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Unlike most injuries, a scar does not heal and disappear. It is a permanent, visible reminder of the accident, and the law treats that lasting disfigurement as a separate harm worth compensating on its own. The two questions that decide a scar's value are simple: where is it, and will it ever go away? A faint scar hidden under clothing is worth a fraction of a visible facial scar that the victim will see in the mirror every day for the rest of their life.
Key facts at a glance
Scar and Disfigurement Settlement Values (2026)
Last updated
- Minor or concealed scar
- $5K-$30K, small scar usually covered by clothing
- Significant facial scarring
- $40K-$150K, noticeable permanent facial scar
- Highly visible facial scar
- $100K-$500K+, cheek, forehead, nose, or near the eye
- Biggest value drivers
- Location and permanence, more than size
- Separate damages
- Disfigurement valued on top of the underlying wound
- Documentation effect
- Serial photos plus a plastic-surgeon permanence opinion
Source: SetCalc analysis of court records, verdict databases, and legal publications, 2015-2026. Get your free scar settlement estimate →
Scar Settlement Values by Location and Visibility
There is no single dollar figure for "a scar." The same size laceration can be worth $10,000 on a shoulder and $250,000 on a face, because the value of disfigurement tracks how visible and permanent the scar is, not how big the original cut was. The table below shows how location and visibility move scar settlements.
| Scar Location and Type | Settlement Range | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Concealed scar (torso, upper leg) | $5,000 - $30,000 | Usually covered by clothing; lower non-economic value despite real injury |
| Visible scar on arm, hand, or lower leg | $20,000 - $75,000 | Exposed in everyday life; value rises with size and permanence |
| Significant facial scarring | $40,000 - $150,000 | Noticeable, permanent scar on the face; cannot be hidden |
| Highly visible facial scar | $100,000 - $500,000 | Cheek, forehead, nose, or near the eye; immediately noticeable and permanent |
| Catastrophic or disfiguring injury | $500,000 - $2,500,000+ | Extensive burns, multiple facial scars, or disfigurement that alters appearance or career |
Source: SetCalc analysis of court records, verdict databases, and legal publications, 2015-2026. Reported medians for facial scarring run roughly $20,000 to $32,000 in some states, but significant and highly visible scars settle well above that. See settlement statistics by state.
Scarring From Burns
Why Scars Are Valued Separately From the Original Wound
Most injuries are valued by the pain and limitation they cause while they heal. A scar is different. Long after the laceration, burn, or surgical incision has closed, the scar remains, and the law recognizes that permanent disfigurement is a distinct, ongoing harm. This is why a single visible scar can add a large sum to a claim that would otherwise be modest.
Scar and disfigurement damages fall into two parts, and a strong claim documents both.
Economic Damages
- • Past wound care and treatment
- • Scar-revision or laser surgery
- • Future reconstructive procedures
- • Steroid injections for keloid scars
- • Counseling for emotional impact
Non-Economic Damages
- • The permanent change to appearance
- • Self-consciousness and embarrassment
- • Social and relationship impact
- • Effect on work and public-facing careers
- • Anxiety and emotional distress
Disfigurement Is Often the Larger Number
The Factors That Drive Scar Value
Two scars of identical size can settle for wildly different amounts. These are the factors that explain the gap, roughly in order of how much they move the number.
- 1.Location and visibility. The single biggest driver after permanence. A scar in the center of the face is worth more than one on the side of the face, which is worth more than a scar on the torso or upper leg that clothing hides. Value tracks how hard the scar is to conceal in daily life.
- 2.Permanence. A scar that a plastic surgeon expects to fade is worth much less than one that is permanent and cannot be surgically improved. A medical opinion on permanence is decisive evidence.
- 3.Age of the victim. Younger victims recover more, because they will live with the scar for more years. The same facial scar is generally valued higher on a 20-year-old than on a 70-year-old.
- 4.Emotional and social impact. Documented anxiety, withdrawal, or effect on a public-facing job raises the non-economic value. Attorneys and insurers also report that visible facial-scar cases tend to settle higher for women, reflecting how juries weigh the disfigurement.
- 5.Size, shape, and texture. Larger, raised, jagged, or discolored scars are worth more than thin, flat, faded ones. Keloid and hypertrophic scars that grow or recur add value because they signal a poor long-term prognosis.
- 6.Future medical cost. Estimated costs of scar-revision surgery, laser treatment, or injections add directly to the economic side of the claim, and the need for ongoing treatment underscores the severity of the disfigurement.
The Mirror Test
Scar Types, ICD-10 Codes, and Permanence
The medical classification of your scar matters to a claim because it speaks directly to permanence, the second-biggest value driver. The diagnosis codes that appear in your records are objective evidence of the scar's nature and prognosis.
| Scar Type | ICD-10 Code | What It Means for Your Claim |
|---|---|---|
| Scar conditions and fibrosis of skin (includes disfigurement) | L90.5 | The general code for a permanent scar and disfigurement of skin; the baseline diagnosis in most scar claims |
| Hypertrophic scar | L91.0 | Raised, thickened scar; tends to be permanent and may need treatment, which supports higher value |
| Keloid scar | L91.0 | Grows beyond the original wound and often recurs after treatment; strong evidence of a poor long-term prognosis |
Source: ICD-10-CM 2026 code set. L90.5 covers scar conditions and disfigurement of skin; hypertrophic and keloid scars are coded L91.0.
Hypertrophic Scars
Hypertrophic scars are raised and thickened but stay within the boundary of the original wound. They form faster than keloids and can improve over a year or more, sometimes with treatment. Because they are usually permanent to some degree, they support a meaningful disfigurement claim.
Keloid Scars
Keloids grow beyond the edges of the original injury as the body overproduces scar tissue, and they frequently return even after surgical removal. Because they signal ongoing treatment needs and a poor prognosis, a documented keloid is strong evidence for higher value and for future-medical-cost damages.
Revision Surgery Does Not Always Help
How to Prove a Permanent Scar
Scar claims are won with visual evidence and a clear medical opinion on permanence. Follow these steps from the day of the injury to protect the value of your claim.
Photograph the Injury at Every Stage
Take clear, well-lit photos of the wound the day it happens and at each stage of healing, from open wound to stitches to final scar. This visual timeline is the single most persuasive evidence of how the scar formed and how it ultimately looks. Photograph in consistent lighting and include a reference for scale where possible.
Get a Plastic Surgeon's Permanence Opinion
A written opinion from a treating or consulting plastic surgeon, stating that the scar is permanent and to what extent revision can or cannot improve it, is the medical backbone of a disfigurement claim. This opinion converts a subjective "it looks bad" into objective, expert evidence.
Document Future Treatment Costs
If revision surgery, laser treatment, or steroid injections are recommended, get written cost estimates. These become economic damages added to the value of the scar itself, and the very need for ongoing treatment reinforces how serious the disfigurement is.
Record the Emotional and Social Impact
Keep a journal describing how the scar affects your confidence, work, and relationships, and ask family and coworkers for short statements. For significant facial disfigurement, a psychologist's evaluation can document the emotional harm that drives the non-economic value.
Preserve the Cause-of-Injury Evidence
Photograph the accident scene, the object that caused the wound, and keep the police or incident report. This ties the scar to the at-fault party, which is essential when the defendant is a driver's insurer, a homeowner (in a dog-bite case), or a business.
Do Not Settle Before the Scar Matures
Realistic Scar Settlement Examples
Here is what real scarring and disfigurement settlements look like once you account for location, permanence, and impact. These examples are modeled on patterns in actual settlement and verdict data.
Example 1: Forearm Scar From a Car Accident (Arizona)
Case Details:
- Laceration from broken glass in a side-impact crash
- Four-inch scar on the forearm, visible in short sleeves
- Flat, faded after a year; no revision recommended
- Medical bills: $8,000
Why the Value Is Modest:
- Visible but not on the face
- Scar faded over time
- No future treatment needed
Settlement Range:
$25,000 - $45,000
AZ comparative fault; clear liability; visible but improving scar
Example 2: Permanent Forehead Scar, Cyclist Hit by a Car (Maryland)
Case Details:
- Cyclist struck by a turning vehicle
- Large, visible forehead scar
- Plastic surgeon documented permanence
- Middle-aged victim; clear at-fault driver
Why the Value Is Higher:
- Facial location, immediately visible
- Documented as permanent
- Strong liability against the driver
Settlement:
$500,000
Modeled on a reported $500,000 settlement for a cyclist's permanent forehead scar
Example 3: Facial Scarring From a Dog Bite (Connecticut)
Case Details:
- Dog bite causing facial lacerations and scarring
- Homeowner's insurance paid the claim
- Permanent visible scar on the face
- Documented emotional impact
Settlement Breakdown:
- Pain, suffering, disfigurement: about $350,000
- Medical and other damages: the remainder
Total Settlement:
$364,000
Modeled on a reported $364,000 facial dog-bite settlement, $350,000 of it disfigurement
Calculate Your Scar Settlement Value
Calculate Your Scar Settlement Value
The ranges and examples above are a starting point. Your specific value depends on the combination of where the scar is, whether it is permanent, your age, the emotional impact, future treatment costs, and your state.
SetCalc's AI-powered calculator weighs your specific details against real settlement data from your state. Unlike generic calculators, it factors in:
Scar-Specific Analysis
- • Location and visibility of the scar
- • Permanence and revision prognosis
- • Scar type (keloid, hypertrophic, flat)
- • Emotional and career impact
Location-Specific Data
- • Your state's comparative fault rules
- • Local jury tendencies for disfigurement
- • Regional medical and revision-surgery costs
- • Applicable policy limits and damage caps
What Is Your Scar Really Worth?
Disfigurement claims are easy for insurers to undervalue because a scar's impact is personal. Get a location-specific, scar-specific estimate based on real settlement data, reviewed by a licensed personal injury attorney.
Calculate My Scar Settlement Free100% free • Attorney-reviewed • No obligation • Results in 5 minutes
Sources and References
- ICD-10-CM 2026 code set, L90.5 Scar conditions and fibrosis of skin and L91.0 Hypertrophic scar.
- Justia, Scarring and Disfigurement in Personal Injury Lawsuits, damages categories and proof.
- SetCalc analysis of court records, verdict databases, and published settlement reports, 2015-2026.
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