Facial Fractures Are More Than Cosmetic Injuries
A broken bone in the face is a serious injury. It can affect your ability to see, breathe, eat, and speak. It can change the way you look. It can require multiple surgeries and months of recovery. And it often leaves lasting physical and emotional scars.
Facial fractures happen in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian collisions, slip and fall incidents, assaults, and construction accidents. The face has 14 bones. Any of them can break under enough force. But the jaw, cheekbone, and eye socket (orbital bone) are the most commonly fractured in accidents.
If you suffered a facial fracture in a Chicago accident caused by someone else, you have the right to seek compensation for your medical bills, pain, disfigurement, and other losses.
Jaw Fractures (Mandible Fractures)
The mandible (lower jaw) is the largest and strongest bone in the face. It takes considerable force to break. But in a car accident, motorcycle crash, or fall, the jaw is vulnerable to direct impact.
How Jaw Fractures Happen
Jaw fractures commonly occur when:
- The face strikes the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield in a car crash
- A motorcyclist’s face hits the pavement after being thrown from the bike
- A pedestrian is struck and their face impacts the vehicle or ground
- A person falls and lands chin-first on a hard surface
- An airbag deploys with enough force to fracture the jaw
Symptoms of a Broken Jaw
- Severe pain in the jaw that worsens when you try to open your mouth
- Swelling and bruising along the jawline
- Teeth that no longer line up properly (malocclusion)
- Numbness in the lower lip or chin
- Difficulty opening or closing the mouth
- Bleeding from the gums
Treatment
Simple jaw fractures may be treated by wiring the jaw shut for four to six weeks. The upper and lower teeth are wired together to hold the bone in place while it heals. During this time, the patient can only consume liquids through a straw. The weight loss and nutritional challenges are significant.
Displaced or complex fractures require open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The surgeon makes incisions inside the mouth or along the jawline, realigns the bone, and secures it with titanium plates and screws.
Recovery from jaw fracture surgery takes six to twelve weeks. Many patients need ongoing dental work to address damaged or misaligned teeth. Physical therapy may be needed to restore full jaw function and range of motion.
Cheekbone Fractures (Zygomatic Fractures)
The zygomatic bone forms the prominence of the cheek. It also forms part of the eye socket floor and connects to the upper jaw. A fractured cheekbone can affect the eye, the sinuses, and the ability to open the mouth.
How Cheekbone Fractures Happen
Cheekbone fractures result from direct blows to the side of the face. In car accidents, the face may strike the door frame, window, or B-pillar during a side impact. Motorcycle and bicycle riders who land face-first on the road are also at high risk.
Symptoms
- Flattening or asymmetry of the cheek
- Pain and swelling on one side of the face
- Numbness in the cheek, upper lip, or upper teeth
- Double vision or blurred vision
- Difficulty opening the jaw fully
- Nosebleed on the affected side
Treatment
Minor cheekbone fractures without displacement may heal on their own with rest, ice, and soft foods. The patient must avoid blowing their nose, which can force air into the tissues around the eye and cause dangerous swelling.
Displaced cheekbone fractures require surgery. The surgeon may access the fracture through small incisions hidden in the hairline, inside the mouth, or in the lower eyelid crease. The bone is elevated back into position and may be secured with plates and screws.
Recovery typically takes four to six weeks. Numbness in the cheek may take months to resolve, and some patients experience permanent numbness.
Orbital Fractures (Eye Socket Fractures)
The orbit is the bony socket that holds and protects the eye. It is made up of seven different bones, all of which are relatively thin. An orbital fracture can damage the eye, the muscles that control eye movement, and the nerves that provide sensation to the face.
Types of Orbital Fractures
Orbital blowout fracture: This is the most common type. A blunt object strikes the eye area, and the force is transmitted to the thin floor or medial wall of the orbit, which cracks. The eye muscles or fatty tissue can become trapped in the fracture, restricting eye movement and causing double vision.
Orbital rim fracture: The thicker bone at the edge of the eye socket breaks. This requires greater force and is more common in high-speed crashes. Rim fractures often accompany other facial fractures.
Orbital roof fracture: The bone above the eye breaks. This can involve the frontal sinus and, in severe cases, the brain cavity. These are the most dangerous orbital fractures.
Symptoms
- Swelling and bruising around the eye (black eye)
- Double vision, especially when looking up or down
- Sunken appearance of the eye (enophthalmos)
- Numbness in the cheek, upper lip, or teeth below the eye
- Pain with eye movement
- Restricted eye movement
- Nosebleed
- Air trapped under the skin around the eye (subcutaneous emphysema)
Treatment
Small orbital fractures without muscle entrapment may heal without surgery. The patient must avoid blowing their nose and take decongestants to reduce sinus swelling.
Surgery is needed when:
- Eye muscles are trapped in the fracture, causing persistent double vision
- The eye appears sunken
- A large section of the orbital floor is missing
Surgical repair involves freeing any trapped tissue and placing a thin implant (titanium mesh or a bioabsorbable sheet) over the fracture to rebuild the orbital floor. The surgery is typically performed through an incision inside the lower eyelid to minimize visible scarring.
Recovery from orbital surgery takes several weeks. Double vision may improve gradually over months. Some patients have permanent changes in vision or eye appearance.
Other Facial Fractures from Accidents
Nasal Fractures
The nose is the most commonly broken bone in the face. A broken nose causes pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty breathing. Simple nasal fractures can be set without surgery. Complex fractures with significant displacement may need surgical repair (rhinoplasty or septoplasty).
Le Fort Fractures
Le Fort fractures are severe fractures that separate part or all of the midface from the skull. There are three types (Le Fort I, II, and III), each progressively more severe. These fractures result from high-energy impacts and are common in high-speed car crashes and truck accidents. They require extensive surgery with plates, screws, and sometimes bone grafts.
Long-Term Consequences of Facial Fractures
Facial fractures can have lasting effects that go beyond the initial injury:
- Facial asymmetry and disfigurement: Even after surgery, the face may not look the same as before the injury. This can affect self-confidence and social interactions.
- Chronic pain: Ongoing pain in the jaw, cheek, or eye socket area is common.
- Numbness: Nerve damage from fractures can cause permanent numbness in parts of the face.
- Vision problems: Orbital fractures can cause persistent double vision, restricted eye movement, or a sunken eye.
- TMJ disorders: Jaw fractures can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, causing chronic jaw pain, clicking, and difficulty eating.
- Dental problems: Fractures involving the upper or lower jaw can damage teeth, requiring crowns, bridges, or implants.
- Psychological impact: Facial disfigurement can cause depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Compensation for Facial Fracture Injuries in Illinois
Facial fracture claims often carry significant value because of the visible nature of the injury, the need for surgical intervention, and the long-term physical and emotional impact.
You can seek compensation for:
- Medical bills: Emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, follow-up procedures, dental restoration
- Future medical care: Additional surgeries, revision procedures, dental implants
- Lost wages: Time missed from work during recovery
- Lost earning capacity: If the injury limits your ability to work in your profession
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain from the fracture and recovery
- Disfigurement: Scarring, facial asymmetry, or changes in appearance. Illinois law specifically allows recovery for disfigurement.
- Emotional distress: Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and social isolation resulting from the injury
Illinois has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. Do not wait too long to take action.
Building a Strong Facial Fracture Case
To maximize your recovery, document everything:
- Take photographs of your face at every stage of recovery
- Keep all medical records and bills organized
- Follow all treatment recommendations from your doctors
- See specialists (oral surgeons, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons) as recommended
- Keep a journal of your pain levels, emotional state, and limitations
- Do not post on social media about your injury or your case
An experienced injury lawyer can work with medical experts to document the full extent of your injury and calculate your claim’s value, including future costs you may not have considered.
Contact Phillips Law Offices
A facial fracture changes how you look, how you feel, and how you live. If someone else’s negligence caused your injury, you deserve fair compensation for everything you have been through and everything you will face going forward.
Call Phillips Law Offices at (312) 346-4262 or contact us online for a free consultation. We handle facial fracture injury claims from car accidents, motorcycle crashes, falls, and other accidents throughout Chicago and Illinois.