Bruised Rib Injury Claim – No Win No Fee Guide
By Stephen Moreau. Last Updated 28th April 2023. Bruised, cracked and broken ribs can be very painful. Making a bruised rib injury claim may be something you have not had to consider before. This guide shall talk you through the personal injury claim process, show how much compensation could be awarded in a successful claim and why having a personal injury solicitor represent your case could be key.
Bruised ribs injury claim no-win-no-fee guide
The basis of any personal injury claim is proving that those who had a responsibility in keeping you safe did not do enough to fulfil this. In short, as we go about our daily lives we are owed a duty of care in many areas. If this duty is breached resulting in an injury then a claim for compensation may be possible. At UK Law, we can offer informed guidance and information on your options right away by:
- Call us direct on 020 3870 4868
- Email or write to us at UK Law
- Use the ‘live support’ option for instant help
Our friendly team can answer any questions you may have about a rib injury claim. If they can see your case has a chance of succeeding they can offer to appoint a personal injury solicitor from our panel to your case.
Services And Information
- Everything You Need To Know About Bruised Ribs Injury Claims
- What Is A Bruised Ribs Injury?
- Bruised Ribs vs Broken Ribs
- How Serious Are Bruised Rib Injuries?
- What Could Cause A Bruised Rib Injury?
- How Much Bruised Rib Injury Compensation Could I Receive?
- Symptoms Of Bruised Ribs
- Time Limits To Begin A Bruised Rib Injury Claim
- I Bruised My Ribs In An Accident, What Should I Do?
- Making A Bruised Ribs Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Useful Pages
Everything You Need To Know About Bruised Ribs Injury Claims
Making a personal injury claim may seem like a daunting step to take and at UK Law we understand there may be reluctance. We hope to reassure you and provide you with the clarity and resources to properly assess your case. We examine the types of accidents that could cause an injury like this and discuss how a bruised rib injury claim can be constructed with the help of a personal injury lawyer.
Using two types of damages, your lawyer can calculate a realistic estimate of the compensation you could receive. They can advise on the appropriate and relevant information that you need to assemble in order to support your claim. Finally, we explain the merits of using a solicitor that offers their service on a No Win No Fee basis.
What Is A Bruised Ribs Injury?
A bruised rib injury can happen easily in a car accident or a slip or trip in the workplace. Anything that impacts the chest area sufficiently to harm the rib cage, could crack them, tear cartilage or bruise them. If you suffered injuries like this because the duty of care you were owed was breached then you may be thinking of making a personal injury claim.
NHS Guide to bruised ribs discusses the symptoms that can be caused. Any type of fall or impact could cause damage to the rib cage and result in severe chest bruising. Laws in the UK seek to ensure that the main areas of daily activity are as safe as possible for us to avoid accidents like this.
Duty Of Care Applied
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 requires all employers to ensure workspaces are as safe as they possibly can be. This can be done by providing safety information, training and being aware of employee wellbeing at all times.
Those in control of public spaces are under a similar legal obligation to do all they can to provide safe public places. This is applied under the Occupier’s Liability Act 1957.
The Road Traffic Act 1988 asks all road users to apply a duty of care to keep themselves and others safe on the road. Accidents that are caused because this duty is breached may mean road users are liable for damage and injuries caused.
Bruised Ribs vs Broken Ribs
Whilst they can feel similar, there is a fundamental difference between a bruised rib and a broken one.
A broken rib occurs when the bone itself is cracked or fractured by the force of the impact. Whilst there are numerous types of ways that a bone can fracture, blunt force is often a common cause. The bone can crack into two completely and puncture the lung, causing it to collapse. In severe cases, the bone can puncture or severe heart valves.
Bruising alone, whilst still painful and uncomfortable means no fracture has occurred and the injury may heal quite quickly. Whatever the circumstances around your chest injury, it’s essential to seek medical advice to ensure that you are correctly diagnosed.
How Serious Are Bruised Rib Injuries?
A serious rib injury can be life-threatening. If the force of impact that hits the chest crushes and breaks one or more ribs, they can splinter or penetrate the lungs, heart or other vital organs. In cases such as this, emergency medical attention is required. The role of the rib cage is to protect the chest area and the host of vital organs contained there, so any heavy impact is cause for concern. However, if the ribs are bruised alone this may mean a less serious injury has occurred.
Below we look at different ways accidents could happen that lead to bruised ribs:
Slips Trips And Falls
Under The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 public places need to be operated with clear health and safety principles in place. Unavoidable risks should be clearly notified to staff, members of the public or users of services. As environments are cleaned, there can be areas that have wet or polished floors which could cause a slip accident and damage to the chest. Unattended repair issues can create uneven floor surfaces that present a trip hazard. Those in control of public areas have a duty to ensure hazards like this are avoided as much as possible. Public places can include;
- Shopping centre
- The street
- Council operated areas
- Leisure facilities
- Parks, outdoor spaces
- Schools, libraries and hospitals
- Theatres, cinemas, restaurants, nightclubs and bars
- Care homes
- Roads
When a private operator opens an area to the general public, it is accepted that they are assuming health and safety responsibilities unless stated otherwise. It can be important to establish that your accident was avoidable and that there were no signs or warnings in place to alert you to the risks. Speak to our team if you slipped or tripped in a shopping area, public space or on the pavement in the street causing you a chest injury and you’re unsure as to who is liable for the hazard.
Road Traffic Accidents
The Highway Code has clear expectations for all road users to show due care and diligence in the way that they drive or operate a vehicle.
Requirements such as not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and not driving too fast or recklessly are part of the duty and are also against the law. In addition to this, all drivers must have a minimum of third-party insurance that covers damage to another person or their property. Your claim for damages can be made against this insurance.
A serious road collision can place the ribs in a uniquely vulnerable position. The steering wheel can often impact the chest area (or even sudden force against a seat belt) that could result from a rear-end or head-on collision with another vehicle. Accidents caused by other drivers like this could easily bruise or break the ribs.
Accidents At Work
As we discussed with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, there are very clear expectations for employers to foresee and prevent hazards to the best of their ability in their workplaces.
To make workspaces safe employers could;
- Ensure health and safety as far as reasonably practical to staff, contractors, visitors and members of the public
- Provide proper training and supervision
- Instruct on the proper handling of tools, machinery or materials
- Safeguard each other’s personal safety as much as possible
- Maintain machinery and tools properly
Despite these safeguards, accidents in the workplace can still be quite common as statistics show. It is important to record your accident at work in a logbook that way if you decide to make a claim you can use this as evidence.
Speak to our team about a bruised rib injury claim caused by workplace negligence today if you are unsure about how your employer may be responsible.
What Could Cause A Bruised Rib Injury?
The three areas we have looked at represent places where it could be quite possible to suffer bruised ribs. There is a multitude of scenarios where bruised ribs might form part of multiple injuries as well and some common examples could include:
- As part of injuries in a car collision
- Tripping and landing on something as you fall
- Slipping and impacting on the floor
- Falling from any height
- As the victim of crime
- As a part of medical negligence
- In an overcrowded or dangerous venue
- Impact during a sporting event such as rugby or cricket
- Osteoporosis and other bone degenerating problems are most commonly experienced by the elderly.
Whilst we may take as much personal care as we can, the action (or inaction) of others could create circumstances where rib damage could happen. If an employer, a private operator or fellow road user fails to consider your safety you could be harmed.
Even if you are partially responsible for the accident that caused your rib injury you may still be able to claim. In instances such as this, you may receive a reduced portion of compensation under ‘shared liability’.
How Much Bruised Rib Injury Compensation Could I Receive?
Compensation settlements for successful rib injury claims could include general and special damages.
General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering you have endured because of your injury. When valuing your claim for rib injury compensation, a legal professional may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them. This document assigns compensation guidelines to various injuries. We have used the amounts listed in the 16th edition of the JCG for the table below.
However, you should only use this table as a guide. How much compensation you could receive may be affected by the specific factors of your claim.
| Injury | Severity | JCG compensation bracket | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | (g) | Up to £3,950 | Fractured ribs and soft tissue injuries that recover within weeks. |
| Chest | (f) | £2,190 to £5,320 | Injuries leading to collapsed lung. |
| Chest | (b) | £65,740 to £100,670 | Chest injury that is traumatic – permanent damage to heart and /or lungs. |
Bruised rib injury claim – Special damages
In addition to general damages, your lawyer can calculate all the out-of-pocket expenses that were generated by your injuries. Therefore, if you can produce bills, statements or receipts that demonstrate actual financial losses as a result of the injury, it can be possible for these costs to be included as part of your compensation request. Serious or even mild injury can create a bewildering array of unforeseen and unwanted money problems, such as:
- Loss of earnings
- Care costs required as you recover
- Medical equipment or medications
- Impact on your attendance bonus at work or pension contributions
- Physiotherapy or remedial treatments
- Specialists fees
- The need to pay others for any necessary service you cannot perform yourself because of your injuries.
Armed with the correct evidence to demonstrate these financial losses, it can be possible to work with your personal injury lawyer and include any cost created by the injuries.
Your lawyer can also help to anticipate any future costs. Some expenses to you may not be immediately apparent, so a skilled lawyer can help advise you about them in advance. You can only make one claim for the same incident, so it’s important to include everything.
Symptoms Of Bruised Ribs
The symptoms of bruised ribs can happen immediately after the accident or be something that you become aware of later. The ribs particularly are in a constant state of movement. After an impact in the chest area, it’s essential to seek proper medical care and assessment to see the full extent of the damage and prevent any bruising actually disguising something more serious such as a fracture of a rib. Symptoms you may be aware of:
- Either dull or sharp pain as you inhale or exhale
- Pain as you press on the area affected
- Difficulty breathing
- A sudden discolouration or bruising on the surface of the skin
- Bleeding or abrasion on the surface of the skin
- Nausea, faintness and feelings of lightheadedness
- Cracking or crunching noises in the rib cage area
Always seek medical attention after a chest injury accident. Even if the bruising seems minor, it could be possible that you have cracked a rib in a way that may worsen over time.
Time Limits To Begin A Bruised Rib Injury Claim
Currently, there is a three-year time limit for starting a personal injury claim. This date starts from the date of the accident or the date that you first become aware of the injuries or that the injuries were caused by negligence. If the injury affects a minor, these time limits can start after the child reaches the age of 18.
It is possible to initiate a bruised rib injury claim on behalf of a child as a ‘litigation friend’. This can be an adult who has the child’s best interest at heart and acts in their stead throughout the proceedings.
I Bruised My Ribs In An Accident, What Should I Do?
To recap on the areas of information that we have discussed. The checklist below can help to simplify the process for making a bruised rib injury claim:
- Record the accident if it happened at work or in a public place
- Obtain witness details or CCTV footage to support your claim
- If it was a road traffic accident, get the details of the other driver
- Start to gather evidence
- Record financial loss with receipts, bills and statements
- Reach out to a personal injury lawyer (optional)
- If you decided to use a personal injury lawyer, provide them with your medical records and paper trail of financial loss
- Work with your lawyer to build an effective argument for compensation
Making A Bruised Ribs Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
UK law firms offer legal representation to their clients in several different ways. Traditionally, legal counsel is retained by paying weekly or monthly amounts as the case progresses. This was recognised as excluding the option of legal representation for many who lacked the immediate funds to hire a lawyer. With this in mind, No Win No Fee agreements or Conditional Fee Agreements (CFA’s) were devised to help them.
A No Win No Fee agreement works by allowing people to use the services of a personal injury lawyer at no upfront charges. If the case fails, there is nothing to pay your lawyers for their work at all. Only successful outcomes require a fee. This is a nominal amount deducted at the conclusion of the case from your payout.
No Win No Fee offers a practical option. The solicitor’s expertise could give your case the extra dimension needed to really boost your compensation payout.
Useful Pages
We appreciate you taking the time to read this article. In conclusion, we hope that it has offered you the appropriate resources to make an informed decision about your bruised rib injury claim. You can contact our team to discuss anything in this article. Simply:
- Call us direct on 020 3870 4868
- Email or write to us at UK Law
- Use the ‘live support’ option for instant help
In addition to advice about accidents in the workplace, we can offer more guidance on accidents that involve cyclists or slip and trip issues in public areas.
Thank you for reading this guide about a bruised rib injury claim. If you require any more information or have questions about what you have just read call our advisors today. They can offer a free consultation where your case can be assessed and you can be provided with free legal advice.
