Scars from a car crash directly increase the value of your Missouri personal injury claim. Missouri law lets you recover money for the medical cost of treating your scars and for the lasting emotional impact of carrying them every day.
Where the scar is located, how severe it is, whether it’s permanent, and how it affects your life all determine how much your claim is worth.
In this article, you will discover the types of compensation available for scarring and disfigurement under Missouri law, the specific factors that raise or lower your claim’s value, and how a Missouri car accident attorney can help you prove what your scar is actually worth.
What Compensation Can You Recover for Scarring in Missouri?
When another driver’s negligence caused your scars, Missouri law allows you to recover money in three categories.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are your documented, out-of-pocket losses, the kind you can prove with a bill or a receipt. These include plastic surgery and scar revision procedures, dermatology visits and laser treatments, wound care supplies, and lost wages during recovery.
We also work with your treating doctors to project the cost of future procedures and build that number directly into your demand.
One pattern our Missouri personal injury lawyers consistently see in scarring claims out of Greene County is that clients treated at Mercy Hospital Springfield or CoxHealth for laceration repair or burn care often leave the ER without a clear estimate of what scar revision will eventually cost.
Insurers seize on that gap and try to settle the claim before a plastic surgeon has weighed in on future treatment. What we see across the scarring claims we handle in the Springfield area is that itemizing every dermatology visit and laser session, no matter how small, is what ultimately pushes the economic damages number to where it should be.
Clients who wait to compile that documentation almost always end up accepting less than the treatment actually cost them.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages pay you for losses that don’t come with a receipt, the human cost of carrying a permanent scar. This is where the real weight of a scarring claim lives.
Missouri has no cap on non-economic damages in car accident cases, which means there is no legal ceiling on what you can recover for pain, embarrassment, anxiety, depression, loss of self-confidence, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Punitive Damages in Rare Cases
Punitive damages are designed to punish the at-fault driver, not compensate you. They only come into play in extreme situations, like a drunk driver who caused your crash while fleeing police.
What Factors Change What a Scarring Claim Is Worth?
No two scar claims are worth the same. Insurance adjusters and juries weigh specific factors when putting a number on your injury.
| Factor | Increases Value | Decreases Value |
| Location | Face, neck, or hands | Hidden by clothing |
| Permanence | Cannot be improved | Can be surgically corrected |
| Severity | Raised, wide, or discolored | Small, flat, or faded |
| Age of Victim | Child or young adult | Older adult |
| Occupation | Appearance-based or public-facing role | Non-public role |
Location and Visibility
A scar on your face, neck, or hands typically carries the highest settlement value because you can’t hide it. Every job interview, first date, and errand becomes a constant reminder of what happened to you.
In our experience handling scarring cases in Greene County, the issue that surfaces most often involves crashes along US-65, where facial and neck lacerations from windshield glass are common in the higher-speed collisions we see there.
Adjusters know a visible scar is hard to dispute, so they tend to shift their argument to how quickly the client returned to normal activities instead of disputing the injury itself. What we see repeatedly is that clients photographed and documented within days of treatment at Mercy Hospital Springfield build a far stronger record than those who wait weeks to start.
That early documentation is often the difference between a fair offer and a lowball one.
Permanence and Treatability
A plastic surgeon’s written opinion stating your scar is permanent and cannot be meaningfully improved is often the single most valuable document in your entire claim. Scars that can be surgically corrected are still compensable. They just tend to settle for less.
Size, Color, and Texture
Raised scars, called hypertrophic scars, and keloid scars, which can extend beyond the original wound boundary, are often regarded as more significant than thin, flat, or faded marks when assessing cosmetic impact. Width, discoloration, and overall prominence all factor into what your claim is worth.
Functional Limits from Scar Contractures
A scar contracture is tight scar tissue that forms near a joint and restricts movement. It commonly develops after burns or deep cuts around the hands, elbows, or neck. When a scar limits how you move, your claim covers both disfigurement and physical impairment, which pushes its value up significantly.
Age and Occupation
A child who suffers a permanent facial scar will carry it for many decades, which courts and juries weigh heavily. Adults in appearance-dependent careers, sales, hospitality, or teaching, can also recover more because the scar directly affects their earning ability.
Psychological Impact
Scarring commonly leads to anxiety, depression, PTSD, and social withdrawal. Documented mental health treatment gives us concrete evidence to support the psychological portion of your claim.
How Do You Prove What Your Scar Claim Is Worth?
A single photo of the scar is just the beginning. We build a layered file of evidence designed to put the full cost of your injury in front of the insurance company.
- Medical records and objective scar ratings: We pull every record from your ER visit through your last specialist appointment. We ask that treating physicians apply the Vancouver Scar Scale, a medical scoring system that grades a scar’s color, thickness, and flexibility to produce a defensible severity rating.
- Expert opinions on permanence and future costs: We work with plastic surgeons and dermatologists to get written reports on whether the scar is permanent, what revision realistically looks like, and what future treatment will cost.
- Time-stamped photographs: Regular, high-resolution photos taken over months create a visual timeline showing exactly how the scar has healed, or failed to heal.
- Statements from people in your life: Accounts from family, friends, and coworkers describe changes in your confidence, mood, and daily routine. Numbers tell part of the story. People tell the rest.
Should You Wait Before Settling Your Scarring Claim?
In almost every case, yes. Maximum medical improvement, or MMI, is the point at which your doctor determines that your scar has stabilized and will not improve further with treatment.
Once you sign a settlement release, the case is over. You cannot go back for more money even if you need revision surgery months later. If waiting genuinely isn’t practical, we work with medical experts to project all future treatment costs and build them into your demand from day one.
Who Pays for Scar Treatment Before Your Case Settles?
Never delay treating your scars while your case is pending. We help clients access care right away, not months from now when the settlement closes.
- MedPay: MedPay is medical payments coverage under your auto policy that pays for crash-related treatment regardless of fault, typically up to $10,000. In most Missouri cases, you don’t have to repay it from your settlement.
- Health insurance with lien negotiation: your insurer pays for treatment upfront but may seek reimbursement from your settlement later through a process called subrogation, meaning they get paid back from what you recover. We negotiate those reimbursement amounts down to protect your net recovery.
- Provider liens: Some plastic surgeons will treat you now and collect payment directly from your settlement, with no money out of your pocket in the meantime.
- Pre-settlement funding: If finances are tight while the case moves forward, we connect you with reputable companies that advance money against your expected settlement.
We also maintain a referral network of plastic surgeons and dermatologists across Missouri who treat our clients on a deferred-payment basis, even those without health insurance.
What Missouri Deadlines Apply to a Scarring Claim?
In Missouri, you have five years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. This is called the statute of limitations. Don’t let that window fool you into waiting. Evidence disappears, witnesses become unreachable, and your claim becomes harder to prove.
Two exceptions can shorten your deadline dramatically:
- Government vehicles: If a city bus, police cruiser, or other government-owned vehicle caused your crash, you may have as little as 90 days to file a formal notice of claim.
- Minor victims: For children injured in a crash, the five-year clock doesn’t start until their 18th birthday.
A tactic we see repeatedly from adjusters when handling scarring claims in Greene County is dragging out negotiations right up against the five-year filing deadline, hoping a client will accept a lower number rather than risk running out of time. Claims filed in the Greene County Circuit Court after that kind of delay often carry weaker settlement leverage than they would have earlier, simply because the urgency shifted the client’s decision-making.
What we consistently advise clients in this position is to treat the deadline as a ceiling, not a target, and to get their case filed well before adjusters can use time pressure against them.
What Can You Do Right Now to Protect Your Scar Claim?
The at-fault driver’s insurance company is already working to pay you as little as possible. These steps protect you starting today.
- Get treatment right away: Any gap in care gives the adjuster ammunition to argue your injuries weren’t serious.
- Document your scar consistently: Take clear, well-lit photos once a week for the first few months, then monthly after that.
- Keep a personal journal: Write down when the scar hurts, itches, or stops you from doing something you used to do without thinking.
- Stay off social media: One smiling photo at a cookout can be twisted into an argument that your injuries haven’t affected your life.
- Don’t give a recorded statement: The other driver’s insurer will ask for one. Never agree without speaking to us first. Their only goal is to find something that helps them pay you less.
How Beck & Beck Can Help You Get What Your Scar Is Worth
Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers is the only law firm in Missouri that handles exclusively auto accident cases. That focus gives us a real advantage. We know exactly how Missouri insurers, judges, and juries value scarring and disfigurement claims, and we know how to fight back when they try to minimize yours.
Every case is handled personally by a founding partner, John or Paul Beck. You will never be handed off to a paralegal. With decades of experience representing injured Missourians, we know the tactics insurance companies use to undervalue scarring claims.
We connect you with plastic surgeons and dermatologists in our network who treat you now and wait to get paid, negotiate your medical bills and liens to protect your net recovery, and handle every conversation with the insurance company so you never have to. All you have to do is work on getting better.
Your consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Facial Scars Increase Settlement Value in Missouri?
Yes, facial scars almost always produce higher settlement values than scars in other locations because they are permanently visible and carry significant emotional and social consequences.
Will the At-Fault Driver’s Insurance Pay for Plastic Surgery or Scar Revision?
Yes, the at-fault driver’s insurer is responsible for covering medically necessary scar treatment, including plastic surgery, laser procedures, and revision surgery, as part of your economic damages.
Does Missouri’s Comparative Fault Rule Reduce Your Scar Claim?
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, meaning your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault for the crash, but you can still recover even if you were mostly to blame.
How Often Should You Take Photos of Your Scar After a Car Crash?
Take clear, time-stamped photos once a week for the first few months and then monthly after that to build a visual record of how the scar heals, or fails to heal, over time.
Can You Recover Compensation for Anxiety or Depression Caused by Scarring?
Yes, anxiety, depression, and loss of confidence caused by your scar are recoverable as non-economic damages, especially when supported by documented mental health treatment.
Does Missouri’s Seat Belt Defense Reduce a Scarring Claim?
Missouri law allows your recovery to be reduced by a maximum of 1% if you weren’t wearing a seat belt, but it does not prevent you from recovering compensation altogether.
Do Post-Surgery Scars Count the Same as Scars from the Crash Itself?
Yes, surgical scars from procedures required to treat your crash injuries are treated as a direct result of the accident and are fully compensable under Missouri law.
Do Children with Permanent Facial Scars Receive Higher Settlements in Missouri?
Generally, yes, because a child will live with the scar far longer than an adult, courts and juries tend to award higher compensation to reflect that lifetime impact.
