Recovering Compensation for Scarring and Disfigurement in Illinois

 Posted on October 28, 2026 in Personal Injury

Scars from an injury can require further treatment and affect how comfortable you feel about your appearance. Illinois recognizes disfigurement as a separate part of an injury claim, beyond medical bills and lost income. If someone caused an injury that left you with scarring or disfigurement in 2026, our Lombard, IL personal injury attorneys will help you seek compensation.

What Counts as Scarring or Disfigurement in an Illinois Injury Claim?

Disfigurement involves a change to your physical appearance caused by an injury. Examples include raised scars, burn scars, missing fingers, and the loss of a limb. Injuries that change facial features also fall within this category.

The injury does not have to prevent you from working to support a disfigurement claim. Someone who returns to their job after suffering facial cuts could still have a claim for the scars those wounds leave behind.

You must establish that the person or business you are pursuing is legally responsible for the injury. A visible scar alone does not prove that another party owes compensation.

What Expenses Can You Recover for a Disfiguring Injury in Illinois?

A claim includes reasonable medical expenses caused by the injury. These could involve emergency wound care and rehabilitation. This could be in addition to treatments such as reconstruction surgery or skin grafts. Future treatment costs also belong in the claim when medical evidence supports the need for that care.

For example, a surgeon might recommend another procedure after a burn has healed. The claim should address the expected cost and purpose of that procedure rather than include only bills already received.

Lost earnings are another financial loss when treatment or physical limitations keep you from working. If the injury permanently limits your ability to work, the claim should also address reduced earning capacity.

How Is Compensation for Disfigurement Different From Payment for Medical Bills?

Medical bill compensation covers the cost of treating your injury. Disfigurement compensation addresses changes to your appearance that treatment doesn't fully correct. Illinois recognizes these as separate parts of an injury claim.

For example, surgery might repair a deep facial cut but leave a lasting scar. Your claim could include both the cost of that surgery and compensation for the scar itself.

You do not need to show that removing the scar would cost a certain amount to seek disfigurement damages. The physical change is a harm of its own, even when no further treatment is recommended.

How Is the Value of a Scarring or Disfigurement Claim Determined in Illinois?

There is no fixed dollar amount for every scar. The assessment considers its size, location, appearance, and expected duration. A doctor’s opinion about whether it will fade or remain helps explain the lasting change.

Evidence supporting that assessment includes:

• Dated photographs showing the injury as it heals
• Earlier photographs showing your appearance before the incident
• Medical records describing the scar or other physical changes
• A treating doctor’s assessment of likely improvement
• Testimony explaining effects that photographs do not capture

Use clear, unedited photographs and keep the original files. Consistent lighting and angles make it easier to compare changes over time.

A photograph might show a scar’s color and shape but leave other effects unclear. For example, medical records could explain that scar tissue pulls on an eyelid or restricts movement. That information helps establish the injury’s full extent.

How Long Do You Have to File an Illinois Lawsuit for Scarring or Disfigurement?

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, most Illinois personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years after the claim arises. For an accident-related injury, that usually means two years from the accident, subject to exceptions.

The deadline does not wait until you know how a scar will look after healing. Learning months later that the scar is permanent does not ordinarily start a new filing period.

You do not have to finish treatment before filing a lawsuit. Your attorney can protect the deadline while gathering medical information about your recovery and any future procedures. Filing also leaves room to continue settlement negotiations as that information becomes available.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Personal Injury Lawyer

Lasting changes to your appearance deserve consideration alongside the costs of your recovery. At Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices, our attorneys will document the effects of your injury and pursue compensation from the responsible parties.

Our firm has offices in three convenient locations in Lombard, Bloomingdale, and Naperville. We are happy to accommodate evening and Saturday appointments if needed. Contact our Lombard, IL personal injury attorneys or call 630-932-9100 to schedule a free consultation.