Normally, the health bar shows just a bar but the damage splat indicator shows the health loss in numbers, making it quite hard to keep track of how much health the character has left and how much the loss of health really meant. I've had lots of deaths so far because I just couldn't see how much health my character had left.
I would like to suggest putting the damage feedback splat/text inside the character's portrait instead of covering the health bar, or somewhere where it doesn't needlessly cover information vital for survival.
Again, I believe that the game should be hard, not the GUI.