Suffering a chest injury can be a life-altering experience. Serious chest injuries can damage vital organs like the esophagus, heart, and lungs, along with bones, blood vessels, and ligaments. These injuries may lead to a long and painful recovery or threaten your life.
Did someone else’s intentional wrongdoing or negligence cause your injury? You may be owed financial compensation. Schedule a free case review with a Louisiana personal injury lawyer today to discuss your case and how we can help.
Overview of Chest Injuries
Chest injuries, medically referred to as thoracic trauma, encompass any damage to the chest area, including the ribs, lungs, heart, and other vital structures. These injuries can range from minor bruises to severe, life-threatening conditions. Sometimes, these injuries are catastrophic and lead to serious, long-term consequences.
Up to 35% of all trauma-related deaths are due to thoracic trauma.
Types of Chest Injuries
Thoracic injuries can range from minor to life-threatening.
Common chest injuries include:
- Strains and sprains of the muscle, ligaments, and tendons in the chest
- Fractures, including the ribs, clavicle (collarbone), and sternum (breastbone)
- Rib injuries such as fractures, costochondritis (torn rib cartilage), and flail chest. The latter is a life-threatening condition when multiple rib fractures cause part of the ribcage to detach.
- Lung injuries such as pulmonary contusion (bruising of the lung) and pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
- Heart injuries including myocardial contusion (bruising of the heart), aortic rupture, and cardiac tamponade.
- Hemothorax, an accumulation of blood around the lungs
- Chest wall hematoma, an Accumulation of blood within the chest well
- Ruptured diaphragm, a tear in the diaphragm which separates the abdominal and chest cavities
Chest injuries can quickly become dangerous, even if they seem minor at first. Some injuries may be hidden with very few signs until they become life-threatening, including internal bleeding. These injuries can also cause sudden complications or secondary injuries. For example, certain fractures may lacerate or injure the lungs or heart.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Chest Injury?
The signs of a thoracic injury depend on the injury type, but important symptoms to watch for include:
- Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness while breathing
- Chest pain which may be mild to severe and worsen when you move, cough, or breathe
- Tenderness
- Visible swelling or bruising
- Skin discoloration, including flushed, pale, gray, or bluish skin, which may indicate shock or a serious injury
- Deformity of the chest wall. This may look like one side of the chest not moving while breathing, or moving in the opposite direction.
- Coughing up blood
- Rapid heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Lightheadedness
- Signs of a heart attack
It’s crucial to seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms following an accident.
What Causes Chest Injuries?
Thoracic injuries are usually caused by blunt trauma or penetrating trauma. Up to 80% of blunt trauma to the chest is caused by motor vehicle accidents, including car accidents and motorcycle accidents.
Other causes include:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Falls from heights, which often happen in workplace accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Violence
- Blast injuries
Most penetrating trauma to the chest is due to stabbings or gunshots. These two forms of violence account for 20% of severe trauma nationwide.
What Is My Chest Injury Case Worth?
The value of a chest injury case depends on various factors unique to your case.
How much your case is worth may be affected by:
- Injury severity and type
- Impact on your daily life, independence, and ability to participate in hobbies
- Whether you can return to work or face long-term impairment
- Circumstances of your accident
- Comparative negligence, or whether you contributed to your accident
- Insurance coverage to pay for your damages
An experienced personal injury attorney can help evaluate your case and pursue the maximum compensation available.
What Compensation Can I Recover for My Chest Injury In Louisiana?
Victims of chest injuries may be entitled to compensatory damages in two forms: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are your financial losses. Non-economic damages are subjective losses with no intrinsic financial value.
Common damages you may recover include:
- Current medical expenses
- Future medical bills related to your injuries
- Physical therapy, counseling, and rehabilitation
- Lost wages during your recovery
- Diminished or lost earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses related to your accident
- Property damage
- Physical pain
- Emotional and psychological distress and anguish
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement
Rare cases are eligible for punitive damages. These damages punish the defendant for egregious conduct like drunk driving.
How Long Do I Have To File a Chest Injury Lawsuit In Louisiana?
Louisiana’s statute of limitations determines how long you have to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your injury occurred on or after July 1, 2024, you generally have two years to file your case. A shorter one-year deadline applies to injuries that occurred before this date.
Certain situations may extend the amount of time you have to file your case. If your case involves a government entity, you may have a much shorter deadline to provide formal written notice.
If you miss your deadline, you will be barred from recovering compensation, and your case will likely be dismissed. Consult a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to preserve your claim and gather the evidence needed to hold the at-fault party accountable.
Contact Our Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Have you suffered a serious chest injury due to someone else’s actions? Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you. You may be entitled to compensation, and we are ready to help you hold the responsible party accountable. We are here to help you recover fair compensation and hold them accountable.
We have more than 50 years of combined experience fighting for the rights of Louisiana injury victims. Schedule a free consultation today at (225) 263-4787 to discuss your case and put our experience to work on your behalf.
