Truck Accident Facial Trauma and Its Psychological Effects

How Facial Wounds Lead to Psychological Scarring

However, sometimes it’s not just the pain of an injury that can take its toll; sometimes, the location of the injury can have just as much impact as the severity of the wound. This is especially true for individuals who suffer some type of physical trauma to the face or head. Whether the injury is minor or severe, its effects can cause the victim severe emotional distress.

Facial Trauma Is Common in Truck Accidents

Facial injuries may not seem as life-threatening as other potential truck accident injuries, such as brain trauma or spinal cord damage. However, the risk for facial wounds is higher than most other injuries due to the proximity of threats during an accident. For example:

• Glass from a broken windshield can lacerate the skin and eyes as it flies into your face.
• Impact force of slamming into a steering wheel can fracture your orbital bones, break your nose, and shatter your jaw.
• Fire or heat from a damaged engine can cause third-degree burns as it travels through the dashboard and across your face.

Furthermore, although the risks of facial trauma may not be life-threatening, the symptoms and aftermath remain life-altering. Any type of facial damage can cause a variety of complications, including but not limited to:

• Severe pain
• Temporary or permanent blindness
• Inability to open the mouth all the way
• Difficulty speaking
• Trouble chewing food
• Facial swelling
• Facial numbness or complete loss of sensation in the affected area
• Bleeding in or from the mouth
• Facial scarring or deformity
• Psychological trauma

Psychological Trauma of Truck Accident Facial Injuries

The recovery process following an accident is twofold. You must heal your physical wounds as well as the emotional ones the accident left behind. Unfortunately, injuries to the face can be psychologically damaging for some people long after their physical wounds have healed. The scarring reminders of their accident remain front and center, making it difficult to close the emotional wounds. They know they can’t hide any facial disfigurement, and the stress and embarrassment of seeing, explaining, and worrying about the scars can be overwhelming.

Some psychological effects of facial trauma are short-term, while some may be more long-term. The degree of these effects will be different for everyone, especially for those who have temporary face injuries versus permanent scarring or disfigurement. Common symptoms associated with psychological trauma following a face injury include:

• Social avoidance. This consists of avoiding social interaction, even with friends and family. The injury victim may especially avoid people who may be associated with the truck accident and resulting facial trauma.
• Mood swings. The injury victim may feel anxious, angry, irritable, or fearful. He may have bouts of depression, loss of interest, or loss of control.
• Suppressed focus. It’s common for trauma victims to feel numb or dazed, to have loss of motivation, or to experience trouble concentrating.
• Drug abuse. Traumatic experiences are often linked with misusing prescription drugs (including painkillers), abusing illegal drugs, or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

If you or someone you love is suffering from any of the psychological issues listed above, it is important that you seek help from a professional therapist who has experience with treating accident victims.

The Help You Need to Recover

Facial trauma is too painful for you to have to worry about paying your medical bills while trying to heal. Thankfully, you don’t have to face it alone. Call attorney Steve Lee, a respected truck accident attorney in Houston, and let him take care of securing the compensation you deserve. You can also read about some of Steve’s former clients and their case results if you’d like to learn more.