Chest injuries can be very wide ranging as can the compensation for those injuries.

These sorts of injuries can be very painful and also very dangerous as they can result in breathing difficulties or damage to the lungs..The most common injuries in this area are those to the ribs, but the lungs can be damaged either as a result of trauma or industrial disease. Other internal organs such as the heart can also suffer damage.

What sorts of accidents can lead to chest injuries?

• Road accidents
• Trips and slips
• Assaults
• Sporting accidents
• Work related accidents, including falls and exposure to fumes, heavy objects falling onto workers and crush injuries

What sorts of injuries can result?

• Chest wall injuries are extremely common following a blunt trauma, varying from minor bruising to rib fractures to crush injuries
• Contusion to the lungs and other lung damage.
• Liver or spleen injuries often as a result of lower rib fractures
• Fracture of the sternum or breast bone
• Damage to the heart.

What sort of compensation can you expect?

Compensation in this area is often difficult to quantify. Solicitors look at case law and guidance from the Judicial Studies Board, which publishes tables of likely compensation. Many awards in this area result from industrial disease like asbestosis and the area is complex. No two cases are the same and individual circumstances have to be taken into account.

The levels of compensation will depend on the age and gender of the injured party, whether there is any scarring, the effects on the capacity to work and live life and the effect on life expectancy.

• The worst cases leading to removal of a lung or serious heart damage with significant scarring and pain can attract up to £96000.
• Traumatic injury to the chest heart and or lungs causing permanent damage and possibly shortened life expectancy up to £64250
• Relatively simple injuries such as a single penetrating wound but with no long term effects can attract up to £11500.
• Toxic fume inhalation leading to some damage but not seriously affecting lung function , up to £8000
• Those injuries including simple fractures of the ribs,collapsed lungs, causing serious pain and disability over weeks or months but from which a full recovery is made, up to £3450.

Compensation can also be awarded for loss of earnings, both past and future if the injury is serious enough to prevent the injured party working again and for associated losses such as medication, and treatments like physiotherapy or psychological help.

If you have suffered chest injuries you should seek immediate professional help to ascertain whether you have a claim for compensation.