Work accidents can surprise you. Many people don’t expect to walk into their place of work and expect an accident, let alone do they expect to suffer an injury as a result. Unfortunately, whether you work in an office space, or on a construction yard, work accidents can occur and they can be incredibly damaging. One of the pains that victims of work accidents complain about after their accident is chest pain. Next to severe head pain, chest pain is the most potentially damaging condition you can experience after a work accident. Chest pain can be the telltale signs of conditions as mild as muscle strain to those as severe as organ damage. If you or a loved one has suffered from chest pain after a work-related injury, it is in your best interest to understand what causes this pain, some of the common causes of this pain, how best to treat chest pain, and what you can do to receive compensation for your damages. If you need additional details, a qualified attorney with expertise in workplace accident injury lawsuits can help you. Call our experienced lawyers at the top-rated Normandie Law Firm today.
Work Accidents
Contrary to popular belief a work accident can involve things like car accidents just as often as they can involve slip and fall accidents. Construction work, however, is the most notorious for causing injuries to workers. Although it is important to note that a work accident can occur in any profession, and in some cases, they can result in chest pain. A person can suffer a chest injury after an accident at their job if they somehow sustain a high impact to their chest area. This can include high impact in the form of a car accident, a slip and fall accident, or whenever an individual experience applied force to the chest. All parts of the body have a breaking point, and unfortunately, the chest does as well. The chest, rib cage, and chest cavity secure some of the most sensitive organs in the body, that if damaged can result in fatal conditions. Fortunately, if you are injured at work, you can more than likely receive workers compensation benefits through the worker’s compensation insurance provided by your employer. This compensation is intended to cover things like medical bills, a loss of wages, and a potential loss of future wages. The amount an individual can receive for their workers’ compensation payout depends on the injury they experienced. For this reason, it is vital to your possible payout that you determine what injury you endured and how severe that injury is. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to a skilled attorney who has experience in workplace accident cases.
Common Chest Injuries
If you or a loved one has complained about severe chest pain, chest discomfort, or lightheadedness after a work accident more than likely, you have experienced a chest injury. These injuries are usually caused as a result of a blow to the chest. The chest is a durable part of the body, but just like everything else in the body, the chest has a breaking point. If the chest sustains enough kinetic force from an outside object, a chest injury is more than likely to occur. Regardless if you feel severe pain or not it is always vital that you see a doctor immediately after your chest injury as there is no telling what kind of damage you may have sustained. In some cases, the true symptoms of a chest injury are not felt until days, weeks, or months after the event. To give you a better idea of what kind of injuries are related to chest pain, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common ones that occur as a result of a work accident:
- Fractured Ribs: The breaking of ribs can cause a sharp, shooting pain, which in turn causes incredibly discomfort. The bones in the ribcage all have a breaking point, and when put under immense pressure can fracture on impact. Treatment for these injuries can be somewhat challenging, as the ribs protect some vital organs.
- Bruised Sternum: Impacts to the ribcage don’t always result in a break. The rib bones are strong, however, if they don’t break the area is still subject to bruising. A bruised sternum often results in a dull aching pain when breathing and can vary depending on the movements of the individual. This pain can rise and fade depending on the condition and severity of the injury.
- Muscle Strain: A muscle strain can also occur as a result of a high impact. This can arise in the form of a dull or aching pain. The pain isn’t as severe as a broken rib. However, they should not be disregarded as a trivial wound. If not properly treated or diagnosed by a medical professional, this injury could be the sign of a more severe condition.
- Internal Organ Damage: As mentioned prior, some vital organs are contained in the chest, and due to the force of a car accident could all experience trauma and damage. Internal organ damage can be life-threatening as a result, and pains in the chest could be signs of damage to the lungs or heart.
As mentioned prior victims of chest pains after a work accident should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The sooner you seek adequate medical consultation, the more likely you can reach a full recovery from your damages. To receive a recommendation for an adequate healthcare facility, talk to one of our accomplished attorneys with experience in workplace accident cases.
Treatment For Chest Pains After A Work Accident
The recommended treatment for chest pains can vary depending on the severity of the pain and the injury that is causing said pain. To give you an idea of how varied these treatments can be, muscle strains are often treated with over-the-counter pain medications. However, conditions like broken ribcages are far more challenging to treat, as the best way to recover from a fractured rib bone is through time and plenty of rest. A medical professional will often recommend the following for fractured rib bone victims:
- Frequently apply ice to the injured area
- Make sure to get extra rest
- Take pain-killing medicine like aspirin or ibuprofen. If the pain you or a loved one is experiencing is particularly severe a medical professional may recommend more potent pain medicines.
Chest pains can also be telltale signs of organ damage as well, which can be incredibly damaging. Regarding organ damage, there are a variety of treatments that a physician may recommend from intrusive surgery, medications, and even emergency organ replacement. Even after they receive adequate treatments, victims of organ damage may never reach their full state of capability. There is also the trouble of medical expenses as well. To put it simply, hospitalization is expensive, as the cost of pre-op, surgery, post-op, physical therapy process and any other follow up medical appointments can put a heavy financial burden on victims. While workers compensation insurance is intended to cover this kind of damages, there is no guarantee that an employer will provide adequate insurance benefits. Fortunately, when this is the case, victims have every right to pursue alternative forms of recovery.
Through a personal injury lawsuit, chest injury victims can go through the legal process to earn compensation for their damages. However, when filing a lawsuit, it is always in your best interest to seek legal consultation from an experienced attorney with expertise in cases of this nature. An expert attorney with experience in worker’s compensation claims can make the difference between filing a successful claim for compensation and having your case dismissed from court entirely.
How Normandie Law Firm Can Help
Fractured ribs, internal organ damage, and other kinds of chest injuries caused by auto accidents can be incredibly traumatic for anyone who has to experience it. These injuries can adversely impact the quality of life of a victim can make every day a struggle. Fortunately, if you or a loved one have experienced a chest injury as a result of a work accident, you may be eligible to file a claim for compensation for your damages. At Normandie Law Firm, our top team can place you with a Los Angeles lawyer experienced in handling work accident cases and representing injured workers. Clients who file a claim with our Los Angeles law firm could find some if not all of the following damages compensable to them:
- Past and Future Medical Expenses
- Loss of Wages
- Potential Loss of Future Wages
- Pain and Suffering
- Emotional Distress (anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc…)
- Punitive Damages
Victims of chest injuries from work accidents can contact our law offices to receive more information on how to receive adequate compensation for their damages. While our law firm is based in Los Angeles, our attorneys also practice in San Diego, Orange County, Riverside, Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, and throughout the state of California.
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Other attorneys will sign you up to their firm but will disappear once your name is on the paper as they are busy signing up more cases. In these instances, their business is based more on volume and will attempt to sign up as many cases as possible. In turn, they will spend less time on cases resulting in severely reduced settlements. Our firm will not treat you like a number. We will be in communication with you throughout our lawsuit and will treat you like family. So if you already have an attorney don’t worry, we’ll give you a second review of your case 100% free of charge.
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If you contact our law offices today, we can walk you through the complicated process of filing your claim completely free of charge. As a show this commitment to you and your case we offer our clients the benefits of a zero fee guarantee policy. Under our zero fee policy, all clients don’t pay for our services until their case is won. If you feel in need of a second opinion, second opinion case reviews are also free under this policy. Please, feel free to give us a call, and we can guide you down the path of receiving proper compensation for your damages.
