Chest injuries are common after car accidents in St. Petersburg, Florida. These injuries often happen when the accident victim’s body strikes the interior of the vehicle, including the seat belts, during the collision.
Chest injuries can produce a range of outcomes. Even a minor crash can produce chest bruises due to seat belt injuries. But more energetic crashes can break bones, tear soft tissue, or even rupture internal organs.
Millions of dollars have been successfully recovered by our team for clients who have suffered injuries in St.Petersburg brain injuries,catastrophic injuries, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and more. If you’ve sustained a chest injury after a collision, contact Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys for help. Our St. Petersburg car accident lawyers will explain your options and help you obtain full compensation for your damages. We offer a free initial consultation, so call now to schedule yours at (727) 933-0015.
How Our St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorneys Can Help You Recover Compensation for a Chest Injury
Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys was founded in 2018, and our law firm has recovered millions of dollars for clients since then. Our St. Petersburg car accident attorneys have over 25 years of combined experience fighting for accident victims.
If you hire our personal injury lawyers after a collision in St. Petersburg, FL, you can expect us to:
- Investigate the collision and identify the liable parties
- Consult your medical providers to understand the extent of your chest injury and other harm
- Gather evidence proving your claim
- Negotiate with insurance companies and others as we work towards a fair settlement
- Represent you in court if necessary
Car accident injuries can cause pain, limit mobility, and even endanger your life. Contact Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys for a free consultation to discuss the compensation you can get for your car accident injuries.
How Often Do Chest Injuries Happen in Car Accidents?
Florida does not release statistics about specific injuries from car accidents. But it does release information about injury severity. In 2020, Florida car accidents caused 3,332 fatal injuries, 15,614 incapacitating injuries, and 196,818 non-incapacitating injuries.
Fatal chest injuries are relatively uncommon. A study of crash injuries from 2000 to 2020 found 1,475 car crash victims who died from chest injuries nationwide. Another study looked at crashes from 1972 to 1985. Out of 3,468 fatal traffic crashes, 280 accident victims had chest injuries.
But these numbers only tell part of the story. Non-fatal chest injuries are much more common, and these injuries often result from seat belt use. Wearing a seat belt can reduce your odds of dying in a car crash by half. But they substantially increase your risk of a chest injury in a car collision.
Chest Injuries After a St. Petersburg Car Accident
Chest injuries usually happen when your chest hits the seat belt, steering wheel, dashboard, or side door. The impact can injure your chest tissues, producing injuries such as these:
Chest Bruises
Bruises happen when blood vessels burst below the skin. Bruises produce pain, swelling, and discoloration. They usually heal within a week or so and rarely require medical treatment.
Chest Strain
Strains happen when muscles or tendons get hyperextended. In a car accident, your body twists and bends violently. As a result, your muscles and tendons stretch and tear.
The torn soft tissue can cause:
- Pain
- Chest strain
- Inflammation
- Muscle spasms
- Weakness and stiffness
Chest strain will usually heal within four to six weeks with rest, ice packs, and anti-inflammatory medication. Chest strain rarely requires surgery.
Broken Ribs
You have twelve pairs of ribs. These bones protect your chest. A powerful blunt impact can fracture them. Broken ribs produce pain, particularly when you breathe.
Doctors used to prescribe bandaging or taping the chest for broken ribs. However, they no longer recommend chest wrappings because they can constrict breathing and increase the risk of pneumonia.
Broken ribs heal in six to eight weeks. A broken rib usually will not need surgery unless it breaks into three or more pieces.
Torn Cartilage
Cartilage connects your ribs to the sternum and to each other. A blow to the chest can tear the cartilage and allow the rib to dislocate.
Torn chest cartilage will produce pain while breathing. But unlike broken ribs, the pain from torn cartilage will appear at or near the center of your chest.
Cartilage can heal, but it takes time. You might continue to experience pain from torn cartilage for several months after your accident.
Collapsed Lung
The inside of your chest cavity is covered with an airtight lining. The lining maintains a vacuum in your chest cavity so your lungs can expand with air.
When the lining gets punctured, the chest cavity can fill with air or fluid. The pressure on the lungs causes them to collapse, and they cannot inflate against the pressure. You may experience shortness of breath as you struggle to breathe.
A collapsed lung requires emergency treatment to avoid permanent lung damage or even death.
Cardiac Tamponade
A membrane surrounds the heart. A blow to the chest can tear the tissue and cause the membrane to fill with blood or other fluid — a condition known as cardiac tamponade. The fluid pressure strangles the heart, leading to arrhythmia and eventually death. If this happens, it requires emergency treatment to drain the fluid.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Car Wreck Lawyer in St. Petersburg If You’ve Sustained a Chest Injury
A chest injury from a car accident can produce serious pain and lead to life-threatening organ damage. To discuss the compensation you can seek for these and other effects of a chest injury, contact Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys for a free consultation.
