensation is calculated in personal injury claims.
When Could I Claim Permanent Scar Compensation?
There are many different types of incidents that could lead to a permanent scar compensation claim. To be eligible to claim, someone must have breached a duty of care towards you, and this led to you suffering such an injury.
Some examples include:
- An accident at work – Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have a duty of care to take reasonably practicable steps to protect you from suffering harm at work.
- A road traffic accident – Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, motorists have a duty of care to operate their vehicles in a way that doesn’t cause avoidable harm to themselves or others.
- An accident in a public place – Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, those in control of public spaces must take steps to make those places safe to use by those using the premises for their intended purpose.
This is not an exhaustive list, however. If a third party breaches a duty of care they have to you, and you suffer injuries as a result, you could claim compensation for permanent scarring in other types of accidents.
To learn more about making such claims or to find out about tools such as a scar compensation calculator for UK claims, read on. Alternatively, you could call an advisor to check your eligibility to claim.
Steps To Take To Claim Permanent Scar Compensation
If you are eligible to pursue a personal injury claim for permanent scarring, you might be interested in knowing the claiming process. There are a few important steps that you should take if you’re considering making a claim. These include:
- Seek medical attention – by seeing a medical professional about your injuries, you can have them documented in your medical notes. Furthermore, you can receive professional advice and treatment if needed.
- Gather evidence – gathering evidence could help with proving how your accident occurred, who was liable and the extent of your injuries. In the next section, we will share some examples of the evidence that could be used to support your case.
- Get professional legal advice – it is important to understand where you stand in regard to your rights to claim compensation. Therefore, it would be wise to seek professional legal advice. By working with a solicitor on your claim, they can help you through the claiming process, gathering evidence, and ensuring your case is submitted within the correct time limit.
To learn more about permanent scar compensation claims read on, or contact an advisor. They would be happy to give you free advice and check your eligibility to claim.
What Evidence Can Support Claims For Permanent Scars?
If you decide to claim for your permanent scars, you will need to submit evidence that proves negligence led to your injuries.
Examples of evidence that could support a personal injury claim include:
- Photographs of the scars. For example, if you are left with a stitch scar following a laceration injury, you can photograph the scar. You may also have images of the initial injury, which can also be submitted.
- Accident footage. For example, you can request CCTV footage of yourself, or submit mobile phone or dashcam footage.
- Medical records. As we mentioned earlier, there is a limitation period when making a personal injury claim. These will show what date you sought treatment. In addition to your medical records, you might be invited to attend an independent medical exam as part of the legal process. This will help with understanding the severity of the injury along with what impact it could have on your life.
- Witness contact details. Anyone who saw the accident that caused your injuries can provide a statement later on.
Our advisors can discuss what evidence you could submit if you’ve suffered stitching scars. Call them for free legal advice using the number at the top of the screen.
How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Permanent Scar?
When claiming compensation for permanent scarring, you’ll need to take action within the correct limitation period. As outlined in the Limitation Act 1980, generally, you have three years from the date you were injured to start your claim.
However, if a child was scarred, the three-year time limit is frozen until their 18th birthday. From this date, they will have until their 21st birthday to begin a claim.
In instances where the claimant lacks the mental capacity to make their own claim, the limitation period is frozen indefinitely. If they were to regain this mental capacity, the three-year time limit to begin a claim will reinstate on the date of recovery.
In both instances where the time limit is frozen, a court-appointed litigation friend could make a claim on the injured party’s behalf. This should be someone who will act in the claimant’s best interest, such as a solicitor or parent, for example.
If you have any questions about the time limits involved when making a claim for permanent scar compensation, our advisors will be happy to help. Get in touch at whatever time is most convenient for you using our free 24/7 online chat service.
No Win No Fee Compensation For Permanent Scar Injuries
Accident Claims UK offers a risk-free way for our customers to make personal injury compensation claims. Our No Win No Fee personal injury claims service is simple and effective to use.
Under a type of No Win No Fee agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), you pay nothing at all at the start of your claim, and there is nothing to pay as your claim is being made. If your claim fails, then you don’t need to pay your solicitor a success fee. You will pay a success fee to your solicitor if your case succeeds which your solicitor will take from your award as a legally capped percentage.
Our advisors can discuss your potential permanent facial scar compensation claim if you get in touch. If they believe your claim for permanent scar injury compensation seems like it has a good chance of success, you could be connected with our solicitors.
To get in touch:
- Call us on 0800 073 8801
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat feature
Scar injury claims
Useful Links Relating To Scar Settlements
Below, you can find more useful information on claiming permanent scar compensation:
- General information on scars from the NHS
- Assaulted at work claim guide
- Burn injury Guide
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Compensation Claims
- Laser Hair Removal Claims
We hope this guide about how much compensation per stitch in the UK has been useful. For any further questions, get in touch at any time.
