How is permanent facial scarring or disfigurement valued in a Georgia injury case?

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Permanent facial scarring and disfigurement are valued in Georgia primarily as non-economic damages, compensating the lasting harm to a person’s appearance and the emotional and social toll that comes with it. There is no formula or schedule that fixes a number; a jury weighs the evidence and decides a reasonable amount for an injury that the person carries visibly for life.

What the valuation accounts for

Because disfigurement affects how a person looks and is seen by others, its value reflects more than the cost of any surgery. Georgia juries may consider the human consequences of the scarring, including:

  • The location, size, and visibility of the scarring.
  • Embarrassment, self-consciousness, and emotional distress.
  • The effect on social interaction, relationships, and confidence.
  • Whether the disfigurement is permanent or can be improved.
  • The person’s age and circumstances.

These factors speak to pain, suffering, and loss of the enjoyment of life, which Georgia recognizes as compensable even though they cannot be measured with a receipt.

The economic component

Alongside the non-economic harm, the person may recover the cost of treatment aimed at improving the scarring, such as reconstructive or revision surgeries and related care. For procedures still to come, medical testimony has to establish that the surgery is reasonably necessary, and O.C.G.A. § 51-12-13 then allows the projected cost to be converted to present value at a 5 percent or comparable rate. Any physician testimony backing that figure has to withstand O.C.G.A. § 24-7-702, the reliability check Georgia courts conduct in keeping with Daubert.

How the human impact is shown

Since the core of the claim is non-economic, the proof often includes photographs documenting the disfigurement, the person’s own testimony about its daily effect, and accounts from others about the changes they have observed. This evidence helps the jury understand an injury whose weight lies in lived experience rather than dollars spent.

The bottom line

In Georgia, permanent facial scarring and disfigurement are valued mainly as non-economic damages, judged by a jury weighing the visibility and permanence of the scarring and its emotional and social impact, plus the cost of any reasonable corrective care. The valuation is individualized, reflecting how the disfigurement actually affects the person’s life.

This article is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship, and Georgia law may change. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed Georgia personal injury attorney.

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