Rib Injury Claims
Does your claim qualify? Get free, no obligation advice!
If you’ve suffered a rib injury, or broken ribs, through no fault of your own, you could be eligible to make a rib injury claim.
Rib injuries can range in severity, but they have one thing in common; they’re extremely painful. There’s no set cause for injuries of this sort, and they can occur with any heavy impact or blunt trauma.
If you’ve had a rib injury that wasn’t your fault, you could make a compensation claim. Doing this can help you cover any costs incurred due to the injury and hold those negligible for the incident accountable.
Rib injuries are common, but many people underestimate the pain. The biggest issue is doctors can’t immobilise the ribs or wrap a bandage around them because their location makes it impossible.
Instead, people have to deal with the pain and mobility issues until the ribs eventually heal. The most common types of injuries to the ribs include:
It can be difficult to tell if the ribs are broken or just bruised, so it’s essential to go to a hospital for an x-ray to confirm the damage. Some people decide not to, as limited treatment options are available, but seeking hospital treatment will be central to your claim.
The symptoms of rib damage include:
Rib injuries are most common in industrial environments, such as warehouses and factories, due to the use of heavy equipment. While health and safety procedures have to be put in place, accidents can still happen – especially when heavy items fall, or a heavy object hits a worker. Or when people fall off scaffolding and ladders.
Rib fractures often occur in road traffic accidents, which is no surprise when considering the force of the impact. While car drivers can be at risk of rib injuries, they’re most common with motorbike and bicycle users, as there’s limited protection for the body.
In some cases, broken ribs may puncture the lungs, leading to life-threatening complications, meaning people might need surgery for the most severe injuries.
The maintenance and safety of public places are the responsibility of the local authorities or the owner of private land. Unfortunately, rib injuries can occur in the most innocuous areas, including walking on pavements, parks and shopping centres.
Find out more about supermarket accident claims.
If someone falls onto their ribs, they might experience bruising or cartilage damage. Serious falls can also result in fractures.
Find out more about elderly fall claims.
Accidents are common – and expected – when playing contact sports such as football and rugby. However, if the playing surface is unsafe, or there are faults with the facility, then that’s not your fault, and you might be able to claim compensation.
Find out more about making a sports injury claim.
To be eligible to claim compensation for broken ribs or any other rib injuries, you’ll need to prove another party was negligent. The easiest way to determine whether you can make a personal injury claim is to speak to a legal advice service.
Call 0800 234 6438 to receive free legal advice today, or fill in the form for a callback with a trained legal advisor. If they believe you have a claim, they’ll partner you with a personal injury lawyer who will take on your case on a no win no fee basis.
Find out more about snow and ice slip claims.
Once you speak to a legal advisor, and they believe you have a claim to make, you’ll have access to a no win no fee lawyer, who will manage your claim for you and try to secure maximum compensation. Even better, there are no upfront fees to pay, and if you lose you won’t pay a penny either.
Also, any solicitor who agrees to take on your case on a no win no fee basis will be confident they’ll secure you compensation for your broken or bruised ribs, because they won’t get paid unless they win.
Whether it’s a bruised or broken rib injury, your lawyer will have to gather evidence to support your case and prove you were injured as a result of someone else’s negligence.
The following forms of evidence are vital for your rib injury claim:
Once your lawyer has all the evidence they need, they’ll officially put your claim forward to the negligent party.
Their insurance company will probably deal with the claim, and as much as your lawyer wants to secure the maximum compensation, the insurers will want to pay the minimum amount.
There’s no set time limit for the negotiations, but neither party will want to go to court. Your lawyer will try to settle your broken or bruised ribs injury claim ASAP, but if neither party can reach an amount, then court might be the best avenue to explore.
Once your rib injury compensation solicitors successfully win the case, they’ll take their success fee out of your compensation monies, and you’ll receive the rest of the money.
If you’d like to discuss your eligibility for a bruised or broken rib claims, call 0800 234 6438 today or use the form for a callback. The sooner you get started, the quicker you could receive your compensation.
Your compensation claim has no set time limit because its outcome depends on numerous factors. For a start, you’ll have to prove the other party’s negligence and gather evidence to support your claim.
The other party will also have to accept fault and be receptive to the claim. Some insurance providers will want to settle quickly, while others might ask for more evidence or delay the negotiations.
In a nutshell, there is no set time, it will take as long as it takes.
Compensation payments for a no win no fee claim vary for each person. The amount you receive will depend on the nature of the incident and the damages you incurred, as well as the impact the injury has had on your quality of life.
When claiming compensation, your lawyer will likely request both general and special damages. General damages refer to the pain and loss of amenity due to the accident, while special damages take extra costs into account.
Examples of special damages include:
For example, any injury to your rib cage will likely cause significant pain, so most people need to take time off work. Meaning if you aren’t working, you might not be earning. You might also not be able to drive and will have to order taxis or use public transport to get around. You might also have to purchase painkillers to relieve the pain.
Living like this for a few weeks will be a considerable expense, so your personal injury solicitors will factor it into the claim.
While there’s no definitive compensation amount, you can get a rough idea using our compensation calculator.
This is just an idea of the average compensation payout for fractures and cracked ribs, but bruising or soft tissue damage amounts will differ.
The critical thing to remember is that any injury to the chest wall will cause pain and discomfort, and you have every right to seek compensation if this injury was the result of someone else’s negligence.
As with most personal injury claims, the time limit is three years after the incident, or three years from when you first notice your injury or get diagnosed with having a rib injury – regardless of whether it’s a minor injury or of a more serious nature.
However, children have three years from the date they turn 18 to make a claim, as a child cannot claim for themselves before they become legal adults.
If your child suffers a rib or chest injury due to someone else’s negligence, you can claim on their behalf.
As most rib injuries heal naturally, the original medical evidence should be enough to prove your compensation claim. However, if you suffer serious injuries that cause long-term mobility or disability, your lawyer and the negligent party may want you to attend an assessment.
Once your claim goes through and you receive the compensation, you can do what you want with it.
Whether that’s recovering any financial losses from time off work or using the broken ribs compensation amount for home renovations, you’ll have money to help your recovery.
To find out more about eligibility for a bruised or broken rib claims, call 0800 234 6438 today or use the form for a callback. The sooner you get started, the quicker you could receive your compensation.
Nicola is a dual qualified journalist and non-practising solicitor. She is a legal journalist, editor and author with more than 20 years' experience writing about the law.
When you submit your details, you'll be in safe hands. Our partners are National Accident Helpline (a brand of National Accident Law, a firm of personal injury solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority). They are the UK's leading personal injury service. Their friendly legal services advisers will call you to talk about your claim and give you free, no-obligation advice. National Accident Law may pay us a marketing fee for our services.
By submitting your personal data, you agree for your details to be sent to National Accident Law so they can contact you to discuss your claim.
If you win your case, your solicitor's success fee will be taken from the compensation you are awarded - up to a maximum of 25%. Your solicitor will discuss any fees before starting your case.
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