Chest Injuries After a Car Accident

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Car accidents often cause chest injuries. If you wear a seat belt, you could suffer injuries as you impact the restraint; if not, your torso could hit the steering wheel, dashboard, or door.

In either case, chest impacts can have serious effects. A car accident could break ribs, rupture organs, or tear blood vessels in your chest, leading to disabilities or even death.

If you suffered chest injuries after a collision in Tampa, Florida, Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Contact our Tampa law office today at (813) 686-7588 for a free initial consultation with our experienced car accident lawyers.

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How Our Tampa Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Pursue Compensation for Chest Injuries

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers was founded in 1996, making it a fixture in Tampa’s legal community. Our car accident lawyers in Tampa have over 50 years of combined experience and have acquired over $100 million for accident victims throughout the Tampa Bay Area.

The firm has earned some of the legal community’s most prestigious honors, including board certification in civil trial law through the Florida Board of Legal Specialization and an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

If you enlist our help seeking compensation for your chest injuries after a car accident in Tampa, Florida, we’ll:

Investigate the cause of the collision and gather evidence proving every element of your personal injury claim
Identify the extent of your chest injuries and calculate the value of your damages
File all claims and lawsuits (if necessary) on your behalf
Negotiate for the compensation you need and protect your rights
Litigate the matter in court if it’s in your best interest

A car accident can cause serious internal injuries that can leave you facing a long recovery and costly medical care. Contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss the compensation you can seek for your chest injuries and other damages.

How Common Are Chest Injuries After a Car Accident in Tampa, FL?

Chest injuries are extremely common. Most car accidents result in at least minor chest injuries from impacts with the seat belt, dashboard, or steering wheel.

Severe chest injuries are less common. In one study of 932 accident victims admitted to the hospital after a car crash, only 43 people suffered severe chest injuries.

However, since this study only looked at injuries severe enough to require hospitalization, it overlooked cuts, bruises, and abrasions. It may have even undercounted broken ribs where the only symptom was chest pain.

Florida doesn’t release statistics about car accident chest injuries, but it does track the severity of injuries. In its 2020 Crash Facts report, the state reported:

3,332 fatal injuries
15,614 incapacitating injuries
196,818 minor or suspected injuries

Chest injuries can fall into any of these categories.

How Do Chest Injuries Occur in a Tampa Car Accident?

Chest injuries can happen in three ways during a car accident.

Most chest injuries result from blunt trauma. This type of trauma occurs when your chest hits a blunt object that doesn’t create an open wound.

Penetrating trauma happens when an object pierces your chest. The open wound created can cause bleeding and may become infected.

Hyperextension occurs when your body bends or twists unnaturally during a crash. The soft tissues can become stretched or torn as your body whips around.

Types of Chest Injuries

Chest trauma can damage many structures in your chest, producing a range of injuries. Some of these include:

Chest Bruises

Bruises happen when blood vessels under the skin break. As a result of the bleeding, you suffer pain, swelling, and discoloration. These injuries usually heal within a few days.

Chest Strain

You have several muscles in your chest to help you move your upper body. The muscles between your ribs also expand your chest so you can breathe. A hyperextension injury can stretch or tear these muscles, causing chest strain.

Symptoms of chest strain include:

Muscle pain
Swelling
Muscle weakness
Limited range of motion in the upper body

Strained muscles and tendons usually heal in four to six weeks with rest and home care.

Broken Ribs

Your ribs can fracture from a powerful impact. Symptoms of a broken rib include pain (particularly when inhaling) and swelling. You might even see a deformation in your chest due to a rib fracture.

Broken ribs heal in about six weeks. During your recovery, you’ll need to rest and limit your upper body movement.

Collapsed Lung

If you suffer penetrating trauma to your chest wall, air or blood can rush into the cavity that surrounds your lungs. The pressure of the air or blood collapses the lung and prevents it from re-expanding.

As a result, you could suffer shortness of breath or even suffocate. A collapsed lung requires emergency treatment to prevent death or permanent lung damage.

Cardiac Tamponade

A cardiac tamponade happens when the membrane surrounding your heart fills with fluid. The pressure strangles your heart, causing it to beat irregularly or stop beating altogether.

Ruptured Aorta

The aorta connects your heart to your body. When the aorta ruptures, you’ll suffer internal bleeding, which often leads to death.

Liability for Chest Injuries After a Collision in Florida

Under Florida’s no-fault insurance system, your auto insurance policy should cover part of your losses from minor injuries. If you suffer significant, permanent injuries, you can bypass the no-fault system and pursue a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.

To get compensation in an injury claim, you must prove that the other driver acted negligently in causing the crash. Negligence happens when someone fails to exercise reasonable care and injures another road user as a result.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Tampa Car Accident Lawyers If You’ve Sustained Chest Injuries

A chest injury after a car accident can cause debilitating symptoms or even death. To learn about the compensation you can seek for your chest injuries, contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.