Rib Injury at Work – A Guide to Claiming Compensation

A rib injury can be extremely painful and cause you to suffer for many weeks or months following an accident. For instance, simply taking a deep breath can be debilitating if you’ve suffered a broken rib. Therefore, if you have sustained pain, suffering and financial losses from a rib injury at work, you may want to claim compensation. In this guide to claiming compensation for a rib injury at work, we review when a claim might be made, what you’d need to prove to make a successful claim and what evidence you could use to support your case.

If you are thinking of making a rib injury claim for compensation, you can speak to a legal advisor for a free assessment of your case. In your call, your legal options will be explained and your questions will be answered. If we suspect that you have a feasible claim, we may connect you with an accident-at-work solicitor. Crucially, all accepted work-related injury claims are handled on a No Win, No Fee.

For more information on rib injury claims, you can:

• Phone our legal advisors on 0333 241 2519.
• Connect to our live chat service right away.

If you’d like to know more about rib injury at work claims, please read on or contact us now.

Types of Rib Injuries at Work We Can Help With

Some examples of injuries to ribs sustained in workplace accidents that we can help with include:

• Cracked, fractured or broken ribs.
• Ligament and cartilage damage.
• Fractured or bruised sternum injuries.
• Rib contusions.

Generally, rib injuries are caused by blunt force collisions but they can also occur because of overexertion or stretching.

Some of the most common symptoms associated with rib injuries include:

• Hearing a cracking noise at the time of the accident.
• Pain around the ribs that can worsen when inhaling or coughing.
• Swelling and tenderness near the site of the rib injury.
• Bruising around the ribs.

Generally, there is little that can be done to heal a rib injury other than to provide painkillers until the ribs have healed. This can take up to 6 weeks. That said, some more serious rib injuries can cause internal organ damage. For instance, a punctured lung could occur if the rib is completely broken which, if not treated quickly, can have very serious medical consequences.

Can I Claim Compensation for a Rib Injury at Work?

You might think that your employer can’t really do much to prevent workplace rib injuries. However, they have a duty of care to try and protect your well-being due to the rules of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Here are some steps that your employer could take that could a) help them comply with health and safety regulations and b) prevent accidents that result in rib injuries at work:

• Conduct regular risk assessments to identify any potential hazards.
• Ensure that workplace equipment, tools and machinery are safe to use i.e. properly maintained and fit for purpose.
• Train staff on how to carry out their role as safely as possible.
• Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) if risks cannot be reduced in other ways.

Your employer could be deemed negligent if they fail to implement proper safety policies and procedures. That negligence could enable you to claim workplace accident compensation for any subsequent suffering if it caused you to be involved in an accident at work if you can prove:

• At the time of the accident, you were owed a duty of care by your employer.
• Your employer’s negligence caused you to be involved in an accident in the last three years.
• As a direct result of that accident, you sustained a rib injury or injuries.

If you believe your case meets these eligibility criteria, why not call our legal advisors now for free advice about your options?

What Types of Negligence Can Lead to a Rib Injury at Work Claim?

Here are a few examples of when accidents at work might enable you to claim compensation for a rib injury:

• Whilst caring for a patient alone, you were assaulted and your ribs were bruised. The patient was known to have been aggressive in the past.
• Where you were struck in the chest by a forklift truck that was being operated by an unqualified driver. You suffered abdominal and rib injuries as a result.
• After tripping on an extension cable laid across a corridor at work, you broke 3 ribs when you fell onto a radiator.
• Debris from a piece of faulty work machinery struck you in the chest and broke 2 ribs because a safety shield had been removed and not replaced.

These are just a sample of workplace accidents that could enable you to seek rib injury compensation against your employer for your suffering.

What Should I Do If I Injured My Ribs at Work?

You may need to take some or all of the steps below if you’re involved in an accident at work in which your ribs were injured:

1. Tell your employer about the incident as soon as possible.
2. Ensure details of the incident are logged in the accident report book.
3. Seek medical treatment so that your injuries can be treated correctly.

All of these steps could also provide evidence to support a rib injury at work claim if you decide to make one.

What Evidence Can Be Used for a Rib Injury Compensation Claim?

If you are to receive compensation for work-related injuries, you’ll need to provide evidence that shows how your accident occurred, the injuries you’ve sustained and why your employer is liable for both.

Here are some examples of the types of evidence for a rib injury compensation claim you could supply:

• Photographs that show any visible symptoms such as bruising and swelling.
• Details of any potential witnesses to your accident (in case statements are required).
• Medical records and x-rays that help to prove your ribs were broken.
• Photos or CCTV footage of the accident scene (to help prove the cause of the accident.
• A copy of an accident report form so that the fact the accident occurred cannot be denied.

We are more than happy to review your case and assess any evidence you have for free. Therefore, why not call now and ask a legal advisor about your chances of being awarded compensation for a rib injury at work?

How Long Do I Have to Claim Rib Injury Compensation?

In the majority of cases, you’ll have 3 years to claim compensation for a rib injury at work from the date of the accident. This is the legal time limit defined by the Limitation Act 1980.

Crucially, if you try to claim outside of the time limit, your case could be rejected because it has become statute-barred. This could mean that you wouldn’t receive the compensation you might be entitled to. As such, it’s best to seek legal advice on your rib injury claim as soon as you can following your accident.

How Much Rib Injury at Work Compensation Can I Claim?

When a rib injury claim is successful, the claimant will be awarded compensation. It will normally be formed of two heads of loss.

The first, general damages, cover the pain and suffering you’ve endured because of your injuries. This can be determined by obtaining copies of your medical records. As general damages also cover any future suffering, your solicitor might arrange for an independent medical assessment to be conducted as well.

At this point, your solicitor might check past cases of a similar nature and compensation brackets listed in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help value your rib injury claim. The compensation list below uses JCG data but the amounts listed are not guaranteed as each claim is unique.

• Compensation for a rib injury at work which causes disability and serious pain for a matter of weeks might payout up to £3,950.
• An injury that results in a collapsed lung where there’s a full recovery might see an award of £2,190 – £5,320.
• An injury such as a penetrating wound that causes some permanent tissue damage but with no major lasting effects on lung function, £12,590 – £17,960.
• Where there’s damage to the chest and the lungs with some ongoing disability, £31,310 – £54,830.

Another head of loss, special damages, might also contribute to any compensation payment you receive. This is compensation for any expenses linked to your rib injury at work such as:

• The cost of rehabilitation and medical costs (prescription fees etc).
• Travel expenses.
• Loss of earnings.
• Care at home costs.
• Future loss of earnings.
• The cost of adapting your home to improve your quality of life if you’ve been left disabled by a serious rib injury.

If you work with an accident-at-work solicitor from our panel, they’ll make sure they fully understand how you’ve been affected before trying to put a value on your claim.

Can I Claim Broken Rib Compensation if I’m Not a Full-Time Employee?

No matter what type of employment contract you are on, you can expect the same level of health and safety protection from your employer as other staff. Therefore, if you injure your ribs at work and your accident was caused by employer negligence, you could be entitled to compensation.

That means our solicitors can help contractors, agency staff, temps, zero-hours staff, consultants and self-employed workers make rib injury at work claims.

To learn more, please call now.

Do You Need a Work Injury Solicitor for Rib Injury Claims?

Taking on a personal injury claim against an employer can be harder than you might think. For that reason, you may wish to take on a legal representative who’ll act on your behalf for the duration of your claim.

If you work with one of our solicitors, they’ll deal with your employer’s insurers and shield you from any difficult legal or medical questions. They’ll also fight hard to try and secure as much compensation as possible to cover your suffering. This might be far more than the insurance company would’ve offered initially.

Taking on a solicitor can be expensive so ours provides a No Win, No Fee service meaning they’ll work on your case without being paid for it upfront.

Once you’ve signed a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), you will only need to pay your solicitor for their work if you are awarded compensation for your rib injury. If the claim is won, a success fee will be deducted from your settlement.

Legally, the maximum success fee percentage you’ll pay is 25 per cent in accordance with the rules of the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013.

To see if you could make a No Win, No Fee rib injury at work claim, please call our legal advisors now.

How Long Do Work Injury Claims Take?

Generally, straightforward rib injury compensation claims may be settled in around 4 to 5 months. This could be the case if you suffered bruised ribs, for instance, and have made a full recovery. A swift resolution to your claim would also rely on your employer accepting liability for the accident quickly.

More serious claims can take longer. For instance, if you fractured multiple ribs and punctured a lung, your claim might not be settled until you have made a full recovery. Therefore, the claims process could take more like 9 months to longer than a year.

To see how long your rib injury claim might take, please speak to a legal advisor.

Contacting Us About a Rib Injury Compensation Claim

Are you ready to start a rib injury claim now that you’ve read our guide? If so, the best way to arrange your free initial consultation is to:

• Call our legal advisors on 0333 241 2519 and tell them about your case.
• Connect to our live chat service any time of day or night.

You’re not obliged to start a rib injury compensation claim after your consultation. However, if you do decide you want to sue your employer and a work injury solicitor on our panel offers legal representation, you’ll receive a No Win, No Fee service throughout the rib injury claims process.