It was in this period of leisure that her career was almost ruined by an auto accident. She was riding with Harry Cooper, son of a Los Angeles banker, when a car on a hill backed down against the Cooper car, smashed the windshield, which in turn cut Carole from the corner of her nose to her cheekbone. She happened to fall into the hands of a medico who sewed her up (without anesthetic) and left her with only a faint scar showing.
"Miss Peters had sued Harry Cooper, holding him responsible for the scar she declared she bears as a result of an automobile accident. Miss Peters stated she was a passenger in Cooper’s machine when it collided with another car.
While terms of the settlement were not made public, it is reported Miss Peters agreed to accept $3,000 in lieu of going to trial.
http://carolelombard.org/lombard-took-that-scar-to-court"