The chest is one of the most vulnerable areas of the body in a North Carolina automobile collision. In an automobile collision, chest pain is prevalent, even if the airbags deploy correctly and passengers wear seat belts. If you experience chest pain after a wreck, seek medical attention immediately. After receiving proper treatment, you have the right to hold the negligent driver accountable.
What Causes Chest Pain After a Car Accident?
Chest injuries are so common in car accidents because of the positioning of both the driver and the passenger in the vehicle. The driver sits close to the steering wheel, while the front passenger is typically close to the dashboard. This positioning means that, when the accident occurs, each person is thrown forward due to the vehicle’s inertia. Their chests may come into direct contact with the steering wheel or dashboard, or slam into seat belts or shoulder harnesses.
Surprisingly, chest injuries are common in many different types of accidents, including lower-speed car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and higher-speed collisions. This is because when the airbags do not deploy, the seat belt alone may not be enough to prevent the chest from slamming into the dashboard or the steering wheel, causing serious traumatic injury.
Possible Injuries Related to Chest Pain
Here are some common chest pain injuries that our clients have sustained in automobile collisions:
- Bruised Ribs: When your ribs and sternum impact a hard object, such as the steering wheel or dash, this force may damage them, and the surrounding soft tissue may become damaged and bruised, causing a dull, aching pain. The pain may come and go, or be intermittent, depending on your movements and the position of your body.
- Fractured Ribs: As opposed to a bruised rib, which typically feels like a dull, aching pain, fractured ribs tend to feel “sharp” and may cause shooting pains. It’s common to feel additional pain when you try to breathe in deeply—deep breaths cause your rib cage to expand, which puts pressure on the broken rib. Impact with the steering wheel, dashboard, or seatbelt can cause broken ribs.
- Muscle Strain: A simple muscle strain is another common cause of chest pains. The body reacts to sudden movements, impacts, and jerks by tensing up before the movement, and it usually does so without you even having to think about it. Your muscles can become strained after an accident, leaving your chest in pain. The symptoms of a muscle strain may seem like a bruised rib, but you can tell them apart. Muscle strains typically hurt more when you’re doing something like trying to lift an object. They may also feel “stiff” and “tight.”
- Internal Organ Injuries: This is the most severe type of chest injury that can occur in most car accidents. Most people cannot easily diagnose internal injuries because bleeding or lacerations aren’t visible. If you suspect some internal injury, you need to get medical help right away.
- Heart Injuries: The heart is commonly injured in car accidents because the ribs may impact it, or a broken rib could even cause direct damage to the heart. A heart injury requires immediate medical attention. The most common indicator of a heart injury or heart trauma is dull chest pains, which can be either constant or intermittent, especially if these pains are located directly above the heart. Some people even experience a heart attack or cardiac arrest.
- Lung Injuries: Heavy trauma can bruise the lungs, causing swelling, internal bleeding, and fluid buildup. This condition can be life-threatening. Symptoms of a bruised lung include chest pain, shortness of breath, severe coughing bouts, increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and difficulty or pain when breathing.
It is possible that due to adrenaline, you may not feel pain in that very moment. However, you may start feeling the brunt of your injuries after a while. Apart from chest pains, if you experience fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, or dizziness, you could have sustained an injury. The earlier you consult a doctor, the better. A thorough checkup can identify any injuries that need attention, and an earlier diagnosis can improve your prognosis.
How Can I Prevent Chest Injuries In Car Accidents?
Your seat belt is the only thing protecting you from the steering wheel or dashboard. In a high-speed collision, the airbag alone will not be enough to prevent your chest from impacting the dashboard. The steering column is pushed towards you, especially if you’re in a frontal collision. Your risk of a severe traumatic injury is much higher if you don’t wear your seat belt.
It’s true that seat belts can cause chest injuries (like bruised and fractured ribs). However, a seat belt can lessen the severity of your injuries. Unrestrained drivers and passengers face the possibility of even more injury.
Ensure your airbags are working properly, particularly if you drive an older vehicle. While airbags are designed to be functional for a long time, electrical faults or other issues may cause them to deploy improperly.
Representation for Chest Pains
If you’ve suffered a chest injury from a North Carolina automobile collision caused by another driver’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation for the damages you’ve incurred. Maginnis Howard’s personal injury attorneys have extensive experience handling complex cases, including situations where victims have sustained severe chest injuries.
We handle personal injury matters on a contingency basis. That means you do not pay any attorneys’ fees unless and until we make a recovery on your behalf. We represent clients across the Carolinas from our Charlotte, Raleigh, and Fayetteville offices. Call us today at (919) 526-0450 or send a message through our contact page.
