Blunt force trauma to the chest can cause serious, debilitating injuries to your ribs, sternum, and internal organs. Unfortunately, chest injuries are one of the most common types of car accident injuries. In fact, research indicates that roughly 80 percent of all blunt force trauma chest injuries are caused by motor vehicle accidents.
Injuries to the chest can be costly - physically, emotionally, and financially. When you suffer a chest injury in a California car accident because someone else is careless, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. That's why it's best to contact a car accident attorney in San Diego.
How Do Car Accidents Cause Chest Injuries?
Chest injuries can be caused by blunt force trauma to the chest or a penetrating injury.
Typically, crash victims suffer injuries to the chest when their chest hits the steering wheel or dashboard, or are struck by the force of an airbag. Blunt force trauma to the chest can cause severe pulmonary injuries, cardiac injuries, contusions, lacerations, fractures, and internal bleeding.
Other times, occupants of a vehicle are impaled by debris generated by the crash. Flying shards of glass and metal, protruding parts of a vehicle, and other objects can pierce the skin and cause significant physical trauma, especially if they pierce an organ that’s housed in the ribcage.
What Are the Most Common Types of Crash-Related Chest Injuries?
Crash victims who suffer blunt force trauma or a penetrating blow to the chest are susceptible to several types of injuries, including:
- Broken ribs
- Sternal fracture
- Tracheal injury
- Ruptured diaphragm
- Bruising
- Hemothorax
- Pneumothorax
- Aortic injury
- Pulmonary contusion
- Punctured lungs
- Internal bleeding
- Damage to the kidneys, liver, spleen, or heart
Sometimes chest injuries aren’t obvious right away after an accident, especially if you’re in shock.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and sustained a blow to the chest, it’s important to be on the lookout for the following signs and symptoms of a serious chest injury:
- Pain when breathing, talking, or laughing
- Shortness of breath
- Mobility limited by pain in the chest or back
- Tenderness
- Bruising
- Coughing up or peeing blood
- Swelling
Chest injuries can be catastrophic - especially if there’s a delay in treatment. Make sure you get to the closest hospital after a car accident in California to undergo a thorough medical evaluation. Doctors can use X-rays, CT Scans, MRIs, and other tests to identify trauma inside your chest and ensure you receive appropriate treatment.
Visiting the hospital will also help to document your trauma and establish a causal link between your chest injury and the car accident, which will be critical if you file a personal injury lawsuit for damages.
Singleton Schreiber Can Help You Seek Compensation For Your Car Accident Chest Injuries
Injuries to the chest have to be taken seriously. Even with appropriate treatment, they can cause debilitating pain, keep you out of work, and change the way you live your life. At Singleton Schreiber, our Santa Rosa, CA car accident lawyers want to help you fight for the compensation you need to get your life back on track.
Call our fearless advocates in California today to set a time for a free consultation. We have law offices located throughout the state in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Santa Rosa.
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