If someone else's negligence caused your facial injury — in a road accident, at work, in a fall, or as a victim of an assault — you may be able to claim compensation in England & Wales. There is no fixed facial tariff: facial fractures, dental damage and scarring are valued separately under the Judicial College Guidelines, with scarring assessed on its visibility and psychological impact, plus your financial losses. You normally have three years from the accident to claim. If your injury came from a violent crime, the CICA scheme may apply.
The face is uniquely exposed in an accident, and a facial injury carries a weight that other injuries do not: it is the part of us that others see, and that we see in the mirror every day. Facial injuries range from a cut or bruise that heals invisibly to fractures, lost teeth and permanent scarring. This guide explains, in plain English, how a facial injury claim works in England & Wales, how compensation is valued — including the special way scarring is treated — and the evidence that makes a claim strong. We are an independent information service, not a law firm — nothing here is legal advice about your own injury.
Common facial injuries that lead to claims
Facial injuries vary widely, and so do the claims that follow them. Frequent patterns include:
- Facial fractures — to the nose, cheekbone (zygoma), eye socket (orbit), upper jaw (maxilla) or lower jaw (mandible).
- Dental injuries — chipped, broken or lost teeth, and damage to existing crowns, bridges or implants.
- Soft-tissue injuries and lacerations — cuts that may leave scarring, particularly on the cheeks, lips, forehead or chin.
- Scarring and disfigurement — permanent marks that can have a significant psychological and social impact.
- Nerve damage — affecting sensation or movement in parts of the face.
Because outcomes range from invisible healing to permanent disfigurement, the appearance of the final result — and its effect on the person — does most of the work in valuing a facial claim.
How a facial injury claim is valued
There is no government tariff for facial injuries (unlike the whiplash tariff for road-traffic neck injuries). The compensation for the injury itself is assessed by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines, the bracket-based reference courts and solicitors use across England and Wales. Crucially, the Guidelines deal with facial injuries in separate categories: facial bone fractures, damage to teeth, and facial disfigurement and scarring. Scarring is assessed on its own, by reference to how severe and noticeable it is and the psychological effect on the individual — which is why awards for scars vary between claimants even for similar marks.
On top of that, you can claim your financial losses (special damages): lost earnings, the cost of treatment including future dental work or scar-revision surgery, travel, and care. Our guide to what compensation covers explains how the two halves fit together. The clearest way to understand your own likely range is an independent medical report — sometimes from a plastic surgeon or maxillofacial expert — setting out your diagnosis, scarring and prognosis.
💡 Photographs over time are powerful evidence for scarring
Scars change as they heal and mature, often over many months. Taking clear, dated photographs at intervals — and waiting until a scar has settled before finalising the claim — gives a true picture of the lasting result. Where the psychological impact is significant, a report addressing that, alongside the visible scar, can substantially affect value.
Facial injuries at work and from assaults
Many facial claims arise at work — from machinery, flying debris, falls and being struck by objects — where an employer's negligence or breach of its duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 caused the injury. Employers must carry employers' liability insurance, so a successful accident at work claim is paid by the insurer, and it is unlawful to dismiss you for bringing a genuine claim.
Facial injuries are also common in assaults. Where a facial injury was caused by a violent crime and the attacker cannot be made to pay, you may be able to claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) under its government scheme, which has its own rules and time limits. Our guide to criminal injury compensation explains that route.
Evidence that strengthens a facial claim
Facial injuries are well suited to objective evidence, which helps both liability (who was at fault) and value (how serious the lasting result is). Useful evidence includes:
- Medical and dental records and imaging — A&E, maxillofacial and dental notes, plus X-rays or scans of any fractures.
- An independent medical report — on your diagnosis, scarring and prognosis, sometimes from a plastic surgeon or dental expert.
- Dated photographs — showing the injury and how any scarring settles over time.
- How the injury happened — photographs of the scene or hazard, witness details, and a police reference if it was an assault.
- Your financial losses — payslips, treatment invoices and the cost of future dental or scar-revision work.
Our guide to evidence for a personal injury claim goes into more detail.
Time limits
Like other personal injury claims, you normally have three years to bring a facial injury claim.
⏳ Three years — and a tighter window for CICA
Under the Limitation Act 1980 in England & Wales, the three years usually run from the accident, or from the "date of knowledge". For children the clock starts at 18, and there is no limit while a person lacks mental capacity. CICA claims for assaults have their own, generally shorter, two-year time limit from the incident, so act quickly if a crime is involved. See our time limits guide.
A facial injury claim is not only about the bone or the cut — it is about the face that is left, and how the person lives with it. Scarring, and its psychological impact, can be the most significant part of the claim, which is why honest, expert evidence matters so much.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation can I get for a facial injury?
There is no fixed amount. Facial injuries are valued by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines, which deal separately with facial bone fractures (such as the nose, cheekbone or jaw), damage to teeth, and facial scarring. Scarring is assessed on its own, taking account of the severity, whether it is visible, and the psychological impact, with awards often differing between claimants. The award for the injury itself is added to your financial losses, so a medical report is essential to estimate value.
Why is facial scarring valued differently from other injuries?
Because its impact is as much psychological and social as physical. The Judicial College Guidelines treat facial disfigurement as a distinct category, taking account of how noticeable the scarring is, the claimant's reaction to it, and the effect on confidence and daily life. A scar in a prominent position that causes real distress can be worth substantially more than its size alone would suggest.
Can I claim for dental damage after an accident?
Yes. Damage to teeth — chipped, broken or lost teeth, and damage to crowns or bridges — can be claimed as part of a facial injury, valued by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines, alongside the cost of dental treatment. Because dental work such as implants may need replacing over a lifetime, future treatment costs can form an important part of the claim, so a report from a dental expert is helpful.
How long do I have to claim for a facial injury?
Generally three years from the date of the accident, or from the date you knew the injury was significant and someone else's fault, under the Limitation Act 1980 in England and Wales. The clock starts on a child's 18th birthday, and there is no limit while a person lacks mental capacity. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent three-year rules. CICA claims for assaults usually have a shorter two-year limit.
What evidence supports a facial injury claim?
Medical and dental records and imaging, an independent medical report (sometimes from a plastic surgeon or maxillofacial specialist) on your diagnosis, scarring and prognosis, dated photographs showing how scarring settles over time, photographs of how the accident happened, witness details, and a record of your financial losses including future treatment.
Get help from official, free sources
- Judicial College Guidelines — the bracket-based valuations courts use for injuries
- Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) — for injuries caused by violent crime
- Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) — check a solicitor or firm is regulated
- The Law Society — Find a Solicitor — find an accredited personal injury specialist
- NHS — treatment, and records that support your claim
Related guides: scarring and burns claims, eye injury claims, head injury claims and criminal injury compensation.