Plain language
Facial injury and scarring glossary
Medical providers, insurers, and lawyers may describe the same facial injury in different terms. This glossary distinguishes appearance, anatomy, function, treatment, and legal loss.
Published August 23, 2026 · Last reviewed August 23, 2026
- Causation
- The connection between the defendant's conduct or product and the injury. A case can fail even when conduct was careless if the available evidence does not connect that conduct to the harm claimed.
- Damages
- The losses a claim seeks to recover. Depending on the facts and governing law, these can include medical costs, lost income, future care, pain, disability, disfigurement, or loss of support.
- Defendant
- The person or organization against whom a civil claim is made. One incident can involve several possible defendants with different duties and insurance policies.
- Disfigurement
- A lasting alteration in appearance. Legal treatment varies by state, and severity may be evaluated through location, visibility, texture, color, size, and effect on the person's life. Read the related guide.
- Facial fracture
- A break involving facial bones such as the orbit, nose, jaw, cheekbone, or frontal bone. The name of the fracture does not alone show its functional consequences.
- Future medical care
- Reasonably anticipated treatment after the claim is resolved, supported by medical opinion, expected timing, and cost evidence. Read the related guide.
- Hypertrophic scar
- A raised scar that remains within the boundary of the original wound. It is distinct from a keloid, which grows beyond the original wound.
- Liability
- Legal responsibility for an injury. Liability depends on the applicable law and provable facts, not simply on whether someone was hurt.
- Maximum medical improvement
- The point at which a condition is considered stable and substantial further recovery is not expected, though treatment or symptom management can continue.
- Scar contracture
- Tightening of scar tissue that can restrict movement or distort nearby structures, especially after a burn.
- Scar maturation
- The months-long process during which a scar can change in color, thickness, softness, and sensitivity. Read the related guide.
- Statute of limitations
- A law that limits the time for filing a claim. The deadline varies by state, claim type, defendant, and sometimes the date the injury was or could reasonably have been discovered.
Terms are not conclusions
A definition explains a concept; it does not establish that the concept applies to a particular event. State law, contracts, medical records, product identity, insurance language, and other facts can change the analysis.
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