It’s not unusual for car accident victims to sustain serious head injuries, and a hair transplant may be necessary as part of their recovery. Though the costs of a hair transplant may not be covered by one’s health insurance, they can be included in the victim’s list of damages submitted as part of a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Personal injury law falls under the legal category of tort law. A tort is considered a civil wrong, such as a negligent driver that causes an accident and harms an innocent person. The negligent person can then be held legally and financially responsible for making the victim “whole again.” In practical terms, they must pay a settlement sufficient enough that the victim can pay for treatment to return to the state they were in before the accident. Hair transplant surgery could fall into that category if a car accident victim suffered hair loss as a result of a head or scalp injury in the accident.
A personal injury lawyer can help you file the necessary claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. This is true whether the nature of the accident was a car accident, a slip and fall, or any other type of avoidable accident. An experienced personal injury lawyer who takes your case can escalate it if necessary into a lawsuit and pursue a Judge or jury award for your damages.
A Hair Transplant Can Overcome Scarring from an Accident
Scarring is a common injury in car accidents especially, but is not exclusive to them. The law recognizes that scarring is a lifelong injury, and not only can it be physically painful, an emotional reminder of the accident may occur in seeing the scarring. The law also recognizes that the victim deserves financial compensation for emotional as well as physical damages.
If in the area of the scalp injury the skin has retained its normal thickness, it should be able to accept a hair transplant. A successful hair transplant can significantly improve the scarred area of the scalp, and the associated baldness. However, it’s important to understand that grafts do not always grow as well in scarred tissue. As a result, it can be difficult to attain the same uniform density of hair as before the accident, particularly if the victim is a female.
Skin Grafts in the Scarred Area
For some patients, it can be beneficial for them to undergo a scalp advancement procedure in advance of undergoing a hair transplant. If the patient has several directions of hair flow, a scalp advancement procedure may leave a noticeable scar. However, a hair transplant can match those hair directions and provide a more attractive solution. A follicular unit hair transplant often does very well in areas where there is scarring present. Another advantage is that donor hair for the transplant can be taken from the patient’s neck area where the hair is finer. There are additional upsides as well that your NYC hair transplant doctor can review with you.
If you were injured in an accident that resulted in scalp damage and hair loss, contact a hair transplant doctor to find out if you are a good candidate for such a procedure.
Dr. Robin Unger, MD, Hair Transplant Doctor NYC