Personal injuries Result when a victim gets injured in an accident due to somebody else’s mistake—for example, encountering a car accident due to somebody else’s carelessness or encountering a slip and fall accident due to a wet floor. Such accidents may or may not result in severe injuries. One such severe injury occurs when the chest region gets damaged. Chest injuries may damage the lungs or the heart and can prove to be highly severe if not treated in time.
Chest injuries result in severe pain in the chest region. The pain may even radiate to the neck or the abdomen in some cases. Treating such issues requires intensive care treatment. The treatment is costly, and a victim may not bear the financial trauma after a personal injury accident. In such cases, getting legal help from a Houston personal injury attorney can get the victim the compensation they deserve. Click here for more details.
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Chest pain is not common after a personal injury accident
A victim of a car accident or other personal injury accident must understand that chest pain is not normal, and having chest pain can indicate something very severe like atherosclerosis.
Immediately after an accident, a victim may experience shortness of breath or mild pain in the chest. However, if the pain remains persistent, it may indicate something much more severe, and a victim must get immediate and adequate treatment to avoid complications.
Causes of chest pain after a personal injury accident
Different personal injury accidents have different causes of chest pain. For example, chest pain from a car accident may result due to a collision of the chest with the steering wheel. The most causes have been mentioned below:
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Muscle strain and soft tissue injuries
Muscles play an important role in breathing. Damage to respiratory or supporting muscles of the chest region may lead to respiratory failure.
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Broken rib bones
A broken rib may lead to intense pain. Moreover, in rare cases, the broken rib pierces the lung or the heart and leads to internal organ damage. It may also lead to internal bleeding in severe cases.
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Blunt trauma
Crashing against objects can lead to bruises, a significant cause of blunt trauma. Bruises occur when small veins or blood vessels under the skin get damaged due to the force of the collision. Blunt traumas can lead to mild or severe chest pain.
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Internal organ injury
Damage to the organs in the thoracic cavity (heart and lungs) can lead to severe chest pain.
Do not avoid going to the doctor
If you look from your physical health approach, you should always seek immediate medical assistance from a doctor. If you feel chest pain on the same day as your accident, get yourself diagnosed by a doctor. Sometimes, chest pain can be an underlying cause of severe injury or disease. If there is any severe internal injury, your doctor will assist you with proper treatment to overcome the problem.
Besides health, you should also refrain from delaying your treatment and diagnosis. If by chance, you delay your treatment, the insurance company will use this against you. For example, you were having chest pain after the accident, but you refused to get it diagnosed. After a week, you found out you needed to go under surgery, or your chest pain resulted from a severe complication.
In such a situation, the insurance company will believe that your injury did not occur due to your accident but due to some other reason. Additionally, delaying your diagnosis and treatment will allow a freeway for the insurance company to deny your compensation.
Can you get compensation for your chest pain after a personal injury accident?
If you got into an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you can hold them accountable and get compensation. Under the personal injury law, you are entitled to obtain monetary compensation for the damages and losses. Compensation that you are eligible for includes:
- Loss of income
- Medical bills due to the accident
- Loss of companionship
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
Calculating the actual losses can be challenging. Suppose you are diagnosed with a complication for your chest pain. In that case, you are entitled to get compensation for all the medical bills related to your treatment, including medications and physical therapy. If you are traveling for your doctor’s appointment, the insurance company can also compensate for the money spent on traveling. However, you must collect all the documents from the day of your accident for successful compensation. Keeping all the documents in hand will allow your attorney to understand the worth of your case.
Should you speak to a lawyer about your personal injury accident?
The insurance company will always play smart and safe when it comes to giving compensation. The process may sound easy, but in reality, getting compensation for the damages you incurred due to someone else’s carelessness is one of the most challenging processes.
After you file a claim, the insurance company will investigate to determine who is to blame for the accident. Even if you provide all the needed evidence, the insurance company will not decide liability instantly. Multiple factors will be taken into consideration when determining liability and compensation amount.
Furthermore, the insurance company will try to trick you into settling for less during the process. Often, when the insurance company finds out you are the victim, they will try to reduce your compensation amount by offering you a first settlement (which is usually lower). Many victims fear that the first settlement is all they will get and accept the minimum offer.
However, when you are backed with legal aid, your lawyer will ensure you do not accept the less settlement offer. Additionally, the lawyer will work with other professionals to collect evidence against the at-fault party. They will also help you understand the worth and the expected amount you should expect from the insurance company.
If you file for a claim without a lawyer, there are higher chances of settling for less than you deserve. Therefore, ensure to get the best lawyer in your city to get the justice you need.