Many types of injuries that occur during a car accident make themselves well-known, causing bleeding, bruising, serious pain, swelling, or an inability to move a certain appendage. Chest pains, however, can develop hours, days, or even weeks after the accident, and their cause is always a mystery until evaluated by a medical professional.
If you are experiencing chest pains at any point following a car accident, go to the nearest emergency room IMMEDIATELY; tell the doctor about your accident, and report any symptoms in as much detail as you can provide. When you are discharged, call The Personal Injury Lawyers™, and we will help you explore all available options to file a claim against the driver who hit you in order to recover the costs of your needed medical care.
Chest pains always deserve to be taken seriously. It’s better to err on the side of caution and get cleared by a physician after a long wait than to delay care — and potentially end up in a life-threatening situation. Paying for the costs of your care may not be easy, however, which is why our attorneys promise to fight as hard as we can to hold all at-fault parties accountable for your accident injuries.
If you have been treated for chest pains or other symptoms following a car accident, or if you have developed any other concerning symptoms, reach out to us today. Call (312) 999-9990 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential case review with no obligation.
What Can a Chicago Car Accident Chest Pain Attorney Do for Me?
When you are hurt in an accident caused by a negligent driver or some other at-fault party, they are legally responsible for paying compensation for all of your losses, called “damages.” Such damages can not only include the costs of your preliminary healthcare but also all of the care you will need to treat the condition that developed — or was made worse — in the car accident.
Not only that, but a car accident injury claim can also pay for:
- Income and benefits lost while you are unable to work your former job duties or to return to your normal work schedule
- Out-of-pocket costs associated with the accident, potentially including the costs of renting a vehicle while yours is repaired
- Your personal pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the accident and your injury
- Mental health care for addressing trauma inflicted in the accident
- Repair or replacement of your vehicle, as well as any other property damaged in the crash
How Can a Lawyer Help Me Pay for My Medical Care After a Car Wreck?
When trying to claim compensation, the most important thing to do is to report the accident and then seek health care for any injuries you may have sustained during the crash. However, some symptoms take a long time to emerge, while others can seem minor at the time of the crash before becoming much more worrying later on.
Chest pains can fall in the latter category: they can seem minor or mysterious at first, only to then develop into a condition that disrupts your life — potentially even threatening it.
Because chest pains can indicate an extremely serious condition, including a possible heart attack or organ damage, it is critical to seek prompt medical care any time you are experiencing new chest pains, especially after a wreck.
However, many people delay care because they aren’t sure of how they will pay for it. Others don’t want to risk “wasting” money on visiting a doctor only to get the all-clear.
Working with an attorney after you have experienced chest pains can help you carve a path forward toward recovering all losses, including the costs of your care. When you work with an attorney, they can help you:
- Ensure that you have received a full evaluation and medical diagnosis from a licensed and reliable medical care facility
- Work out an agreement to delay payment for care rendered until you have received a liability insurance settlement
- Help you coordinate across your team of providers and specialists to fully document your condition, including the projected full costs of care
- Identify all liable parties and all available sources of compensation
- Build a claim for all damages and submit it to insurers
- Negotiate for the highest possible amount of compensation, given your past expenses and projected future damages
- Handle every step of paperwork involved in submitting a claim or filing a lawsuit against liable parties
- Prepare your case for a possible trial, all while still negotiating aggressively with at-fault parties
While your attorney can’t offer health advice, they can help you know what to do next to find the care you need. Then, once your care has begun and your condition is documented, they can use the medical findings to begin building your case.
It all starts with a very important doctor’s visit, followed by what might be an equally important call, so be proactive in seeking both the care you need and the legal representation you can benefit from in the wake of your accident.
What Can Chest Pains Indicate After a Car Accident?
Chest pains are both a scary medical symptom and a tricky one. They are scary because they can indicate many different life-threatening conditions.
They are tricky because they can be the result of a superficial bruise or even a sore spot caused by a pulled muscle, so there’s no telling what it is until a doctor checks you over.
Unfortunately, even medical professionals cannot risk self-diagnosing the causes of their chest pain. Anyone experiencing symptoms of sharp stabbing pains, persistent dull pains, shortness of breath, weakness in appendages, dizziness, nausea, or pressure in the chest should have their condition fully evaluated at the next possible moment.
Some of the most common diagnoses made after experiencing chest pains can include:
- Heart attack
- Broken ribs
- Pulmonary embolism
- Angina
- Aortic dissection
- Pericarditis
- Pneumonia with pleurisy
- Other chest injury
Heart Attack
A “heart attack” refers to the complete or near-complete blockage of blood flow within the heart. It largely occurs as a result of the buildup of materials like fat and cholesterol in the heart, but it can also be triggered by trauma to the heart or chest.
In fact, individuals already at risk for a heart attack can have one triggered when the physical trauma or mental stress of an accident causes an arrhythmia.
Broken Ribs
Ribs offer a tremendous amount of structural support for our chest and vital organs, but individual ribs can easily be fractured with enough force. Broken ribs are usually extremely painful, too, although symptoms can be delayed when the body is still recovering from the initial shock of the crash.
While it can be challenging to treat a broken rib, it is still critical to have a possible fracture evaluated. The edges of the break can cause further damage to the lungs, muscles, and other soft tissues.
You may also have fluid building up in a cavity in your chest because of the break.
Pulmonary Embolism
A pulmonary embolism occurs when a chunk of clotted blood migrates to the lungs and gets stuck. It can mimic symptoms of a heart attack, but it will also lead to low blood oxygen, as well as pooling in the extremities.
Like a heart attack, a pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency that can lead to death if not treated promptly.
Angina
“Angina” is the medical term for chest pains inflicted by an unusual constricting of cardiac vessels, limiting oxygen flow. It can indicate a possible cardiac condition and can even be the precursor to a heart attack, especially if felt while resting or during light activity.
Aortic Dissection
Tears in the major arteries of the heart are called an aortic dissection. They are accompanied by severe and sudden chest pain, often accompanied by loss of consciousness and shortness of breath.
The victim will be losing a tremendous amount of blood, so a possible dissection should be immediately treated through emergency care.
Pericarditis
Swelling or injury to the lining of the heart is referred to as pericarditis. It can cause sharp chest pain, especially while breathing in.
Mild pericarditis can resolve on its own, but the same symptoms can also indicate a more-serious heart condition, so any chest pains should be investigated by a physician.
Pneumonia With Pleurisy
An infection or buildup of fluid in the lungs causes swelling called pneumonia. When this swelling also affects the tissues lining the lungs, this is called “pleurisy,” and it can trigger feelings of chest pain when breathing in or coughing.
Other Chest Injury
Direct injury to the heart, lungs, chest muscles, ribs, and other surrounding tissue can cause bruising, internal bleeding, swelling, fluid buildup, and difficulty breathing. These injuries can develop into other conditions if left untreated.
Statistically, What Are the Most Common Conditions That Lead to Chest Pain After a Car Accident?
A study of car accident victims found that the majority of patients (62.1%) complaining of chest pain had a fractured rib or some other form of chest injury. Nearly a quarter (24.7%) had a lung injury, including either bruising or actual laceration of the lung.
Injuries to the pleura and cavity between the lungs and spine were rare (5.3%), and injuries directly to the heart were even rarer (4.8%). However, over half (54%) of patients that suffered direct heart damage had an injury to the cardiac muscle, which can trigger cardiac arrest and other serious health conditions.
Some patients (3%) had referred pain from other injuries, the majority of which were superficial skin injuries (57% of the 3% that had “other injuries) or injuries to the diaphragm muscle (31.3% of the 3%).
Note that this list only includes individuals with physical trauma, not those who suffered from a heart attack, pneumonia, or some other non-trauma-related medical condition.
Reach out to Our Chicago Car Accident Chest Pain Law Firm
You deserve to get all of the care you need to address your chest pain and treat the subsequent condition after your wreck. Even if you aren’t sure if you’re hurt or if you need professional care, err on the side of caution and go to the doctor.
The Personal Injury Lawyers™ want to help you recover as much as you can — both financially and medically — after your crash. Our Chicago car wreck lawyers are ready to provide you with advice and strategic guidance throughout the entire process of your claim. When you’re ready to learn more, call (312) 999-9990 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation case review.
