Chest Injury Compensation Claims

In this guide, we’ll explain the different accidents and injuries that could lead to chest injury compensation claims. Whether you’ve broken your ribs, fractured your sternum or sustained lung damage following exposure to chemicals at work, you may be entitled to claim for any suffering. As we progress, we’ll also review how chest injury compensation is calculated and what it covers.

Have you got any questions about claiming compensation for a chest injury? If so, you can call us on 0800 652 1345 for free legal advice as part of a no-obligation consultation. A specialist from our team will also assess whether you might be entitled to proceed with a claim. If your case is accepted by a personal injury solicitor from our panel, they’ll work hard to secure compensation for you on a No Win, No Fee basis so legal fees only become payable if your claim is successful.

Read on to find out more about the types of chest injury compensation claims that are possible or call now to talk to us right away.

Types of chest injuries you could claim compensation for

You could seek compensation for many types of chest injuries if they resulted from an accident or incident caused by someone else. Some of the most common injuries that are claimed for include:

• Fractured Sternum. The sternum (or breastbone) is the flat bone in the middle of your chest. It can be broken in accidents where something hits the chest such as hit-and-run car crashes, physical assaults and sporting incidents. Generally, a fractured sternum will be left to heal on its own but surgery is sometimes required if pieces of the bone aren’t properly aligned.
• Broken ribs. Breaking your ribs is a very common chest injury. Generally, broken ribs will be left to heal on their own but you might need medication to ease the pain.
• Penetrating Chest injuries. This is where an object such as a knife breaks the skin and causes internal injuries. Stab wounds can cause damage to the lungs, kidneys, liver and heart.
• Traumatic chest Injuries. Unlike penetrating wounds, blunt trauma chest injuries don’t usually break the surface of the skin. They occur when there is a blow to the chest from an external force. This can lead to a broken sternum or ribs but can also cause internal bleeding, bruising and organ damage.
• A collapsed lung. If air leaks into the cavity between the chest wall and the lungs, it can cause a pneumothorax or collapsed lung. Blunt trauma or penetrating wounds can both lead to a pneumothorax. Usually, a doctor will need to insert a needle into the chest cavity to release the trapped air so that pressure on the lung is reduced.

Whatever type of chest injury you’ve sustained, if you believe it was caused by someone else’s negligence, call us today to see if you might be entitled to claim compensation.

Can I claim compensation for a chest injury?

The first thing to establish when claiming compensation for a chest injury is whether the defendant owed you a legal duty of care. This isn’t usually that difficult as there are plenty of laws in place that do so. For example, the following laws can be relevant for different types of personal injury claims:

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• The Road Traffic Act 1988.
• The Occupiers Liability Act 1984.

You needn’t be too concerned about which laws apply as a solicitor from our panel will check for you when assessing your claim. They’ll also work out whether:

• The defendant’s negligence meant that they’d breached their duty of care; and
• An accident or incident occurred as a consequence of the negligent act; and
• As a result of that accident, you sustained a chest injury.

Of course, the hardest part of any chest injury compensation claim will be to prove all of the above. As such, we’ll explain the types of proof that can support chest injury claims later on.

What types of accidents can result in a chest injury?

Based on the guidance above, any type of accident caused by negligence could mean you’re entitled to claim compensation for a subsequent chest injury. Here are some examples of the types of accidents that can cause a chest injury:

• Car accidents. Motorway car accidents in particular can cause chest injuries due to higher speeds and the force exerted on the chest from the seatbelt, steering wheel, airbag, or other objects in the car.
• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to chest injuries due to the lack of protection they have. Impacts with other vehicles or stationary objects can cause severe chest trauma.
• Cycling accidents. Cyclists, especially those suffering a direct impact or being thrown off their bicycle, can sustain chest injuries, commonly from being struck by a car but also when they hit the ground.
• Pedestrian accidents. Pedestrians struck by cars can suffer serious chest injuries from the impact or being thrown against the car or the ground.
• Falls. Falls from heights, such as from ladders or scaffolding, can result in chest injuries if the person hits an object in the fall or if the impact from hitting the ground is transmitted to the chest.
• Workplace accidents. In certain industries, such as construction, manufacturing, or manual labour, workplace accidents involving falling objects, machinery accidents, or other incidents can lead to chest injuries.
• Sports injuries. Sports activities that involve physical contact, collisions, or high-impact movements can result in chest injuries. This includes sports like football, rugby, hockey, or martial arts.
• Physical violence. Intentional acts of violence, including assaults at work, can lead to chest injuries if someone is struck or stabbed in the chest area.

How much compensation do you get for chest injuries?

There is no set amount paid in chest injury compensation claims. Instead, any compensation you claim will be based on how much physical, psychological or financial suffering the injury to your chest caused.

In addition to compensation for your physical symptoms, further compensation could be claimed to cover:

• Flashbacks, depression, anxiety and other types of psychiatric harm.
• Private remedial medical treatment.
• Loss of income (including future reductions in pay).
• The time someone else spent supporting you while recovering from the chest injury or the cost of a professional carer.
• Travel costs.
• Household adaptations to improve your quality of life if you’ve suffered long-term chest injuries.
• Loss of amenity where your chest injury stops you from enjoying your normal activities.

These and other special damages will be assessed by your solicitor before your chest injury claim is filed. To help claim back any costs associated with your injury, you should forward any relevant financial records to your solicitor.

Providing proof for chest injury compensation claims

When a solicitor takes on a personal injury claim, they usually end up dealing with an insurance company. They will usually argue right away that their client wasn’t liable for your accident or your chest injury. As such, your solicitor will need to find proof to the contrary. For chest injury compensation claims, this could include:

• Photographic proof. Any photos taken at the accident scene can help your solicitor to piece together how things went wrong. Similarly, pictures of your chest injuries taken regularly throughout your recovery can demonstrate the extent of your suffering.
• Accident reports. If you sustained a chest injury on a company’s premises or while you were at work, an accident report may have been filed. Having a copy of the said report will make it harder for the defendant to deny that the accident occurred.
• Witness statements. Anyone else who saw the accident take place could provide key information to help to prove who was to blame for your injured chest. As such, your solicitor might ask them for a statement of events if they are happy to give you their details for this purpose.
• Medical records. The hospital that treated your chest injuries will be asked to supply medical records, test results, X-rays and scans to help clarify your diagnosis.
• Camera footage. Any recording of your accident on CCTV, dashcam or bodyworn cameras can help to prove who was to blame for the incident.

Your solicitor will work hard to find any proof needed if your chest injury claim is accepted. You could speed up the claims process if you have already secured any proof so please let us know if that’s the case when you call.

Chest injury claim time limits

Time limits apply to all personal injury claims in the UK. To claim compensation for a chest injury, you’ll have 3 years to take action. This will either start on the date you sustained the injury to your chest or from the date your doctor diagnosed an illness (such as for work-related lung diseases).

Chest injuries can cause serious problems for you and your family so it’s worth beginning your claim as soon as you can. That’s because interim payments might be awarded to help you before the claim has been settled. This could be the case where liability has been accepted already and you’re struggling with a drop in earnings or need to pay care or medical costs.

To find out how long you have left to start your chest injury compensation claim, please call today.

No Win, No Fee claims

If your claim is accepted, the legal skills and experience of a personal injury solicitor from our panel should make the claims process less stressful for you. It could also improve the chances of a successful outcome. Importantly, you won’t need to pay for legal representation upfront if the claim proceeds because your solicitor will act on a No Win, No Fee basis.

To allow work to begin on your case, you’ll be sent a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). It will set out that:

• Legal fees are not requested in advance.
• If your chest injury claim is lost, you won’t pay any legal fees at all.
• Should compensation be paid out, a success fee will be deducted from your settlement.

The success fee is a percentage of your settlement. The CFA will list your fee but, legally, it’s capped at 25 per cent.

Once the contract has been signed, your solicitor will get to work and:

• Try to find as much proof as needed to support your chest injury claim.
• Send your claim to the defendant.
• Communicate on your behalf so that you’re not questioned directly by insurers or lawyers.
• Attempt to deal with any queries or objections regarding liability.
• Try to secure compensation that truly reflects the amount of suffering you’ve endured.

Throughout the claim, your solicitor will contact you with regular updates.

Start a chest injury compensation claim today

Now that you’ve read our article on claiming compensation for a chest injury, the next step is to call us on 0800 652 1345 to begin the claims process. When you call, an advisor will review how and why you were injured and provide free legal advice about how to proceed.

If one of our personal injury lawyers decides to accept your case, they’ll seek compensation for your chest injury on a No Win, No Fee basis. As a result, you should find your claim much less stressful.

Please use live chat to connect with us if you have any further questions on chest injury claims, or claim your free consultation here.