Consumer Attorneys of California
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
AVVO Rating

Facial Fractures

Facial fractures are fractures of any bones in the face, including the jaw, eyes, cheekbones, and orbital bones. Facial fractures are caused by blunt force or trauma to the face. They are commonly suffered from car accidents and slip and falls. These fractures are not only very painful, but may result in emotional trauma. As such, these fractures may result in substantial medical bills and lost income. The experienced attorneys at Slatter Law Firm will aggressively fight to recover the maximum compensation for your injuries.

There are various forms of facial fractures, such as orbital fractures, nasal fractures, jaw fractures, and cheek fractures. There are many symptoms of a facial fracture. Symptoms depend on the type of facial fracture. Below is a description of typical symptoms for each type of fracture along with corresponding medical treatment.

  1. >Nasal Fractures- Symptoms for nasal fractures include deformity, nose bleeding and clear nasal discharge. Medical treatment consists of stopping any nasal bleeding, and realigning the nose after swelling decreases. This treatment requires a hospital admission, and a follow up visit approximately one week after initial treatment.
  • >Orbital Fractures- Symptoms for orbital or eye fractures include pain, decreased or double vision, nausea, vomiting, facial numbness, black eye, blood in the white of the eye, bruising, and swelling. Treatment depends on the severity of the fracture. Minor or small fractures do not require surgery. Instead, treatment consists of icing the eye socket to reduce swelling and allowing the fracture to heal with time. Your ophthalmologist may also prescribe antibiotics and decongestants. Severe fractures result impair the eye’s ability to function properly, and often require surgery.
  • >Jaw Fractures- These fractures are caused by direct force or trauma to the jawbone. Symptoms for jaw fractures include jaw pain, swelling, bruising under the tongue, inability to fully open the mouth, the teeth do not fit together properly, difficulty speaking, bleeding inside the mouth, and difficulty breathing. Prior to seeking medical treatment, you should ice your jaw to reduce swelling. Medical treatment consists of antibiotics, pain medication, and wiring of the upper and lower teeth. Severe and unstable fractures require surgery, which restores jaw function and ability to eat properly.
  • >Cheek Fractures- Symptoms for cheekbone fractures include pain in the injured area, bruising around the cheek and eye, bloodshot eye, blurred vision, flattened cheek, restricted eye movement, and facial numbness. Treatment depends on the severity of the fracture. If the fracture is stable and does not present complications to other facial structures, surgery is generally not needed. However, surgery is recommended to address any instability that affect daily activities or any cosmetic defects, such as a depressed or flattened cheek.

    • If you exhibit any of the above symptoms following your accident or fall, you should seek immediate medical attention. Failure to do so may exacerbate the fracture and associated symptoms.

    These fractures typically result in lengthy and expensive medical treatment, including post-operation recovery. As such, injured victims often miss extended periods of work, and lose substantial income as a result of their injuries. However, if your injury was caused by another person’s negligence, you are entitled to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and the pain and suffering relating to your injuries. Therefore, it is vitally important that you retain an experienced facial fracture attorney, who will thoroughly investigate your case and aggressively fight on your behalf.

    Contact Us Today

    Contact a Los Angeles personal injury attorney today if you or a loved one suffered a facial fracture. Slatter Law Firm has been helping individuals injured due to accidents and slip and falls throughout Los Angeles and Southern California for over four decades. To schedule a free consultation, call our office at (310) 444-3010 or contact us online.