The rib cage provides vital protection to some of the body’s most important organs, including the heart and lungs. Violent accidents can unfortunately bruise or crack ribs, leading to intense pain and a host of complications. Motorists might be unable to ride in a car for months out of fear of aggravating a rib injury.
Call The Stano Law Firm if you suffered any type of rib injury in a car crash. Seat belts can protect motorists from fatal injuries, but the belt can also end up damaging your ribs. A Houston car accident lawyer is available to meet to go over what you remember of the crash, as well as your ideas of who is at fault. Our goal is always to obtain generous compensation from a negligent driver who injured you.
Common Rib Injuries
There are many types of rib injuries a person can suffer in an auto accident:
- Bruises. A bruised rib is common when a passenger slams their chest into the steering wheel or dash. Even a seatbelt can cause bruising in a violent wreck. Although this is not the most serious rib injury, it is quite painful, and motorists can experience swelling, tenderness, or spasms.
- Intercostal strain. The intercostal muscles attach ribs to each other. These muscles can be stretched, strained, or torn in a car accident, leading to pain.
- Costochondral separation. This dramatic injury involves the rib separating from the cartilage which connects the rib and the breastbone.
- Rib fracture. Ribs will break under pressure. Any rib fracture can affect breathing, talking, or laughing—all of which suddenly become painful. A
- Flail chest injury. This injury involves multiple ribs which are fractured in two or more places and is one of the most serious chest wall injuries.
The most immediate sign you have suffered a rib injury is pain. Coughing and laughing are painful, but sometimes simply breathing hurts, too. Do not ignore pain, which is the body’s signal that something is wrong.
Be Careful of Complications
A rib injury is, by itself, a painful experience. Many people cannot breathe normally and, therefore, struggle to go to work or enjoy the company of their families. But rib fractures in particular carry certain complications:
- Punctured lung. A broken rib can become a shard which punctures a lung and leads to air leaking out into the chest cavity.
- Traumatic pneumothorax. This condition follows a punctured lung. As air fills the cavity, too much pressure outside the lung prevents it from expanding, and a victim cannot breathe.
- Pneumonia. The risk of pneumonia increases significantly after any rib injury because a person cannot cough or take deep breaths. Elderly car accident victims are at greater risk of pneumonia following rib fracture.
We recommend seeking immediate medical treatment if you experience any tenderness in your ribs. A doctor can order an X-ray or other imaging test to inspect the damage, then order appropriate treatment.
Will a Rib Injury Heal?
When most bones break, a doctor attempts to immobilize the limb, which allows the bones to fuse back together. Immobilizing the ribcage is impossible, however.
Your provider will discuss different treatment options depending on the specific injury you suffered. Some rib injuries will only require icing, rest, and pain medication. The rib can eventually heal after six weeks or so. One important consideration is the patient’s age. Bones can take longer to heal with older patients.
More serious injuries and complications can require surgery. For example, your doctor might need to perform surgery for flail chest to re-establish the chest wall integrity.
How Much Compensation Can You Receive for a Rib Injury?
Rib injuries cause significant medical expenses, but surgery or rehabilitation is not the whole story. Many of our clients with serious chest injuries cannot return to work immediately because sitting up for extended periods might be too difficult.
Other compensation covers intangible losses, such as bodily pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and irritability. Because rest is so critical, many people cannot spend time with their families as they slowly recover, and this type of loss deserves some form of compensation.
Get the Assistance of a Houston Car Accident Lawyer
The Stano Law Firm opened its doors to help personal injury victims navigate the insurance claims process. We believe all accident victims should be treated fairly by insurers, and we use our legal knowledge to ensure this happens. If you want to learn more about your legal rights, call our office today, 832-777-0390, to speak with a lawyer.