Your car’s airbags are some of its more valuable safety features. In fact, a driver- or passenger-side airbag may reduce your odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident by as much as 30%. Still, because inflated airbags can be rock-hard, you may be at risk of breaking your nose.
A broken nose is likely to cause you immediate and excruciating pain. You may also develop unsightly bruises. Regrettably, if you have some common complications, your nose may never be the same again after your crash.
Breathing difficulties
You may take your ability to breathe freely for granted. A nose break, though, may force you to notice every single breath you take for the rest of your life. That is, you may have breathing difficulties and nasal congestion both when you are awake and when you are asleep.
Chronic nosebleeds
From time to time, many people have nosebleeds. Unfortunately, a broken nose may cause your rare nosebleeds to become chronic. Your nosebleeds may even turn into a medical emergency if any of the following occurs:
- The bleed lasts longer than 20 minutes
- The blood loss is considerable
- The blood refuses to clot
- The bleed stems from a blow to the head
Facial deformities
Your face is undoubtedly one of the first things people notice about you. Even a minor broken nose may contribute to facial deformities, such as a nose bump or crooked nose. While cosmetic surgery may help to correct the problem, you may have to deal with a nose that does not match your original one.
Ultimately, if your life changes forever because of a broken nose, you may be eligible for substantial financial compensation from the driver who caused the crash.