At the top end of the facial and sensory injury compensation scale are the cases of total loss of sight or hearing, worth around £220,000 general damages.

More common are injuries which lead to partial loss of sight or impaired hearing. Examples include industrial deafness cases where prolonged exposure to noisy machinery at work causes hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

One recent case we dealt with involved a man who whilst carrying out repairs for an elderly relative in her boiler cupboard was exposed to a flammable material negligently left there by a workman. The material caused an explosion which damaged his hearing and he suffered from quite severe tinnitus.

He required prolonged treatment for the tinnitus (and post traumatic stress), both of which were funded by the Defendant;s insurers as the claim progressed, and the case settled for £60,000 damages.

Damages for fractures to facial bones range from £1000 for a broken nose (with full early recovery) to £20,000 or more for serious fractures to the jaw or frontal bones which require surgery and which leave longer term symptoms. Often facial bone fracture cases will involve other injuries, such as scarring, concussion or other head injury.

Facial scarring cases can be difficult to value and the range of awards is wide. A small well healed scar above the hair line will be of little or no cosmetic significance but the same scar on the bridge of the nose can be very obvious and will sometimes cause the accident victim serious anxiety. It is important to remember that the victim's subjective reaction is relevant.

The Defendant must take the Claimant as he finds him, which means that the Claimant who suffers a severe psychological reaction to an injury, perhaps because of a constitutional vulnerability, is entitled to compensation for the full extent of their injury, even if another person may have got over the effect of the same injury without any difficulty.

Facial scars are often amenable to scar revision plastic surgery, and the private cost of the procedure is usually claimable as an item of special damage.

Personal injury compensation is divided into two main categories, one for the injuries themselves (general damages) and a second for the financial losses caused by the injury (special damage). This second category includes compensation for loss of earnings, care, and medical expenses.

Where do I start?

Contact Wendy Wright on 020 7681 8671 or by e-mail to wendywright@osbornes.net. Or Stuart Kightley on 020 7681 8672 or by e-mail to stuartkightley@osbornes.net

We will then discuss the case with you over the phone and if you have a claim we will arrange a free initial interview either here or at your home.