Mandible jaw fracture accident attorney

A jaw fracture affects eating, speaking and appearance simultaneously, and the treatment itself — frequently having the jaws wired or elastically fixed together for a period — is among the more difficult recoveries a person can go through. The lasting consequences often include altered bite, numbness of the lower lip and chin, and problems with the jaw joint. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles facial and orthopedic injury claims in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York.

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What the imaging and records show

Panoramic radiography and CT identify the fracture and its location — the mandible commonly fractures in more than one place, because it is a ring of bone, so a single visible fracture should prompt a search for a second. CT characterizes displacement and involvement of the jaw joint. Dental assessment documents the occlusion, meaning how the teeth meet, which is the functional measure that matters most and which should be recorded before and after treatment.

Why this injury meets the legal threshold

A displaced mandibular fracture with altered occlusion is objective injury with a directly measurable functional consequence. Where fixation was performed, or where the jaws were immobilised, the treatment itself documents severity. Associated dental injury and nerve deficit add further objective findings.

Typical treatment course and prognosis

Undisplaced stable fractures may be treated with a soft diet and observation. Displaced fractures are treated by fixation with plates and screws, or by immobilising the jaws together for a period, or both. Recovery involves dietary restriction, difficulty with oral hygiene and often significant weight loss. Recognized long-term consequences include malocclusion, numbness of the lower lip and chin from injury to the nerve running through the jaw, jaw joint pain and restricted opening, and damage to teeth requiring dental work.

How insurance carriers attack this diagnosis

That the fracture healed and the person eats normally. That numbness is subjective. That dental problems are pre-existing. That jaw joint symptoms are common in the general population. The response is objective: documented occlusion compared with the pre-injury state where records exist, mapped sensory deficit, measured maximum mouth opening, and dental records establishing the condition of the teeth before the incident.

Proving the accident caused it

The mechanism is usually a direct blow — an airbag or steering wheel impact, a fall, an assault. The work is documenting all of the consequences rather than only the bone. Ensure the whole mandible was assessed for a second fracture. Ensure sensory deficit was mapped rather than noted in passing. Ensure dental injury was documented and that future dental work is costed, because it is frequently substantial and frequently omitted.

Available insurance coverage

What can be recovered is limited by what coverage exists. The at-fault party’s policy is the starting point, but it is frequently not the only source: the injured person’s own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, household policies, employer coverage where a vehicle was used for work, umbrella and excess layers, and the coverage of any additional responsible party can all apply. Underinsured coverage typically requires notice and consent before any settlement with the at-fault party — settling first can forfeit it. Identifying every available layer is early work, not closing work.

How damages are categorised and proven

Damages are not a single number that gets negotiated. They are separate categories, each proven by different evidence. Past medical expense is proven by billing records and the reasonableness of the charges. Future medical expense requires a physician’s opinion that the care is reasonably certain to be needed. Lost income is proven by employment and tax records; lost earning capacity is a different and larger question requiring vocational and economic analysis. Non-economic loss — pain, limitation, and the effect on daily life — is proven through the medical record and through testimony from people who can describe specific changes rather than general decline. No one can responsibly tell you what a case is worth before that evidence exists, and any figure offered at the outset is a guess.

Filing deadlines

Every injury claim is governed by a statute of limitations, and the periods differ by state and by claim type. For personal injury actions the period is two years in Virginia under Va. Code § 8.01-243(A), accruing at the date of injury; three years in Maryland under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101; three years in the District of Columbia under D.C. Code § 12-301(8); two years in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; and three years in New York under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214(5). These are general periods. Discovery rules, tolling for minors and incapacity, claims against government entities — the District imposes a six-month notice-of-claim requirement for claims against the District government — and claim-specific statutes can shorten or extend them. Do not rely on a general period for your own case; have the deadline confirmed on your facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do jaw fractures often occur in two places?

Because the mandible is a ring of bone, and a ring struck hard enough to break in one place commonly breaks in another. A visible fracture on one side should always prompt assessment of the opposite side and of the jaw joints, since the second fracture is easily missed.

What does having my jaw wired involve?

The upper and lower teeth are held together with wires or elastics for a period, so the fracture heals in the correct bite. It means a liquid or very soft diet throughout, significant difficulty with oral hygiene, and commonly noticeable weight loss. It is a demanding recovery and should be documented as such rather than summarised as immobilisation.

My lip and chin are numb. Will that improve?

The nerve supplying sensation to the lower lip and chin runs through the jaw and is commonly injured in these fractures. Recovery over months is common but not universal, and permanent numbness occurs. The deficit should be mapped formally by your clinician rather than described generally, because the map is the evidence.

My bite feels wrong. Does that matter?

It matters a great deal. Malocclusion — the teeth no longer meeting correctly — affects chewing, causes uneven tooth wear, and can produce jaw joint pain. It is objectively assessable by a dentist or maxillofacial clinician, and where it persists it may require orthodontic or further surgical correction that should be costed into the claim.

My teeth were damaged too. Is that part of the claim?

Yes, and it is frequently underestimated. Dental treatment following facial trauma — crowns, root canal treatment, implants, bridges — is expensive, and implants and crowns have finite lifespans requiring replacement over decades. A dental treatment plan projecting lifetime cost should be obtained before the claim resolves.

How long do I have to bring a claim?

Two years in Virginia and New Jersey, three years in Maryland, the District of Columbia and New York for personal injury actions, subject to tolling and discovery rules and to shorter notice requirements where a government entity is involved. Confirm the deadline on your own facts.

About Mr. Sris

Mr. Sris is the owner and founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., which has practiced since 1997. He is a former prosecutor and is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York. Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with the firm and handle matters alongside him. In 2019 Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee on House Bill 635.

Speak with Mr. Sris

Injury claims are governed by filing deadlines that vary by state and by claim type, and evidence degrades quickly. Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.

Last reviewed: August 22, 2026.

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