Due to seat belts and airbags, chest injuries from a car accident can be common. While injuries to the chest can heal quickly, there may be serious underlying injuries such as internal bleeding, torn muscles, tendons, ligaments or internal injuries to organs. Bruising, abrasions, rib or sternum fractures might also occur.
Defining Possible Injuries
Lacerations
If there is a cut to the skin, it is called a laceration. Abrasions are where the skin is scraped and the skin is missing, while a laceration means that the skin is separated.
Bruises
Bruises are not a surprising injury from a car accident. A medical evaluation is always recommended because a doctor can rule out more serious issues that a bruise might be hiding, like hematomas, Vitamin C deficiency, internal bleeding, etc.
Blunt Trauma
Blunt trauma might also be referred to as blunt injury, non-penetrating trauma or blunt force trauma. These terms mean that there is physical damage to the body. It is a diagnosis instead of a medical condition. Blunt trauma is also an indicator that a more severe injury has occurred.
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is medical speak for a collapsed lung. This can usually be treated by rest and oxygen, but if it is more serious, doctors might need to use a chest tube.
Rib Fracture
Broken ribs are common injuries in car accidents. They have the potential to be very dangerous if the bone damages any surrounding organs or blood vessels. It can take a few months for broken ribs to heal and treatment is usually a lot of rest and possibly assistance from pain medications.
Symptoms & Seeking Medical Care
Symptoms of a minor chest injury include pain when a person tries to cough, attempts to breathe deeply or sneezes. They may also experience pain in their chest wall when attempting to move their shoulder, rib cage, or arm.
If someone is suffering from a more serious injury, they may have trouble breathing, demonstrate symptoms of shock or experience severe pain.
If you are involved in a car accident and experience a chest injury, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention. Failing to receive immediate care can worsen an injury, and some injuries may turn fatal if left untreated.
Legal Consultation
After receiving help from a medical professional, it is equally important to seek assistance from a lawyer. If the accident was caused because of another driver’s negligence, injured victims may be able to receive compensation for their pain, suffering and losses. Losses may include things like compensation from lost time at work or medical bills.
The Litner + Deganian Difference
Car accidents always induce a large amount of stress. Car accidents that involve injuries only compound that stress, making recovering that much harder. Litner + Deganian want to make the personal injury claim as seamless and stress free as possible. We ditch the lawyer lingo, unless it is absolutely necessary. We love questions and are happy to answer any that you have, day or night. After years of working for insurance companies, we know the tricks of the trade and how they operate. We’re happy to use this knowledge to help you win the compensation that you deserve. Call today for a free consultation!
