Scars and disfigurement in Fort Worth: what a claim can include and when to act
A scar can count as its own loss. Texas lists disfigurement as a separate part of noneconomic damages. Scars take about 12 to 18 months to mature, so timing matters. In Fort Worth, JPS runs a Wound Care Clinic at 817-702-8400. A scar claim generally must be filed within 2 years, even if the scar is still changing.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (27)
Does a scar count as its own injury in Fort Worth?
Yes. In a Fort Worth scar claim, disfigurement is its own item of noneconomic damages, next to mental anguish and physical impairment. To count physical impairment, you need proof that it is substantial and more than the other damages.
So a scar on your face or hand can be counted for how it looks and how it makes you feel. A scar that limits movement can also be a physical problem, not only a cosmetic one.
How long should I wait to see how my scar turns out?
A scar usually matures around 12 to 18 months after the injury. Scars are often thicker, pinker, redder or shinier at first. They fade but never go away completely.
Surgery on an immature scar gives poor results. Even revision only improves a scar; it does not erase it. That timing is a problem for a claim, because the two-year deadline may arrive before your scar settles, and a claim against the City of Fort Worth needs notice in 180 days. Talk to a lawyer about it early.
Where did my scar come from, and who is responsible?
| Cause | Fort Worth rule or office | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Dog bite | Dogs must be leashed off their owner's property, and a biting animal is quarantined for 10 days. | Report to Animal Care and Control, 817-392-1234. |
| Burn or fire | The Fire Department writes a report for every incident it responds to. | Ask for a copy. |
| Car crash | Fort Worth Police reports cost $6 through TxDOT's CRIS site. | Photograph the scar often. |
| City property | The charter asks for notice in 180 days. | Send the notice early. |
| Surgery | Doctors' noneconomic damages are capped at $250,000 per claimant. | Medical cases have extra steps. |
Where can I get scar care in Fort Worth?
JPS, the county hospital district, runs a Wound Care Clinic. It is at 1350 S. Main St., Suite 3300, and its phone is 817-702-8400. JPS also says it has been adding burn care. Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth is also a Level I trauma center.
If a child was scarred, Cook Children's calls itself a Level II pediatric trauma center.
How do I prove how a scar affects my life?
- Photograph the scar the same way each month, in the same light.
- Keep notes on pain, itching, limited motion and how it affects work or school.
- Save every treatment record and quote for revision. JPS takes records requests by MyChart.
- Ask people close to you to write short notes about the change.
How long do I have to bring a scar claim in Texas?
Two years to sue. If the scarred person was a child, the years spent as a minor are not counted. If a government is involved, notice is due in six months, and Fort Worth's charter asks for 180 days. A jury that finds you more than 50 percent at fault bars recovery.
Questions
Is a scar claim only about looks?
No. A Fort Worth scar claim also counts mental anguish and physical impairment.
Are settlement amounts for scars public?
Not always. Terms of settlements often are not public, so be careful with any online average.
Does scar tissue affect taxes on a settlement?
Physical injury settlements are generally not taxed, but check with a tax adviser.
Scars and disfigurement in Fort Worth? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (27)
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.001(12), checked 2026-11-09. “physical pain and suffering, mental or emotional pain or anguish, loss of consortium, disfigurement, physical impairment”
- PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “it takes around 12-18 months for the scar to mature”
- JPS Health Network, Wound Care Clinic, checked 2026-11-09. “1350 S. Main Street, Suite 3300 Fort Worth, TX 76104 817-702-8400”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “scar revision will improve and not erase the scar”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-09. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
- Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”
- Golden Eagle Archery, Inc. v. Jackson, 116 S.W.3d 757 (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “the effect of any physical impairment must be substantial and extend beyond any pain, suffering, mental anguish, lost wages or diminished earning capacity”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scars are often thicker, as well as pinker, redder, or shinier, than the rest of your skin.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scars usually fade over time but never go away completely.”
- PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Immature scars are prone to hypertrophy and give poor results after scar revision.”
- City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “When a dog is being walked or with its owner off its property, the dog must be on a leash and accompanied by the owner at all times.”
- City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “must be placed in quarantine for 10 days from the day of the bite”
- City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “call Animal Care & Control: 817-392-1234”
- City of Fort Worth, Fire Investigations, checked 2026-11-09. “The policy of the Fort Worth Fire Department is to investigate all fires that occur within it’s jurisdiction. A report is generated for every incident to which the Fire Department responds.”
- Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Effective December 15, 2024, requestors should use the website below to request an accident report(s)”
- Fort Worth Police, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “for $6.00. If your search for a report returns no results, the report has not been approved.”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 74.301, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be limited to an amount not to exceed $250,000 for each claimant”
- JPS Health Network, About JPS, checked 2026-11-09. “The Tarrant County Hospital District, known as JPS Health Network”
- JPS Health Network, 10 years of Level I trauma, checked 2026-11-09. “JPS has begun ramping up its burn care offerings over the past year or so.”
- Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
- Cook Children's, Pediatric Trauma Surgery, checked 2026-11-09. “As a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center”
- JPS Health Network, Patient Records, checked 2026-11-08. “You can fax a written request to 817-702-5700.”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”