Suffered chest injuries because of someone else’s negligence? Looking for free legal advice? This article will explain the process of making a claim for a chest injury or broken rib claim.
Broken Rib Claim
Perhaps the accident happened at work because of a lapse in health and safety procedures. Or you might have been in a public place and fell foul of bad housekeeping and maintenance issues. Car crashes are common and you might have cracked a rib because of reckless driving on the part of another road user.
We explain the law around all these types of accidents and how a No Win No Fee lawyer could help you. All through this article there are highlighted links that can provide more information on all the topics discussed. You can also call us at any point to have an informal, no-obligation chat about your particular circumstances. You can:
- Ring 0161 696 9685 and speak to our friendly team who are on call 24/7
- Either write or email at Advice.co.uk
- Speak to our ‘live support’ option, bottom right
We’re here to help. When you get in touch with our personal injury claims team they can offer free advice on compensation.
Select a Section
- How Much Compensation For A Broken Rib Claim?
- Your Injury Explanation
- Make A Broken Rib Claim For An Accident At Work
- Broken Rib Claim For An Accident In A Public Place
- Can You Make A Broken Rib Claim For A Road Traffic Accident?
- How To Calculate Personal Injury Compensation
- What Are Special Damages?
- Case Study: £8,000 For A Broken Rib Claim
- Advice For Your Claim’s Value
- Easy Breakdown Of How No Win No Fee Claims Work
- Free Legal Advice For Victims
- More Resources And Guides On A Broken Rib Claim
- Broken Rib Claim FAQs
How Much Compensation For A Broken Rib Claim?
It is possible to claim compensation for broken rib injuries from a third party who had liability for your safety who was negligent, whether it’s the result of an accident in the workplace, a road traffic accident (RTA), or in public accident claims. Most people are unsure how to start a personal injury claim and reluctant to hire lawyers to do it. Common concerns include:
- It might be expensive
- The case could drag on
- I’m not sure who is to blame
Firstly, there are three points to starting negligence claims for fractured ribs that can save a lot of time. The first thing to consider is:
- Who was legally obliged to consider my safety where my accident occurred? Who had the ‘duty of care’?
- How was it breached by their actions?
- Were my injuries a consequence of that?
Clarity of these points can really improve your starting point with a claim. We explain them for you. There are no laws that say you have to use a solicitor. However, they can bring many attributes to your case. In conclusion, we explain the advantages of a No Win No Fee solicitor and how someone could go about finding one.
Your Injury Explanation
Obviously, a broken rib is a serious injury. Given how the rib-cage protects the lungs and heart, it’s possible for the bone to break in a way that pierces the lung, causing it to collapse. In this way, a simple fracture can become life-threatening.
The NHS gives useful guidance on fractured ribs, medical advice should always be sought immediately if you think you have been injured in this way. Symptoms include:
- Acute pain in the upper chest area, difficulty breathing
- Swelling, redness, and pain to the touch around the affected ribs
- Bruising or dark colouration on the surface of the skin (which can also indicate bleeding)
- Nausea and faintness, an audible crack noise
A collapsed lung can result from damaged ribs or impact to the chest and you can read more about that condition here.
Make A Broken Rib Claim For An Accident At Work
Statistics for workplace accidents and injuries are alarming. Every year many people in the workplace report injuries, some so serious they need to use the RIDDOR system to record them. So what type of scenarios could lead to an accident in the workplace and could your employer be responsible? The law gives clear guidance. The Health And Safety At Work etc Act 1974 aims to provide numerous employee safeguards. A safe working environment can be provided by
- Maintaining safety equipment and systems
- Ensuring all materials are stored, used, handled, and moved in the right way
- Supplying as full training as possible
- Supervising properly and ensure staff are fully aware of all relevant procedures
- Making sure that all staff understand how to use their tools or materials
- Making the workplace as safe as possible
- Looking after the well-being of visitors and members of the public
- Liaising with safety representatives
If fully in place, these requests can make work a safe place. If missing, potential danger and hazard could happen anywhere at any time. Liability insurance is required and is designed to payout for negligence that harmed you. It’s this insurance that you would make a claim against.
How Can My Employer Breach Their Duty Of Care
It’s important to note that if an employer is not prepared to follow the ideal guidelines of duty of care, accidents and hazards could lay in wait for the unexpected employee or visitor. Therefore, any of the following could pose a risk that causes injury at work:
- You could slip or trip on wet floors during routine cleaning if it’s not clear
- Cables, boxes, or other obstacles can cause trip hazards
- Badly lit areas might result in falls
- Any proximity to heights can be a risk if not properly safeguarded
- Falling objects can be a danger if not stored correctly
- The operation of machinery and vehicles should be done with care and proper PPE
- Toxic chemicals, extremes of hot and cold fluids are a potential danger
- Violence in the workplace is a real risk for some employees
Any and all of these situations might lead to an accident that causes you injury. When you speak to our team, they can offer advice on how you might proceed with a broken rib claim. If it’s obvious your employer didn’t do their bit to safeguard you at work, you may be able to sue.
Broken Rib Claim For An Accident In A Public Place
In addition to the legislation in work, there is an applied duty of care in public places. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 asks that whoever is in control of an area that is open to the public endeavours to protect their safety as much as is practical. It applies to many different areas, such as:
- Council and local authority run areas and buildings
- Shopping precincts
- Leisure centers and swimming pools
- The streets and pavements
- Parks, beaches, and recreational areas
- Bars, clubs, restaurants
The Duty Of Care Of Those In Control Of Public Spaces
Statistics are difficult to source for public liability claims to the same degree of accuracy as workplace accidents. Most shops and premises do their best to protect us, but accidents still happen. The principle of duty of care is to;
- Avoid any act or non-act which could harm others
- Anticipate potential risk to others
- Do everything you reasonably can to prevent anything that could cause harm
How Can This Duty Be Breached?
A duty can be breached when the person in control of a public space allows the area to fall into disrepair through lack of maintenance and repair. For example:
- Dangerous procedures or low standards of safety
- Blocked fire exits
- Faulty fittings or stock
- Bad lighting and exposure to anything hazardous
- Slack adherence to hygiene, safety, or food standards
- Broken/damaged pavements and roads that cause falls
- Hazardous litter, trees, or uncollected waste
Our list could be added to. Perhaps you had an experience that just didn’t feel right and you’re sure you were not to blame. If it was an incident that could have been prevented and you tried your best to avoid it, speak to our team.
Can You Make A Broken Rib Claim For A Road Traffic Accident?
Liability applies on the roads as well. Every motorist has a duty of care to other road users to be diligent and show proper attention at all times. The Highway Code gives detailed instructions on how to behave on the roads to help everyone avoid hazards and collisions. It can be very easy to injury someone with a car, and cyclists and pedestrians are doubly vulnerable.
How Can A Road User Breach Their Duty Of Care?
When we get behind the wheel, we hope and expect that everyone will drive as carefully as we might. We can all imagine the potential physical and emotional damage a car crash could cause and broken ribs could easily be a part of those injuries. Steel, glass and soft tissue are a potent combination. There are typical incidents that cause serious injury, such as:
- Speeding
- Head-on impact can crush the steering wheel into your chest
- Side impact or T-none collision could crack ribs on one side
- Rear-end collisions
- Any manoeuvre not undertaken with care, erratic merging or over-taking
- Diminished concentration such as looking at mobile phones etc.
- Reckless or intoxicated driving
- A combination of any of the scenarios mentioned above
You can refer to this link for a detailed analysis of road traffic accidents provided by the government. Laws seek to protect us as much as possible but as in the workplace and public, if you feel that your injuries were caused by a breach in care give us a call.
How To Calculate Personal Injury Compensation
There are two Heads of Loss that could be sought in a compensation claim. When combined, these damages could really improve the final settlement amount possible for your broken rib claim.
General damages recognise the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. Everyone has a different pain threshold so it can be difficult to accurately reward this.
The Judicial College provides guidelines that use other cases as examples to suggest what a suitable compensation amount might be. Your personal injury solicitor can refer to this as a general guide of what to aim for on your behalf. Other things that general damages try to take into account are:
- Negative impacts on mental health
- Loss of work potential
- On-going disabilities caused by the injuries
The JCG are just suggestions and no compensation settlement amount is 100% guaranteed. Each case would be decided on its own circumstances, but a lawyer can have the expertise to present previous case examples and argue on your behalf for the highest appropriate amount.
You will have a medical assessment that can validate the cause of your injuries and possibly strengthen your claim. It also gives your lawyer a specific point of reference in the JCG award brackets.
What Are Special Damages?
Special damages are an attempt to collect together all the tangible costs the injuries have caused you. So, any out-of-pocket cost such as:
- Money lost from not being able to work
- Travel expenses to attend hospital appointments
- Remedial therapies – counseling, physiotherapy
- Care costs, which can be very high
- Personal property damage during the incident to clothing, eye-wear, mobile phone, etc
- Damage to pension schemes
- Lost deposits for hobbies or planned holidays.
- Prescription/rehabilitation equipment costs such as leg boots, crutches, or mobility devices
Special damages hope to prevent you from being damaged twice – once by the accident and injuries and then again by ruined finances. If you have an unforeseen expense that was imposed upon you by your injuries and you’re not sure if it might be included as damages, speak to our team today.
What Can I Do To Strengthen My Broken Rib Claim?
There are practical things that you can collect to help your personal injury lawyer put a case together for you. Such as:
- See if you can obtain witness details
- Request CCTV footage of that moment if available
- Record and retain all receipts, bills, and invoices to prove your unwanted out-goings
- Attend a medical assessment to prove your injuries were caused by what happened.
Any of these practical steps could assist your claim and working with a No Win No Fee solicitor could enable a much higher valuation of your broken rib claim.
Case Study: £8,000 For A Broken Rib Claim
Mr. Black had concerns about the way the warehouse was run when he started the job. He noticed that many heavily boxed items were stacked and stored in ways that seemed precarious and he worried that they were safe. He was new in the job and reluctant to raise concerns with the management who seemed unconcerned about these risks.
Sadly, one day the very accident Mr. Black feared happened. During the course of his normal tasks, a heavily packed box fell and made a direct impact on the side of his body. He heard an audible ‘crack’ and the sudden agony he experienced when breathing confirmed he had broken a rib.
In hospital, he was advised about heal times and began to experience almost immediate problems as a result of these injuries. Firstly, he could not work and saw his income plummet. He needed help with everything and could only rely on family and friends to an extent.
Ultimately, he had to pay for someone to come in to help do things like wash and clean. As he healed, he needed physiotherapy to restore full chest expansion and help normal breathing. The expenses began to stack up.
As much from necessity as the principle of holding his employers to account, Mr. Black decided to launch a personal injury claim. He reached out to a No Win No Fee solicitor who could act immediately on his behalf at no upfront cost.
His final settlement was £8,000 and valued as follows:
| General damages | Special damages | How much? |
|---|---|---|
| Fractured Ribs and punctured lung £4,500 | Loss of earnings | £2150 |
| Trips to hospital | £100 | |
| Paid care assistance | £700 | |
| Cleaner and Gardener | £500 | |
| Medication | £50 |
These amounts are reached by just general experience of handling claims like this. Everyone’s cases would be different and it just provides an illustration. This case is not based on actual events.
Advice For Your Claims Value
As a result of talking to a No Win No Fee solicitor, Mr Black was able to successfully win significant damages to take care of his injuries and repair his finances. We offer a claim valuation service that takes into account all the various aspects that could have a bearing on your case. There may be numerous things you could win back as damages against your defendant. Expert advice is worth its weight in gold.
When you contact our team, we can offer free legal advice about your broken rib claim. After a short telephone assessment, our team can discuss your eligibility and potentially connect you with a panel of personal injury solicitors who have the experience to properly advise on your case.
Easy Breakdown Of How No Win No Fee Claims Work
No Win No Fee arrangements allow claimants to have the support of a solicitor if they choose to use one for their compensation case without having to pay them upfront.
Other benefits are:
- There’s nothing to pay your solicitor as the case progresses
- There are no fees to pay your solicitor at all if the case fails
- A winning case means there is only a nominal fee to pay your solicitors
- This fee is legally capped. This keeps it favourable to you.
- Solicitors fee is payable only after they have received your compensation
- All along the way you receive the legal advice and support
We do not use personal injury claims calculators as they can be misleading, we use the information you provide us to give an accurate estimate. Speak to our team today for more advice about your broken rib claim and how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you with accuracy, efficiency, and expertise.
Free Legal Advice For Victims
In conclusion, we can offer free, no-obligation advice. Whether it happened as an accident at work, in public, or on the roads, our team has the expertise to advise you on how to proceed. You can:
- Call us directly to discuss your case on 0161 696 9685
- Write/email us at Advice.co.uk
- Speak to our ‘live support’ team, bottom right
All calls are confidential. We hope that this article has helped in your decision to start a compensation case. If there are any points discussed that you need more information on, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.
More Resources And Guides On Broken Leg Claims
You can read more information about accidents at work here
Further details available here about car accident claims, please click here
Guidance about workplace statistics, please read here
For more facts about using the NHS, please read here
Rib injury further information available here
Broken Rib Claim FAQs
How long does can it take for a broken rib to stop being painful?
It all depends on how severe the injury is.
Is it necessary to stay in hospital with broken ribs?
This also depends on how severe you are injured and whether there are subsequent injuries.
What happens if I leave a broken rib untreated?
It is always advisable to seek medical treatment if you think you have suffered a fractured bone.
Thank you for reading our guide on how to launch a broken rib claim.
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Published by AL.