If you’ve been in a head-on collision or been rear-ended, you may experience chest pain after a car accident. This could indicate serious injuries that require urgent medical care, leaving you with substantial bills. Recovering enough compensation may require help from skilled Florida car accident attorneys.
What Causes Chest Pain Following a Car Accident?
When your chest hurts after a car accident, it may be due to a number of reasons. The sudden deceleration when another vehicle hits yours can cause blunt force trauma to the torso when it impacts the steering wheel, seatbelt, airbag, or dashboard. Let’s examine each of these situations.
Your Chest Hits the Steering Wheel
During head-on and rear-end accidents, your body may be forced into the steering wheel before the airbag can deploy. This can also happen at lower-speed wrecks when the airbag isn’t triggered. The impact can cause cracks or breaks in your sternum, ribs, and collarbones, resulting in a sore chest after a car accident.
You may also suffer damage to internal organs, such as your lungs, heart, liver, stomach, and spleen. In severe cases, you could have punctured lungs from broken ribs and require emergency care.
Your Seatbelt Locks Up
Seatbelts are designed to automatically lock in the event of a wreck or even sudden braking. When they do, you may experience bruising, lacerations on your neck, or soreness later on. While seatbelt injuries are often less serious, they can compound more severe conditions caused by the steering wheel, airbag, or dashboard.
Despite these risks, seatbelts can keep you from being thrown from the vehicle and suffering greater harm or death. They are also required under Florida law for all front seat drivers, passengers, and anyone under 18 in the vehicle. In 2023, Florida’s seatbelt use average was only 89.4%, slightly below the national average of 91.9%, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Your Airbag Deploys
Like seatbelts, airbags are an important safety measure that save as many as 2,790 lives every year, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, the force and speed at which they deploy can leave you with broken bones in your chest and face. Airbags are designed to inflate in 1/20th of a second and minimize damage from hitting the steering wheel or windshield.
Car accident victims may have airbag injuires such as abrasions, contusions, internal bleeding, and damage to internal organs. It’s important to remember that airbags can also injure front seat passengers, who may be able to file their own insurance claims for their bills following a crash.
Your Body Hits the Dashboard
While it’s rare for a driver to come in contact with the dashboard, it can happen if you are in a T-bone or rollover crash. Front seat passengers may also hit the dashboard if their airbag doesn’t deploy or is turned off. Dashboard impact can cause serious injuries to the entire body, including traumatic brain injuries.
In a rollover crash, you could move free from your seatbelt and be thrown into the dashboard and seats, leading to spine, neck, chest, and pelvic injuries.
Other Potential Causes of Chest Injuries
Rollover accidents also put you at risk of harm from loose items or even other passengers in the vehicle. A rollover crash happens when the vehicle either falls onto its side or rolls onto its roof, perhaps multiple times. Anything that is not secured becomes a projectile that can hit your head or chest.
You may also experience chest pain after a car crash if you have a pre-existing condition. For example, if you were already recovering from chest surgery before your accident, the impact of the seatbelt, airbag, or steering wheel could cause internal damage or tear your stitches.
Types of Injuries That Could Cause Chest Pain After a Wreck
One of the first things you should do after any car accident is seek medical attention. This may come from first responders after you call 911, or you may see your doctor soon after the crash. Doing so can protect your health by identifying any injuries before they get worse.
Common injuries associated with chest pain that our clients have suffered in auto accidents include:
Broken Ribs
Hitting the steering wheel or airbag can fracture or break your ribs and sternum (chestbone). The ribs or fragments of bones can puncture our lungs, heart, stomach, liver, or spleen. Symptoms include:
- ● Severe chest pain in the chest area
● Severe pain if you take a deep breath
● Shooting pain in your chest as your heart beats
● Pain when someone touches your torso or when you move
Heart Muscle Damage
Severe blunt force trauma can injure the heart itself, causing myocardial contusions. This can happen from the chest compressing on the heart or if the heart is forcibly moved against other organs during extreme deceleration.
You may experience chest pain, loss of consciousness, nausea, or an uneven heartbeat. You should get to an emergency room immediately for treatment if you have any of these symptoms.
Heart Attack
Car accident victims who have existing cardiac conditions may experience a heart attack after their crash. Even if you have never had these medical concerns, the rush of adrenaline and other injuries could cause myocardial infarction, putting your life at risk.
Symptoms include chest pain, loss of consciousness, weakness in the arms and legs, and shortness of breath. While men usually have pain in their left arms, women often experience pain in their upper back, stomach, and neck, according to the American Heart Association.
Lung Damage
Blunt force trauma, broken ribs, puncture wounds from debris, or crushing could cause lung damage. If you inhale fumes or liquids, you may also experience respiratory distress and injury. In addition to pain when you breathe, you may also have shortness of breath and pain if you cough or sneeze.
You should see a doctor immediately if you suspect lung damage. You may require surgery to repair a punctured or collapsed lung.
Muscle Damage
Your body may twist uncontrollably during a crash, especially if another car impacts your side of your vehicle, known as a T-bone collision. You could have chest pain after an auto accident due to stretched or strained muscles in your chest, back, and between your ribs. These intercostal muscles help control your breathing.
If you have chest pain when you take a deep breath, lift objects, sneeze, or cough, you could have muscle damage. As with any other instance of chest pain following a car accident, get medical care right away before things get worse.
Medical Care Is a Must if You Have Chest Pain After a Car Crash
As we’ve mentioned, any chest pain after a wreck could mean you have serious injuries that need immediate treatment. When you call 911, no matter how minor the accident is, first responders can assess your condition before sending you home or for further care. This initial evaluation could save your life, and it can be important if you need to file a claim.
If you are not sent to the hospital, you should see your doctor within 24-72 hours, especially if you experience delayed chest pain after a car accident. Your physician can order important tests and diagnostic scans to show the full extent of your injuries. Keep copies of all these reports for your insurance claim.
Because chest pain often indicates serious medical conditions, you shouldn’t try to “push through it.” You must see a doctor soon and get the care you need so you can get on the road to full recovery. At Chubb Law, we can recommend healthcare specialists when we accept your case if you do not have a regular doctor.
How to Seek Compensation After a Car Accident in Florida
Florida is a no-fault state for auto accidents, meaning you file a claim against your own personal injury protection (PIP) policy. PIP minimum coverage is $10,000, and it pays 80% of your medical costs and 60% of your lost income. You may also use your private health insurance.
You must file your PIP claim within 14 days after the accident and provide receipts and other documentation for your expenses. An insurance adjuster will review your claim and may speak with you. You should be careful when answering their questions because they may try to reduce what they pay you.
Negotiating a fair settlement can be difficult when you are recovering from serious injuries such as lung, heart, or chest damage. By retaining a skilled auto accident attorney, you can focus on healing and let them manage your case.
Can I Sue the Other Driver?
You usually cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver, unless you experience serious bodily injuries as described in Chapter 316 Section 027 of the 2024 Florida Statutes. The criteria are:
- ● An injury that creates a substantial risk of death
● An injury that causes serious personal disfigurement
● An injury that results in permanent (or likely permanent) loss or impairment of a limb or bodily function
If you file a lawsuit, you have the right to seek a broader range of compensatory damages, including full medical expenses, all your lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and recognition of your pain and suffering. Evidence you gather at the scene and that your lawyer collects later will support your damage demands and improve your chance of success in court.
Types of Evidence to Collect for Your Case
Along with the photos, witness contact information, and videos you may have gathered after your accident, you and your lawyer can assemble many other types of documentation to support your case. These may include:
- ● Dashcam footage: You may have used a dashboard camera during the crash, or witnesses may offer their video. Your attorney may also uncover this material during their investigation, giving a clear record of what occurred.
- ● Additional photographs and videos: Your car accident lawyer can return ot the accident scene and capture information about road signs, road construction, sightlines, and other details that could have contributed to your accident.
- ● Police reports: Collected from authorities such as the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, a police accident report is an official record of what happened. It may include moving violation citations against the other driver, which can be valuable during a personal injury lawsuit.
- ● Witness statements: Your attorney can interview witnesses and compile a timeline of the crash based on their testimony.
- ● Accident reconstruction reports: By partnering with reconstruction experts, your lawyer can present a visual recreation of what happened and who is at fault.
- ● Vehicle data: Modern vehicles often record information about their speed, braking, and handling, which your lawyer can request. You may also be able to access data from the other driver’s insurance tracking app, which collects similar information.
- ● Cell phone records: If your attorney suspects the other driver was distracted or handling their cell phone illegally, they could request cell phone records to show whether the driver was texting during the time of the crash.
During a lawsuit, your attorney must show how the other driver owed you a duty of care to drive safely and how the driver ignored or failed in that duty. They must also present evidence showing how that negligence directly led to your injuries and provide proof of your damages for compensation. By establishing negligence, you can better persuade the court to your side.
Be Aware of Florida’s Comparative Negligence System
No-fault PIP claims don’t require that you show who is at fault, but if you file a personal injury lawsuit, you must present evidence of negligence. An important law to understand is Florida’s comparative negligence law, which allows multiple parties to bear fault in a crash. This could include you as the victim.
While you have the right to seek compensation against the other driver, they also have the right to try to minimize what they have to pay. They will do so by trying to show that you were 50% or more at fault, which would eliminate your ability to receive damages. Therefore, you need an aggressive and highly competent attorney who will make every effort to de-emphasize any part you played in the accident.
If you are found partly at fault, it will impact your settlement or jury award. If you request $10,000 in losses but are 20% to blame, you will receive $8,000, or 20% less. Your lawyer will examine your case and help you determine whether the law affects you. On the plus side, this statute gives you the right to file claims against multiple parties if other drivers or individuals contributed to the wreck.
What to Look for When Hiring a Personal Injury Law Firm After a Car Accident
Filing an insurance claim is often simple, but there are many pitfalls that can lead to too little compensation. Insurance providers understand their industry and policies very well, yet they may be counting on your unfamiliarity to offer you less than what you deserve. By choosing to hire a highly skilled personal injury attorney, you can avoid making mistakes that could impact your recovery.
First, ask friends and family members if they have any recommendations for a law firm. You can also search the internet, but the key determining factor will be when you meet with a lawyer. Most firms offer a free consultation, allowing you to ask questions and decide whether to move forward. During that meeting, you’ll also find out if you feel comfortable with the attorney, their knowledge, their approach, and their skills.
Another consideration is whether the attorney provides a contingency payment plan. This fee structure means you don’t pay any upfront retainer, and you owe nothing unless they secure a settlement for you. If they don’t win, you do not pay any fees. This can help you decide who to choose when you are worried about adding to your existing financial concerns.
Your Attorney Should Offer These Services
A worthwhile lawyer will take on the majority of the work in your case so you can concentrate on getting better. They should handle these matters for you:
- ● Filing paperwork for claims
● Collecting evidence
● Speaking with witnesses and experts
● Keeping you updated on your progress
● Negotiating settlement offers
● Preparing your case for trial when needed
By handing these matters over to your attorney, you can have the space and time you need to recover from your injuries that cause chest pain after a car accident.
See Your Doctor if You Have Chest Pain After a Car Accident, Then Call Chubb Law
Chest pain following a car crash is serious, and you should never take chances with your health. You also must make informed decisions regarding insurance and legal claims, so turn to the dedicated and experienced car accident lawyers at Chubb Law. We help you build your case before you lose your right under Florida’s two-year statute of limitations.
Get help from your physician right away, then contact us to schedule a free case review and learn more about how Chubb Law can help you.
