This page was written, edited, reviewed & approved by Ruben Davidoff following our comprehensive editorial guidelines Ruben Davidoff ,the Founding Partner, has 30+ years of legal experience as a New York personal injury attorney.
At Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers, our Queens car accident sternum fracture lawyer helps victims with serious injuries. Sternum fractures are very serious injuries from car accidents. They can cause breathing difficulties and life-threatening problems. We offer a complimentary consultation and work on a no-win, no-fee basis.
When you have chest pain after a motor vehicle accident, you need legal representation. Our Queens car accident attorney helps accident victims recover fair compensation.
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Our Queens Car Accident Sternum Fracture Lawyer Fights for Your Rights
Our experienced car accident lawyer helps victims of sternum fractures seek compensation for their injuries. We know such injuries can change your life. You may face medical bills and lost wages. Our team gives personal attention to every personal injury case.
We take a complete approach to your personal injury claim. We start with an investigation of the accident scene. Our team collaborates with medical professionals to record your injuries. We understand that broken bone injuries need significant medical intervention.
Our track record demonstrates our success in handling personal injury cases. We have recovered millions for clients with serious car accident injuries. When you choose our Queens car accident lawyers, you get a team that fights for your rights. We handle all talks with the insurance company.
Car Accident Sternum Fractures: Symptoms & Long-Term Effects
The sternum is a flat, central bone in the chest. It protects your heart and lungs from harm. When this bone breaks in a car accident, it causes serious problems. Sternum fractures happen from blunt force trauma during a motor vehicle collision. Such an injury often occurs when your chest hits the steering wheel.
Sternum fractures are among the most serious injuries because they are near vital organs. The force needed to break this strong bone is huge. This means the accident involved a severe impact. These bone breaks can damage tissues and cause internal injuries. Unlike a stable fracture in other bones, sternum breaks are complex to treat.
Recovery from a sternum fracture takes several months with extensive medical treatment. Some patients have chronic pain long after the injury. Breathing struggles may slow the healing process. Physical therapy is often needed. Long-term effects include ongoing chest pain and trouble with daily activities.
Understanding the severity of your injury helps build a strong car accident claim. Insurance companies often try to make sternum fractures seem less serious than other severe injuries.
Recognizing Sternum Fracture Symptoms After a Crash
Sternum fracture symptoms can show up right after your car accident. Key symptoms include:
- Severe chest pain that worsens with breathing
- Tenderness when touching your chest
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest discomfort or pressure
- Swelling or bruising over the sternum area
- Pain that intensifies with movement or coughing
- A feeling of instability or clicking in the chest
These signs mean you should seek medical attention immediately.
Many accident victims think chest pain is just soreness from the seatbelt. This can be dangerous because sternum fractures need immediate medical attention. Without treatment, these injuries can lead to severe complications.
How Untreated Sternum Injuries Can Worsen Over Time
When sternum fractures go untreated, they can cause serious problems. A broken bone may heal incorrectly, resulting in permanent problems. Untreated fractures can also damage nearby organs. These complications often need more extensive medical treatment.
Problems from untreated sternum injuries include chronic chest pain and reduced lung capacity. The wrong healing of the bone can affect your posture and movement. From a legal view, untreated sternum injuries can make your personal injury claim stronger.
Sternum Fractures vs. Other Injuries
Sternum fractures differ greatly from common car accident injuries like whiplash or broken ribs. While soft tissue injuries often heal in weeks, sternum fractures need months to recover. The sternum’s central location makes these injuries dangerous. Unlike compound fractures in arms or legs, sternum breaks are harder to treat.
The bone moves with every breath, slowing healing and causing more pain. This constant movement makes sternum fractures more complex than other broken bones. Insurance companies often treat sternum fractures like regular breaks, which overlooks their unique challenges.
These fractures are more serious because they are close to vital organs like the heart and lungs. The force needed to break the sternum is very high, often causing other severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries. Healing is difficult due to the bone’s movement during breathing, making sternum fractures more complicated than typical bone breaks.
How Sternum Fractures Impact Your Daily Life
Sternum fractures can make simple daily activities very hard. You may struggle with basic tasks, such as lifting objects or getting a good night's sleep. The pain from breathing can make it hard to sleep. This leads to tiredness and a worse quality of life.
Your ability to work may be severely limited. Even desk jobs can become hard if you have trouble sitting. The effects on your work can result in significant lost wages and affect your future earnings. The emotional effects of sternum fractures shouldn't be ignored. Persistent pain may lead to increased levels of anxiety and depression as time progresses.
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Legal Rights for Sternum Fracture Victims
If the negligence of another party led to your car accident resulting in a sternum fracture, you are entitled to seek compensation. According to New York personal injury law, you are entitled to compensation for medical costs, lost income, and emotional distress. This injury affects many parts of your life, including your ability to work and perform daily tasks. Queens personal injury attorneys can help you understand these rights and provide guidance throughout the legal process.
The time limit for personal injury cases in New York is three years from the accident date. It’s important to act quickly because evidence can disappear and memories fade. No matter who is at fault, you may be eligible for reimbursement for both present and prospective medical expenses, as well as lost income.
Proving Fault in Queens Sternum Fracture Cases
Proving fault in sternum fracture cases needs careful investigation. We collaborate with accident reconstruction specialists to analyze the collision. This includes looking at the accident scene and reviewing police reports. We also spoke with witnesses who saw the accident.
Medical records are instrumental in the determination of culpability. The severity of your sternum fracture can help indicate the force of the impact.
How a Lawyer Helps Maximize Your Compensation
Our team knows how to value sternum fracture cases properly. We take into account the numerous ways in which your injury has affected your life. We collaborate with economists and medical professionals to determine the full extent of your losses. This encompasses not only your present medical expenditures but also your anticipated medical expenses.
We have experience negotiating with insurance companies and are familiar with their tactics. When they see that we're ready to take your case to trial, they're more likely to offer fair compensation. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial.
Our team has access to medical experts who understand the medical and legal aspects of sternum fractures. We use this network to build the strongest possible case for maximum compensation.
Bone Fractures in Car Accidents: Why Sternum Breaks Are Different
Sternum fractures are different from other bone fractures seen in car accidents. While broken arms or legs might heal with standard treatment, sternum breaks present unique challenges. The sternum's central location makes these injuries hard to diagnose and treat. Unlike a broken nose or other common injuries, sternum fractures require special care.
Finding sternum fractures is often harder than finding other bone breaks. Standard X-rays may not clearly show the fracture. Additional imaging, including computed tomography (CT) scanning, may be required. Proper treatment may be delayed as a result.
Treatment for sternum fractures is more involved than for other bone breaks. While a broken arm can be put in a cast, sternum fractures cannot be kept still. Insurance companies may not immediately recognize how serious these injuries are.
The Unique Challenges of Sternum Fracture Claims
Sternum fracture claims present unique challenges in the documentation. The difficulty in identifying the problem highlights the importance of maintaining accurate and up-to-date medical records. We work with medical experts to make sure all aspects of your injury are documented.
Insurance companies are often doubtful of sternum fracture claims. These injuries are less common than other car accident injuries. They may question how serious your injury is.
How Insurance Companies Underestimate Sternum Injuries
Insurance companies often underestimate sternum injuries. They don't understand the complexity and seriousness of these fractures. They may try to treat your sternum fracture like a simple broken bone. This can lead to unfairly low settlement offers.
Insurance adjusters may question whether your sternum was actually fractured. They might argue that your chest pain is from muscle strain or other minor injuries. Our team is adept at refuting these arguments by providing accurate medical records. The importance of proper medical records cannot be overstated. We work with your medical providers to make sure all aspects of your injury are documented.
Chest Pain After a Queens Car Accident
If you have chest pain after a Queens car accident, don't ignore it. Don't assume it's just soreness from your seatbelt. Chest pain can be a sign of a serious sternum fracture that requires urgent medical attention. Many accident victims mistakenly underestimate the seriousness of chest pain.
The process for finding sternum fractures involves physical examination and X-rays. Your doctor will check for tenderness or other signs of fracture. Getting an early diagnosis is crucial for your health and your car accident claim. Early medical attention creates a clear connection between your accident and your injury. This strengthens your case against the at-fault driver.
You should seek medical attention immediately if you have severe chest pain or trouble breathing after a car accident. These symptoms could mean a serious sternum fracture or other life-threatening injuries. Don't wait to see if the pain goes away. Even if your chest pain seems mild, it's important to get checked by a medical professional. Sternum fracture symptoms can be delayed due to shock after the accident.
How Queens Car Accidents Cause Sternum Fractures
Sternum fractures in Queens car accidents happen when your chest hits the steering wheel during impact. The sudden stop forces your body forward while the seatbelt holds back your chest. This creates huge pressure on the sternum. Rear-end collisions and head-on crashes are common types of accidents that cause sternum fractures. In New York City, these serious car accidents occur frequently.
The force needed to fracture the sternum is huge. This means the accident was severe. This level of force often causes other serious injuries, including internal organ injuries, rib fractures, or spinal cord injuries. Understanding how your accident happened helps us build a stronger case for compensation.
The relationship between accident severity and sternum fractures is important for your car accident claim. The fact that you suffered such a serious injury helps show that the accident was severe.
The Role of Seatbelts & Airbags in Sternum Injuries
While seatbelts and airbags save lives, they can also cause sternum fractures in severe accidents. The seatbelt applies pressure across your chest during impact. In high-force crashes, this pressure can fracture the sternum. Airbags can also cause sternum fractures when they deploy with significant force.
This creates a complex legal situation because the safety device meant to protect you contributed to your injury. This doesn't mean the safety equipment was broken - it means the crash was so severe that you still suffered serious injuries.
Establishing the seriousness of the impact necessitates thorough documentation of the accident site and the damage to the vehicles involved. We work alongside specialists in accident reconstruction to assess the collision. This includes looking at the damage to both vehicles and any skid marks or debris.
The fact that you suffered a sternum fracture helps prove that the impact was severe. Vehicle damage documentation is crucial for proving the severity of the collision through photos and repair estimates.
Future Earnings at Risk After a Sternum Fracture
Sternum fractures can greatly affect your future earnings. This is especially true if your job needs physical activity or heavy lifting. The injury could hinder your ability to go back to your former job. Our team works with experts to determine how your sternum fracture will affect your future earnings.
We consider factors like your age, education, and work experience. This analysis helps us seek compensation for the full impact of your injury. If you can't return to your previous job, you may need retraining for a new career.
Career changes must be considered when calculating future earnings loss. If your sternum fracture prevents you from continuing in your current field, you may need to find work that pays less.
Common Injuries in Queens Car Accidents: Why Sternum Fractures Stand Out
While whiplash, broken ribs, and soft tissue injuries are common in Queens car accidents, sternum fractures are different. They require more medical treatment and have a greater impact on daily life. Insurance companies often treat them like regular broken bones, but sternum fractures usually get higher compensation. The severity of the injury and its complex treatment are the reasons for this.
Sternum fractures require clear medical tests, such as X-rays, unlike whiplash, which relies on symptoms and physical examination. Treatment takes longer, too; whiplash may heal in weeks, but sternum fractures can take months to recover.
Why Sternum Fractures Often Lead to Higher Settlements
Several factors contribute to higher settlement values for sternum fracture cases. The objective nature of the injury makes it harder for insurance companies to dispute. The severity of the injury reflects the seriousness of the accident.
The treatment cost differences between sternum fractures and other injuries can be substantial. While whiplash might need only physical therapy, sternum fractures may need surgery and months of specialized treatment.
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FAQs
How Long Does It Take to Settle a Sternum Fracture Case?
Sternum fracture cases typically take 12-24 months to settle, depending on how complex your injuries are.
Will My Insurance Cover the Cost of My Medical Treatment?
Your insurance may cover initial treatment, but you shouldn't have to pay for injuries caused by someone else's negligence.
What Is the Time Limit for My Case?
In New York, you generally have three years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Should I Settle My Case or Go to Trial?
The decision depends on how strong your case is and the insurance company's settlement offers.
Can I Speak Directly With the Insurance Company?
We recommend that you let us handle all communication with insurance companies.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer?
We operate on a contingency fee model, meaning you only pay if we successfully win your case.
What Factors Determine My Case Value?
Medical costs, lost income, emotional distress, and the overall effect on your life determine the value of your case.
How Long Will My Recovery Take?
Sternum fracture recovery typically takes several months, and some patients experience long-term complications.
Contact a Queens Sternum Fracture Lawyer Today for a Free Consultation
Don't wait to get the legal help you need after suffering a sternum fracture in a Queens car accident. The sooner you contact our team, the better we can protect your rights. We offer a free consultation to discuss your case with no obligation.
At Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand that you may have concerns about contacting a lawyer. That's why we work on a contingency fee basis and offer free consultations. You can get experienced legal advice without any upfront costs.
Our team is ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and take the first step toward getting justice.
