Broken Jaw Compensation: Can I Make a Claim?

A broken jaw can cause significant problems in your daily life. You may be unable to eat or drink normally, or you could have problems speaking.

The recovery process for a broken jaw can take several months, particularly when you’ve had surgery. And if left untreated, these issues could be permanent.

But you may be able to claim compensation for a broken jaw if you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault.

Common causes of broken jaws

The most common causes of broken jaws include:

• Assault
• Road traffic accidents
• Slips, trips and falls
• Sports injuries

You may have also suffered a broken jaw or damage to your jaw during a dental or surgical procedure. This could be medical negligence, which you may be able to make a compensation claim for. To find out more, just get in touch with the First4Lawyers team.

If you’re not sure whether your jaw is broken, you should seek urgent medical attention to be sure. Symptoms of a broken jaw include:

• Breathing difficulties
• Discomfort when eating
• Facial numbness
• Loose teeth
• Gum numbness
• Pain in the jaw and surrounding areas
• Swelling

The recovery process

Treatment is necessary because, according to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, it will “prevent risk of infections, dental decay and long-term conditions, such as arthritis”.

In most cases, severely broken jaws are wired shut to promote healing. As you’ll be unable to eat solid food, you’ll usually be prescribed a liquid diet. In less severe cases, your chin and head may be bandaged to stop your jaw opening too widely.

This is usually a significant disruption to your daily life. And that’s why you could claim compensation for your broken jaw, if it was the result of a personal injury.

The treatment for a dislocated jaw can be similar to that of a break. Some dislocations will be bandaged to prevent too much movement and support the jaw. In other cases, your doctor may manually reposition the dislocated jaw, putting it back into place.

The symptoms of a dislocated jaw differ from a broken jaw. They include:

• An overbite
• Being unable to completely close your mouth
• Difficulty speaking
• Pain, particularly when moving your mouth
• Teeth not lining up

Broken jaw compensation

Broken jaw compensation can be a real help during your recovery. If you need to take time off work, the compensation you’re awarded for a successful claim can help to ease some of the financial pressure you might be under.

You could also use it to pay for private treatment to help you on the road to a quicker recovery.

The amount of compensation you’ll be entitled to for your broken jaw will depend on how severe it is, as well as how long your recovery is expected to take. You’re also entitled to compensation for any financial losses you’ve suffered.

This includes a loss of earnings if you weren’t able to work, any medical treatment you paid for or any personal property that was damaged in your accident. Your solicitor will be able to tell you what they think you could receive.

You can also use our compensation calculator to find out what you might be awarded for your injury. Don’t forget that if you suffered multiple injuries – such as damage to your teeth or cheek – you can claim compensation for all of them.

Making a compensation claim

To find out more about making a broken jaw compensation claim, you can speak to the team at First4Lawyers. Give us a call or start your claim online here.

If you have a claim, your solicitor will take it on as part of a conditional fee agreement. This is also known as a No Win No Fee agreement. When you make a No Win No Fee claim, you don’t have anything to pay if your claim is unsuccessful. There’s also nothing to pay upfront, so you don’t have to worry about funding your claim.

We’re here to help you through a stressful time.

We’ve helped thousands of clients get the compensation they deserved for injuries that weren’t their fault. We could do the same for you.