Fractured Sternum Claims

You may be entitled to claim compensation if you have fractured your sternum in an accident that wasn’t your fault.

Call our specialist injury lawyers on 0800 342 3206 for a free initial discussion or contact us using our online form and we will call you back.

What is the sternum?

The sternum – sometimes referred to as the breastbone – is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It links to the ribs using cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury.

If the sternum is broken it can lead to various complications which may lead to some extensive medical care being required. Your recovery time could also be fairly lengthy.

Common Causes of a Fractured Sternum

Blunt trauma, such as sporting accidents, car accidents or a fall, often leads to sternum injuries. In the majority of cases, other injuries accompany the sternum injury, such as:

• Head, arm, spinal or leg fractures
• Soft tissue injuries to vital organs, such as the lungs, heart, and diaphragm
• Chest wall injuries such as broken ribs

The level of pain that is experienced will generally be dependent on the type and severity of the sternum injury.

Treatment or surgery is not usually required to fix a broken sternum, but it is difficult to rest and recover from. This is mainly because the chest is constantly used when a person breathes. Normally it would take roughly four to six weeks to recover from a broken sternum, but the bruising should heal within two to four weeks.

Returning to work following a Sternum Injury

Jobs that involve active duties such as manual handling or lifting can be difficult to return to following a sternum injury. If you do return to work you might be restricted to performing fewer manual tasks until you have made a full recovery.

We may be able to help you retrieve the loss of earnings as part of your claim if you have been unable to work as a result of your injury.

Average Settlement for a fractured sternum

Generally, fractured sternum cases tend to vary in the amount of compensation that is awarded. Your solicitor will take into account the severity of the injury, how it has impacted your life, and how long it has taken you to recover. The table below provides a summary that indicates the amount you could expect for a fractured sternum based on historical cases:

The amount of compensation that you will be awarded will be unique to your specific circumstances and illness. This amount of compensation is calculated by looking at two distinct categories: general damages and special damages.

GENERAL DAMAGES

The pain and suffering that your injuries have caused is the main factor that is used to determine how much compensation you are owed. This will usually be determined by undergoing a medical examination, from which a report is created that outlines the length of time the injuries will take to heal as well as their severity.

Our compensation calculator gives an indication of how much you might be entitled to based upon the development of your illness. Jefferies Solicitors will take these different details about your illness and circumstances into account when calculating how much compensation you should be awarded.

SPECIAL DAMAGES

However, compensation also takes into account any financial losses that you might have suffered as a result of your illness, such as a loss of earnings due to being unable to return to work. If you have had to pay for treatment or travel to treatment, compensation may also be able to cover this as well. Therefore, you should keep any receipts or other documents that help to outline the extent of your financial losses, as caused by your condition.

Start your fractured sternum claim with Jefferies Solicitors today

You have three years from the date of your injury in which to make a personal injury claim. We recommend that you contact us if you believe that you have a fractured sternum claim.

At Jefferies Solicitors, we have a team of no win, no fee experts who have experience dealing with a wide range of personal injury claims. Our team will endeavour to guide you through the legal process every step of the way to reap the compensation you deserve.

Contact us on 0800 342 3206 today for a free initial chat or get in touch with our friendly team online via our website and we will call you back.