Broken Jaw in Vehicle Accidents and Falls | Settlements and Verdicts

This page is about lawsuits involving a broken jaw from a car accident or truck accident. Our lawyers handle these claims.

Broken Jaw Injury Accident Cases

Broken jaws are more common than you might think. This injury is not reserved for athletes and bar brawlers. The jaw is the tenth most broken bone in the body and the third most common broken bone in the face. However, some hospitals report that the jaws is the most common facial fracture they see.

Fractured and broken jaws are caused by traumatic events. Car accidents, falls, industrial accidents, and sports injuries are common contributors. Because so many broken jaws stem from fights and assaults, it is no surprise that men are nearly three times more likely to suffer a broken jaw than women (who are more likely to break their jaws in like crashes, car accidents, and falls).

Prognosis

The fancy term for a broken jaw is a “mandibular fracture,” which always results from excessive force to the jaw. The statistics on the number of mandibular fractures

There are a few different types of jaw fractures that vary in severity. They include:

• Commuted Fracture – The bone is splintered or crushed.
• Greenstick Fracture – The bone is cracked but not completely broken.
• Compound Fracture – The bone is broken and penetrates the skin.
• Simple Fracture – The bone breaks but does not pierce the skin.

Regardless of the type of fracture, immediate medical attention is necessary when dealing with a broken jaw. All kinds of issues can arise from this injury including breathing difficulty, blocked airway, infection, and tooth misalignment. So the best course of action is to go to the emergency room if you break your jaw.

These are awful injuries, but they are relatively easy to treat. Typical treatment involves painkillers and a liquid diet. Still, more severe fractures can lead to surgery, which usually involves having the jaw wired to a patient’s teeth. This usually entails a six to eight-week diet of only soft foods or liquids.

But there are complications with broken jaws. For example with fractures treated with surgery, scarring and nerve dysfunction are common.

Sample Broken Jaw Settlements and Verdicts

There are not a lot of recorded cases in Maryland where the broken jaw is from a car accident. Miller and Zois has had broken jaw car and truck accident cases. But it would be misleading to list them here because the critical injury in those cases was not a broken jaw. That is the problem with looking at car accident verdicts and settlements. Usually, the broken jaw is not the only injury.

The assault cases, while an imperfect comparison, isolate just that injury for broken jaw settlement valuation purposes. Keep in mind that it is impossible to predict how much a judge or jury would award in any broken jaw case. These verdicts are a tool to use in conjunction, with other tools, to help you better understand how much your broken jaw is worth for settlement or at trial.

• 2021, Florida: $8.5 Million Verdict – A woman stopped at an intersection. She was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. The woman suffered severe injuries, including a jaw fracture and a concussion. She alleged negligence against the truck driver. The woman claimed she failed to timely brake and maintain an appropriate lookout. A jury awarded $8.5 million.
• 2021, Texas: $1 Million Settlement – A 16-year-old boy drank beer at a concert. While on his way home, his pickup truck rolled over. The boy suffered a brain injury, bilateral shoulder fractures, a pelvic fracture, spinal fractures, rib fractures, jaw fractures, a liver laceration, a kidney injury, a punctured lung, and a hemothorax. He underwent an open reduction internal fixation for his jaw and a tracheostomy. The boy also underwent inpatient rehabilitation therapy for two weeks. He took seizure medications. The boy continued to experience residual knee pain. He alleged that the convenience store that sold him the beer acted negligently. This case settled for $1 million.
• 2021, Virginia: $324,282 Settlement – An airplane pilot was struck head-on by another pilot. He lost his teeth and fractured his jaw, left tibia, and left shoulder. The man also sustained a concussion and head, elbow, and lip lacerations. He underwent two open reduction internal fixations for his jaw and a closed reduction for his tibia. The man also underwent physical and scar revision therapy sessions. He alleged negligence against the at-fault pilot. The man claimed he failed to maintain an appropriate lookout. This case settled for $324,282.
• 2020, California: $500,000 Settlement – A 4-year-old passenger was involved in a rear-ender. She fractured her jaw, teeth, ribs, and thoracic spine. The girl also suffered a soft-tissue back injury, a lung contusion, and a collapsed lung. She wore a back brace for her thoracic injuries. The girl also underwent dental treatments. Her mother alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. She claimed she failed to maintain an appropriate lookout and safely operate her vehicle. This case settled for $500,000.
• 2020, California: $11.25 Million Settlement – A 35-year-old construction fell through an elevator shaft at a worksite. He fractured his jaw and ribs. The man also sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, a neurogenic bowel, a seizure disorder, left spastic hemiplegia, a hemothorax, and cognitive dysfunction. He underwent a craniotomy. The man spent one month in an induced coma. He developed MRSA and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The man was eventually transferred to a rehabilitative facility. He underwent a cranioplasty several months later. The man continued to experience cognitive deficits and incontinence. He was left with visual, behavioral, cognitive, and motor impairments. The man made a workers’ compensation claim against his employer. This case settled for $11.25 million.
• 2020, Michigan: $100,000 Settlement – A 25-year-old pedestrian was struck. He fractured his jaw, femur, left incisor tooth, and C1 and T1 discs. The man also suffered a serious traumatic brain injury, bilateral lung contusions, and facial and spleen lacerations. He underwent multiple emergency procedures, including an open reduction internal fixation to his jaw and a tracheostomy. The man eventually spent one month at a rehabilitation facility. He underwent rehabilitative, physical, and behavioral therapy. The man’s neurological injuries left him legally incapacitated. His conservator alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. She claimed he failed to yield to a pedestrian and maintain an appropriate lookout. This case settled for $100,000.
• 2019, Iowa: $390,000 Settlement – A man was a passenger in a golf cart operated by his son. The vehicle became stuck on a bridge’s left side. The man was ejected. He fell 30 feet into a creek bed. The man fractured his right eye socket, jaw, knee, and leg. He alleged negligence against his son and the golf course owners. The man claimed his son failed to control the golf cart and avoid hitting the bridge, while the golf course owners failed to warn of the injury risk of crossing the bridge. This case settled for $390,000.
• 2019, Washington: $330,000 Verdict – A 3-year-old boy, his 5-year-old sister, and their grandmother walked through a parking lot. A vehicle struck them. The boy suffered a left jaw fracture, facial abrasions, a lacerated chin, and emotional distress. His sister suffered emotional distress. Their grandmother was fatally struck. The two siblings’ parents alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. They claimed he failed to maintain an appropriate lookout and yield to pedestrians. The jury awarded $330,000.
• 2018, Pennsylvania: 5.7 Million Verdict – This is a medical malpractice case involving a plaintiff that has mental health issues. He is treated at a hospital for self-inflicted stab wounds. The hospital leaves him on the fourth-floor window without supervision. You know what happens next. He jumps out. The man suffers a broken jaw, broken ankles and heels, and fractured his vertebrae. So, obviously, not all of the damages are related to the broken jaw. The jury awards a payout of $3.25 million in past compensatory damages, $2.25 million in future compensatory damages and $215,964 for past medical expenses.
• 2017, Nevada: $25,000 Settlement – A girl stood on a curb. She was struck by a moving vehicle’s passenger mirror. She suffered a jaw fracture, facial laceration, and loss of teeth. The girl received facial stitches. Her mother alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. She claimed she failed to maintain an appropriate lookout. This case settled for $25,000.
• 2016, Washington: $1.5 Million Settlement – A 31-year-old cyclist was sideswiped by a delivery truck. He fractured his right temporal skull, eye socket, cheekbone, and jaw. The man also suffered a Grade 5 concussion, double vision, hearing loss, and a right rotator cuff tear with numbness. He alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. The man claimed he failed to maintain an appropriate lookout and yield the right-of-way. This case settled for $1.5 million.
• 2015, Washington: $50,000 Settlement – A boy was struck by an unknown driver that left the scene. He suffered a fractured left jaw, a complete TMJ dislocation, and facial and head lacerations and abrasions. The boy’s parents made a UIM claim against State Farm. This case settled for $50,000.
• 2014, Maryland: $100,000 Verdict – A teen is standing on his front porch when someone yells a racial slur at him, prompting him to run. He is tackled by plain-clothes police officers and allegedly thrown into some trashcans. After being released without arrest, the teen suffers immense pain in his jaw. He sues the police department, claiming that the wrongful arrest resulted in a broken jaw. The jury returns a $100,000 verdict for the teen, saying that there was a willful and malicious assault.
• 2014, Maryland: $75,000 Settlement – A man is arrested for driving drunk and evading a parking lot fee. During the arrest, he claims that police employed unnecessary force against him, resulting in a broken jaw. He hires a lawyer for his broken jaw and sued the department, claiming that the officers should not have used the amount of force that they did, and could have avoided the broken jaw. Before trial, both sides agreed to a settlement amount of $75,000.
• 2013, Maryland: $106,639 Settlement – The plaintiff, a minor, attends a party that is unchaperoned and involves underage drinking. At some point during the party, another individual punches him in the face, prompting his mother to take him to the emergency room the following day. After he was diagnosed with a broken jaw (which required two surgeries to treat), he hires a personal injury attorney and sues the person who assaulted him and the owner of the house where the party was held. They both enter into settlements totaling $106,639.
• 2012, Pennsylvania: $75,000 Verdict – While riding her bike, the plaintiff is struck by a man making a left turn in his car. The cyclist breaks her jaw, which requires her to have it wired shut for three weeks. During that time, she can only ingest liquid foods. She hires a lawyer and sues the driver, alleging negligence. The jury agrees and awards her a verdict of $75,000.

Getting a Lawyer for Your Broken Jaw Claim

Broken jaws are painful and can lead to medical bills, emotional pain and suffering. You need the right attorneys to be on your side. The attorneys at Miller & Zois have the tools, expertise, and skill to make sure that you receive the settlement compensation that you deserve from the people that caused your broken jaw. Call 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation if you have suffered a broken jaw injury in Maryland as the result of the negligence of someone else.