What you’ll learn reading this article:
- Broken ribs are common in Kentucky car accidents.
- State law gives you the right to pursue compensation for your broken ribs after car accidents in Kentucky.
- A car accident lawyer can help you find the best way to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Did you know broken ribs are the most common skeletal fractures in car accidents? You’re more likely to have fractured ribs after a Kentucky car accident than a broken leg or arm.
The reason is car accidents tend to come with severe impacts that cause crushing injuries. Your ribcage, which protects your vital organs, can be crushed and shattered instantly as it takes the force of the blow.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns that broken ribs after car accidents are too often overlooked or “dismissed as clinically insignificant” when a patient has other injuries. However, undiagnosed and untreated ribcage injuries can lead to severe outcomes like internal swelling, internal bleeding, organ damage, organ failure, infections, and even death.
Below are some important things you should know about pursuing compensation for your broken ribs after a Kentucky car accident. For more information about your specific situation, please contact McCoy & Sparks for a free consultation.
Who’s Liable for My Broken Ribs?
When someone else causes your broken ribs in a car accident, it’s natural to wonder whether they’ll be held accountable for hurting you. Ribcage fractures are painful injuries that take plenty of time, patience, and resources to heal properly. How will you handle the new burdens to your family and finances?
The most frustrating part is that the person who hurt you won’t automatically be held responsible for your medical costs and other damages. While the police and insurance company might launch investigations into your accident, the burden is on you – the injured victim – to pursue compensation for your losses.
This is why so many people seek a lawyer’s help with the life-changing effects of broken ribs after a car accident. Here in Kentucky, our state uses the pure comparative fault rule to assign liability in auto accidents.
That means the fault could be divided 50/50 between you and the other person or divided into another percentage adding up to 100%. A third party could also be assigned some level of blame, plus many other variations involving pedestrians and more. It’s possible that you’re entirely blameless for the accident and someone else owes 100% of your costs.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident With Broken Ribs?
If you successfully secure car accident compensation for your broken ribs, it will be based on your damages. These are the monetary costs you’ve incurred plus other compensation for your trauma and suffering.
Types of Kentucky car accident damages include:
- Past medical expenses related to the accident
- Future medical costs associated with your ongoing care
- Lost wages, future lost wages, and diminished earning capacity
- Disfigurement, disabilities, and scarring
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and related treatment
- Property damage
Between 20,000 and 45,000 people face the costs of ribcage injuries every year in the U.S., with a total nationwide healthcare cost of more than $450 million for ribcage fractures alone. The average cost of treating a single ribcage fracture is at least $10,000 for basic medical care and increases steadily if you have multiple broken ribs and other injuries.
In a Kentucky car crash case, you could demand repayment for the costs of your medical care plus compensation for your ongoing care, lost income, emotional suffering, car damage, and more. While every case is unique, the lawyers at McCoy & Sparks have recovered over $40,000,000 for injured people across the Commonwealth.
Your next step should be to contact a Kentucky car accident lawyer because you’re entitled to full and fair compensation for broken ribs in a car accident. The team at McCoy & Sparks is here to fight for what you deserve.
Trust McCoy & Sparks – Premier Personal Injury Attorneys in Central Kentucky
Recognized as one of Central Kentucky’s best law firms for over a decade and counting, McCoy & Sparks works to help people in trouble, representing thousands of clients in Central Kentucky with a focus on providing premium service and delivering superior results.
Regardless of the type of case, our goal is to develop a strategy that best serves your personal needs, then draw upon our courtroom skills to help you reach the best possible result. We start by getting to know you. Next, we will explain all of your options, giving you the pros and cons of each choice so that you will be empowered to make informed decisions. You owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Make the right call to 1-844-4KY-WINS for a risk-free consultation with one of our attorneys today.