Chest Injury Accident Lawyers in Ohio

Ohio Chest Injuries

Day in and day out, you breathe without conscious thought. The only time you consider the process is when you become winded heading up the third flight of stairs, after a long, strenuous run, or while meditating. During those times, deep full breaths improve your physical and mental well-being. Injuries to your chest, upper back, or abdomen can truly take your breath and peace of mind away. You may require surgeries and other interventions to be able to breathe easily again or to do so pain-free.

If you or a loved one suffered a chest injury in a traumatic accident, contact the Ohio chest injury lawyers of Kisling, Nestico & Redick. We have years of experience helping individuals hurt in serious accidents recover the maximum compensation for their injuries.

Whether you suffered broken ribs in a car accident or organ damage after being crushed by machinery, we know how to work with your physicians and medical experts to calculate your economic and noneconomic damages. We ensure every expense or painful experience is taken into account.

To learn more about how we can help you recover compensation, call us today at 1-800-HURT-NOW.

Types of Chest Injuries

Accidents cause two types of chest injuries: penetrating or blunt.

Penetrating Chest Injuries

Penetrating trauma is one that breaks the skin, and a majority of the injury is due to the tearing of skin, muscles, and organs. This could be a stabbing, bullet wound, or penetration with plastic, glass, or metal during an accident.

Blunt Trauma

Blunt trauma is one in which the injury is not due to penetration, though it could still involve tearing of the skin. Blunt chest injuries may involve damage to the bones and organs without breaking any skin. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of blunt chest injuries.

Common Chest Injuries

Penetrating and blunt traumas can cause a wide range of chest injuries, including:

Broken ribs

An accident that causes a blow to the chest can cause a fractured rib or damage the cartilage within the rib case.

Signs of broken ribs include sharp pain in the chest, pain that worsens when you breathe, and pain that worsens when you touch or lie down on the affected area. Broken ribs can heal through rest and pain management, though extreme cases may require surgery.

Flail chest

This injury is a result of a section of the rib cage breaking and detaching from the rest of the chest wall. At a minimum, there are two fractures in at least two ribs, creating a free segment of the rib cage. A flail chest is a common injury after blunt trauma and usually involves an underlying injury to the lungs.

Symptoms include pain and shortness of breath, as well as the unusual movement of a section of the ribs during breathing. The unattached portion of the ribs may move inward when you breathe in and outward when you exhale – the opposite of normal movement. It is life-threatening if not quickly treated. Physicians may have to use a chest tube or mechanical ventilation during treatment to help you breathe.

Collapsed lung

A collapsed lung is when you breathe in, but it goes into the area between the lung and chest wall instead of your lung. A partially collapsed lung is called atelectasis, while a totally collapsed lung is known as pneumothorax.

Signs of a collapsed lung are pain, difficulty breathing, and a rapid heart rate. Treatment may require a chest drain, oxygen and breathing support, and surgery, though the appropriate treatment depends on the extent of the injury.

Diaphragm injury

Your diaphragm is the muscle that extends across the bottom of the ribcage and helps you breathe. Penetrating or blunt trauma can cause the diaphragm to tear, an injury that is often associated with the herniation of organs in the abdomen.

Symptoms can include pain, difficulty breathing, particularly when lying down, and coughing. If there are herniated organs, bowel obstruction is a common sign.

Organ damage

The ribcage and muscles within the chest and abdomen protect a number of your vital organs. A blunt or penetrating trauma during an accident can injure your heart, major blood vessels, esophagus, lungs, trachea, kidney, liver, or spleen. Injury to any of your vital organs may require surgery and additional treatments.

Heart injury

Penetrating or blunt trauma to the heart can cause a number of serious injuries, including muscle damage to the heart, bleeding within the heart, ruptured arteries or blood vessels, and an irregular heartbeat.

Heart injuries are usually the result of the force of car accidents, though they can happen during falls and other accidents as well.