No calculator exists for this. Instead, permanent disfigurement falls under general damages, where Georgia sets no formula at all.
Below, we explain the standard a jury applies, what changed in 2025, and where the measurable losses hide.
Why Permanent Disfigurement Has No Price List
Georgia courts say it plainly. Pain and suffering is “governed by no other standard than the enlightened conscience of impartial jurors.”
That phrase carries real weight. No statute caps the figure, yet no worksheet produces one either.
Proof therefore replaces arithmetic. Twelve strangers decide, and they decide from whatever evidence reaches them.
Speak with a Charlotte car accident lawyer and get a free consultation today.
Call (980) 294-4931What Actually Reaches a Jury
Disfigurement is not a separate line item. Rather, it travels inside general damages beside physical pain, mental anguish, and lost enjoyment of life.
Daily reality does the persuading. Scar revision appointments, clothing chosen to cover, activities abandoned, and the hesitation before a mirror all belong in the record.
Witnesses matter more than adjectives. A spouse, a coworker, or a teacher describing specific changes lands harder than any characterization a lawyer offers.
Why 2025 Changed How the Number Gets Argued
Senate Bill 68 added O.C.G.A. § 9-10-184. The statute limits when an attorney may argue a specific dollar figure for pain and suffering.
Consequences follow a violation. Then a court can instruct the jury to disregard the remark, or declare a mistrial outright.
So the evidence must carry the number now. Consequently, building the factual record matters more than it did before April 2025.
Where the Measurable Losses Hide
Diminished earning capacity differs from lost wages. Someone can return to the same job at the same pay and still have lost opportunities that never arrive.
Future care adds up quietly. Scar revision, reconstructive procedures, prosthetic replacement, and psychological treatment all continue long after a case closes.
Both categories need expert support. Our page on catastrophic injury covers life care planning in more detail.
Why the Record Starts Immediately
After all, healing erases evidence. Photographs taken weekly during recovery show a jury what a healed scar cannot.
Still, permanency needs a physician. A treating doctor must say, on the record, that the condition will not improve further.
Talk to a Coweta County Personal Injury Lawyer
Shane Smith Law documents the change while it is still visible. Call (980) 246-2656 for a free consultation.
