What if I Have Chest Pain After an Ohio Car Wreck?

Chest pain after a car accident could potentially lead to complications. If it is not properly treated some conditions can get worse over time. 

In this blog, Friedman, Domiano, and Smith will explore common reasons for chest pain after a crash, what to do if you experience chest pain, how to file a claim for chest pain and the types of compensation victims may seek.

Our Cleveland car accident lawyers are ready to help you after a collision. For over 40 years, we have helped car crash victims win millions in compensation.

Schedule a free consultation to learn whether you have a case and how we may be able to help. There are no upfront fees or obligations to speak with us.

What Causes Chest Pain Following a Car Accident?

Chest pain is often caused by a blow to the chest. For example, during a car accident, you could get hit in the chest by the steering wheel, airbag, dashboard or your seat belt, resulting in blunt force trauma.

How Seat Belts Can Cause Chest Injuries

During a collision, your seat belt tightens up to prevent your body from being thrown forward or even ejected from your vehicle. While this helps save lives in auto accidents, seat belts can apply significant force to the chest, potentially breaking bones or damaging soft tissues. There is even a possibility of internal organ damage, especially in a high-speed collision.

The Dangers of Airbags During Collisions

Airbags can also cause injuries while they prevent you from colliding with the steering wheel. Airbags deploy with a tremendous amount of force, as they need to fill quickly during a collision to protect you.

When the force of an airbag hits you in the chest, it can break bones, puncture your lung or even damage your heart.

If you got hit in the chest during your crash, there is a good chance you suffered some kind of injury. It could be anything from bruising to fractured ribs or a fractured sternum. Make sure to seek medical attention right away.

What Injuries Could Cause Pain in Your Chest?

Chest pain following a car wreck could be a result of many different injuries – some are minor, and some are severe and could even threaten your life. Below, we review common car crash chest injuries, their causes and symptoms to watch for. 

Fractured Ribs

Your body could hit the airbag, steering wheel or dashboard hard enough to break your ribs. This can cause intense pain in the chest, especially when taking deep breaths, coughing or moving your torso. You may also see bruising on the skin and experience shortness of breath.

Broken ribs are often accompanied by damage to muscles and other soft tissues. The force of the collision could stretch or tear soft tissues. The pain will become especially noticeable when you:

• Laugh
• Cough
• Sneeze
• Take in a deep breath
• Lift something heavy

Bruised Sternum

Sometimes there is not enough blunt force to break bones, but your bones could still get bruised. It is important to note that you could have other injuries besides a bruised sternum. It is possible other areas of your chest got hit harder than your sternum. This is why anyone experiencing chest pain after a car crash needs immediate medical care.

Internal Organ Damage

Severe impacts can compress internal organs against your ribcage. When your ribs break, they could also puncture or bruise your internal organs. Victims often feel aching in their chest and abdomen that radiates to other areas.

Common symptoms of damage to the following organs include:

• Kidneys: Bloody urine, pain in your lower back, bruising in the abdomen and swelling
• Spleen: Pain in your left shoulder, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, pain in your upper left abdomen
• Trachea: Breathing noise that is high-pitched, wheezing, quick breathing, persistent coughing

Punctured Lung

This injury could occur when fractured ribs pierce lung tissue during a high-impact event, such as a head-on collision. You may feel shortness of breath or tightness in your chest along with a sudden, stabbing pain that worsens when breathing.

Internal Bleeding

This is often a result of internal organ damage, such as a rupture of one of the following organs:

• Lungs
• Heart
• Liver
• Esophagus
• Thymus

Depending on the severity, you may need surgery to stop the bleeding and repair the damage. People suffering from internal bleeding often feel deep and persistent pain in their chest and abdomen, along with dizziness and fainting.

Damage to Your Heart

A blow to your chest during a collision could cause a cardiac contusion. This is more likely to happen after suffering broken ribs or a broken sternum. Common symptoms of cardiac contusions include:

• Elevated heart rate
• Palpitations
• Losing consciousness
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
• Coughing up blood

While blunt force trauma itself might not cause a heart attack, sometimes the stress of the situation is enough to trigger a heart attack. Other symptoms of a heart attack besides chest pain include:

• Feeling short of breath
• Pain in the arm or jaw
• Feeling weak in your legs or arms
• Irregular heart rate

What Should I Do About Chest Pain After an Ohio Car Accident?

If you experience chest pain following a car accident, you need to get to the doctor right away. The emergency medical technicians who arrive at the scene can begin treatment, but you need a thorough medical evaluation at the hospital to identify all your injuries.

You may simply have some severe bruising or cracked ribs that will heal with rest. However, there is a possibility of a life-threatening injury. You should always err on the side of a caution after a car crash.

Another reason to get treatment right away is that it helps connect your injuries to the collision. This is a vital element of a car accident case.

Treating a Chest Injury

Doctors will likely conduct multiple tests to determine the source of your chest pain, such as an X-ray or MRI. They need to identify any fractured bones or damage to your soft tissues or organs.

Once doctors run their tests and evaluate the results, they can give you a complete diagnosis of your injuries. Treatment will vary based on the type of injury and its severity.

Sometimes fractured ribs or a fractured sternum will heal on their own, other times doctors may need to do surgery. Organ damage often requires surgery to prevent bleeding and infection.

Many people with broken or bruised ribs need rest and possibly oxygen while the bruising heals or the bones fuse back together.

Some crash victims suffer a ruptured spleen, which doctors probably need to immediately remove. However, surgery to remove the spleen carries a risk of infection.

It often takes a few months or more for your body to fully heal from damage to an internal organ or damage to the ribs.

Can I File a Lawsuit Over Chest Pain After a Crash?

If the crash was caused by another driver’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for the damages you suffered. You could be eligible for various forms of compensation, including: 

• Medical Expenses: Your lawyer can seek full compensation for past and future medical care for your chest injuries.
• Lost Wages: If you missed work during your recovery or while getting treatment, you can seek reimbursement of lost wages.
• Future Earning Capacity: Compensation for potential future income loss if your injury impacts your ability to work long-term or requires a career change.
• Pain and Suffering: Damages for the discomfort, physical pain and emotional distress caused by the injury and its impact on your quality of life.
• Mental Anguish: Compensation for psychological effects such as anxiety and trauma resulting from the accident and your injury.
• Rehabilitation Costs: Coverage for expenses related to physical therapy, occupational therapy and other rehabilitation services.
• Transportation Costs: Compensation for travel expenses incurred while receiving medical treatment, including trips to the doctor and therapy appointments.
• In-Home Assistance: Coverage for the cost of hiring help for household chores and daily activities that you are unable to perform due to your injury.

Suffering from Chest Pain After a Car Crash? Get Legal Help Today

If you experienced chest pain after a car crash and doctors diagnosed you with a severe injury, you may be able to seek compensation. At Friedman, Domiano and Smith, we have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for car crash victims.

We are committed to helping you navigate the complicated legal process. Call today to schedule a free consultation and learn how we may be able to help you pursue compensation.