Broken Jaw Compensation Solicitors

What is a Broken Jaw Injury? 

The jaw is made up of several parts: the upper jawbone, mostly consisting of the maxilla bone, which does not move and houses the upper teeth. It also includes the lower jawbone which is known as the mandible, and is the only moving bone on the face, as well as the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and tendons that make up the jaw.

In order for the jaw to function properly, the upper and lower jawbones must be aligned correctly. If the jaw is injured and the upper and lower parts become misaligned, it can become difficult or impossible to bite, chew and swallow food properly, and victims may experience difficulty in maintaining good oral hygiene. Some people may also experience facial numbness, facial disfigurement, or damage to the teeth as a result of trauma to the jaw.

If you sustain an injury to your jaw, such as a bone fracture, breakage, or dislocation, or a tear to a muscle, tendon, or ligament, you may be entitled to make a broken jaw claim for compensation. We also advise that you seek medical treatment for any jaw injury as soon as possible; a delay in receiving treatment could mean your injury takes longer to heal or that you experience longer term jaw complications.

What are the causes of a Broken Jaw?

A Broken Jaw Injury is primarily caused by trauma to the face, which could include one of the following types of incidents or accident:

• Assault or Grievous Bodily Harm
• Road traffic accidents as a motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian
• Sports injuries
• An accident at work
• An accidental fall in the home
• A slip, trip, or fall in a public place

This list is by no means exhaustive, and if you have sustained a jaw injury through any type of accident or incident which occurred through no fault of your own, please get in touch with us here at PSR Solicitors and our team will be happy to discuss the situation with you and advise you on the next step.

What are the symptoms of a Broken Jaw Injury?

If you have been involved in an accident or incident and think you may have broken or dislocated your jaw, you may be experiencing some of the following symptoms:

Broken Jaw.

• Pain in the jaw, typically accompanied by swelling and bleeding
• Pain or tenderness when moving the jaw to speak or eat
• Limited jaw movement and difficulty opening the jaw fully
• Numbness, tingling, or bruising to the face and mouth
• An unusually misshapen or lumpy face

Dislocated Jaw.

• Malocclusion, which is when the teeth do not line up and fit together as they should
• Pain which worsens when moving the mouth
• An inability to close the mouth completely
• Difficulty when speaking or eating

A jaw injury may also cause cuts to appear in the ear canal, which can happen when the jaw bone is pushed backwards into the skull. Additionally, the impact of the injury may also cause teeth to become loose or fall out.

How is a jaw injury treated?

 If you have been involved in an accident and sustained an injury to your jaw, you will need to see a doctor as soon as possible who will conduct a physical examination where they will check for swelling and any other visible symptoms of a broken or fractured jaw. An x-ray is often necessary to identify the location and severity of the fracture or bone breakage and determine the correct course of treatment to help your jaw heal properly.

The method of treatment recommended by your doctor will vary depending on the type and severity of your injury. Medication is usually prescribed to reduce swelling and help you to manage the pain whilst your jaw heals itself. In some cases the upper and lower teeth may need to be wired together in order to keep the jaw stable and immobile to allow the broken or fractured bones to heal in the correct position.

During your recovery from a jaw injury you may find it difficult to eat properly or speak clearly, and certainly if your jaw is wired you would not be able to eat solid foods whilst the wire was in place. Recovering from a broken jaw injury affects people not only physically, but mentally too. Being suddenly unable to communicate verbally can have a detrimental effect on your mental health, and may mean you need to take extensive time off work, depending on the nature of your job.

If you have suffered from a loss of earnings whilst recovering from your injury, our specialist team of personal injury lawyers can help you to claim broken jaw compensation.

How much is my broken jaw claim worth?

If your Broken Jaw Compensation Claim is successful, it will be awarded in two parts - general damages, and special damages, as follows:

General Damages

This is the primary aspect of any personal injury compensation award. Within general damages, the injured party is compensated for the pain, suffering, and the general effect that the injury has had on their usual way of life.

Special Damages

The secondary aspect of a personal injury claim is intended to reimburse the claimant for any financial loss or expenses they have incurred due to their injury. This includes money they may have had to spend on private medical treatment and prescriptions, transport and parking costs when attending medical appointments, as well as their loss of earnings, or the financial loss experienced by anyone who has had to take time off work to care for the injured person.

Each claim is assessed on an individual basis, so it is difficult to estimate exactly how much compensation you may receive until we have all of the necessary information. If you’d like to find out more about claiming compensation for a Broken Jaw Injury, please get in touch with us here at PSR Solicitors and we’ll be more than happy to offer help and advice.