Scar and disfigurement claims in Midland: when to file while a scar heals

A scar can take 12 to 18 months to mature, yet a Midland scar suit generally has to be filed within 2 years of the injury. That leaves little room to wait. If a dog caused it, report the bite to Midland Animal Services at 432-685-7420.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (25)

Scars and disfigurement in Midland? See if you are owed money.

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

Free to send, no obligation. A law firm that handles this type of case in your state reviews it. How this works
Road map of Midland marking North Fairgrounds Road, where Animal Services takes bite reports
A scar takes 12 to 18 months to mature. The deadline is 2 years. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How long should you wait to file a scar claim in Midland?

TimeWhat is happeningWhy it matters
First weeks and monthsScars are often thicker, pinker, redder or shinier than the rest of the skinA new scar looks worse than it will later
12 to 18 monthsThe scar maturesA doctor can then judge what revision can do
Before it maturesImmature scars give poor results after revisionSurgery too early can fail
24 monthsThe usual Texas lawsuit deadlineFile or settle before this, even if the scar is still changing

Skin that grows over a wound forms a permanent scar. Most scars fade over time, yet none disappears completely. Ask your doctor for a written note on what is likely to stay.

What does a scar claim cover in Texas?

Texas lists disfigurement, physical impairment and mental anguish as separate kinds of noneconomic damages. Physical impairment counts on its own only when it is substantial and goes beyond other damages. A scar on the face or hands can affect work and daily life, and your records should say how.

  • Treatments the doctor may recommend include surgical revision, dermabrasion, laser, injections, chemical peels and creams.
  • Scar revision can improve how a scar looks, but it cannot erase it.
  • A claim for treatment costs covers only what was paid or is owed.

What if a Midland dog bite left the scar?

  1. Report the bite. Texas requires all animal bites to a person to be reported to the local rabies control authority.
  2. Call Midland Animal Services at 432-685-7420, 1200 N Fairgrounds Rd. It investigates bites.
  3. After hours, call 432-685-7108 for attacks inside the city limits.
  4. Expect a 10-day quarantine for a healthy dog.
  5. Photograph the wound every few days, with a ruler in the picture.

In Midland a dog is at large when it is outside a secure enclosure, even in a front yard with none. That can matter if the owner says the dog was in its yard.

What if a burn or a crash caused the scar?

After a burn, a scar can tighten and limit movement, which is called contracture. Ask for the Midland fire report with a public information request to the city. For a crash, the CR-3 report costs $6 from TxDOT.

What if your child has a scar from an injury in Midland?

Time as a minor is not counted toward the usual 2-year deadline. That does not stop the clock on a government notice. The 6 month notice keeps running even if the injured person is a minor. If a city or school vehicle was involved, act on notice early.

How long do you have to file a scar claim in Midland?

A scar claim usually has to be filed within two years. Notice to a government unit is due in six months. Written notice to the City of Midland is due in 60 days under its charter.

Questions

Should I wait until the scar is fully healed to settle?

Not past the deadline. A scar needs 12 to 18 months to mature, and the usual suit deadline is 2 years.

Can I get paid for a scar that only bothers me how it looks?

Texas lists disfigurement as its own kind of noneconomic damage, apart from pain and impairment.

Will a scar procedure remove it?

No. Scar revision can improve how a scar looks, but it cannot erase it.

Scars and disfigurement in Midland? See if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Sources (25)

  1. PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “it takes around 12-18 months for the scar to mature”
  2. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  3. City of Midland, Animal Services, checked 2026-11-08. “Phone: 432-685-7420 [...] 1200 N Fairgrounds Rd”
  4. Texas DSHS, Rabies prevention in Texas, January 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “ALL ANIMAL BITES TO A HUMAN MUST BE REPORTED”
  5. PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “scar revision will improve and not erase the scar”
  6. PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Immature scars are prone to hypertrophy and give poor results after scar revision.”
  7. 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”
  8. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scars are often thicker, as well as pinker, redder, or shinier, than the rest of your skin.”
  9. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “A scar is a permanent patch of skin that grows over a wound”
  10. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scars usually fade over time but never go away completely.”
  11. 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”
  12. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “These include surgical revision, dermabrasion, laser treatments, injections, chemical peels, and creams.”
  13. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105, checked 2026-11-09. “recovery of medical or health care expenses incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant”
  14. City of Midland, Field Operations, checked 2026-11-08. “Investigations into animal bites”
  15. City of Midland, Field Operations, checked 2026-11-08. “For after hour emergency animal issues call 432-685-7108”
  16. Texas DSHS, Rabies prevention in Texas, January 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “observed for 10 days (240 hours)”
  17. City of Midland, Animal Services FAQ, checked 2026-11-08. “A dog is considered at large, or loose, when it is outside of a secure enclosure”
  18. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scarring after traumatic injury or burns”
  19. City of Midland Fire FAQ, checked 2026-11-09. “How do I obtain a fire or accident report? To make a public information request for access records, please file a request online.”
  20. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “$6 for a regular copy. $8 for a certified copy”
  21. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-09. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  22. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  23. Martinez v. Val Verde County Hospital District (Tex. 2004), checked 2026-11-09. “The lower courts held that it is not,[2] and we agree.”
  24. 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”
  25. City of Midland Charter, Sec. 8, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified within sixty days after the same has been sustained”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money