Settlement ranges for scarring and disfigurement claims and how the value is built.
A small scar hidden under a sleeve and a visible facial scar are both "scarring" in casual conversation, but they occupy opposite ends of a wide settlement spectrum, since visibility and permanence drive this category more than almost any other injury type. Here's how that spectrum plays out on this site's calculator.
Visibility drives value in these claims. A scar on the face is seen by everyone, every day, and carries a documented psychological toll around self-image that a covered scar typically doesn't carry to the same degree.
Generally, yes, for the disfigurement category specifically. A scar expected to fade substantially over time is usually valued differently than one a plastic surgeon confirms is permanent.
Yes, if a physician has recommended it and can estimate the cost. Future revision surgery is a legitimate economic damage, separate from the pain and suffering multiplier.
Often, since keloids are raised, can continue growing, and are harder to treat, which supports a higher severity assessment than a flat, stable scar of similar size.
Yes. Documented anxiety, social avoidance, or a diagnosed condition like body dysmorphia related to the scarring are recognized as part of the psychological impact this claim type covers.
| Severity tier | Multiplier | Typical scarring / disfigurement example |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 3.5× | Small permanent scar on a covered area of the body |
| This page's default | 4.0× | Scarring / disfigurement claims generally, per this site's convention |
| Severe | 4.5× | Visible facial or hand scarring, documented psychological impact |
The multiplier applies to your medical bills, then adds to lost wages for the full total via the injury claim calculator. Cases where appearance is part of someone's livelihood, modeling, acting, client-facing sales, often support a higher factor because the economic impact compounds the pain and suffering component.
Location on the body is the single biggest variable: face and hands carry the highest values because they're visible in nearly every social and professional interaction, while scarring on the torso or legs, while still compensable, generally settles lower. Size and texture matter too, a raised keloid scar or one causing contracture (tightening that restricts movement) reads as more severe than a thin, flat line. A documented psychological component, diagnosed anxiety or avoidance behavior tied specifically to the scarring, adds a distinct layer of damages beyond the physical mark itself.
Priya Raman covers the fine print of personal injury claims, and on scarring cases she pays particular attention to how visibility and location get weighed against a generic dollar figure.