What causes chest pain after an auto accident that caused you no visible injuries? A number of injuries are possible causes of chest pain. Because they were not visible and because you might not have noticed the pain immediately after the accident, both you and first responders might have overlooked or underestimated your injury. Some injuries sustained in an auto accident are not apparent in the moments or hours immediately following an auto accident. The rush of adrenaline produced by your body might have masked subtle signs of injury.
If you experience chest pain after an auto accident, you should not ignore it. Whether you see your family doctor or you visit the emergency room, it is important to be checked out if you feel any chest pain. Your pain could be caused by a number of minor injuries; it could also signal a serious and life-threatening injury. The force of the impact in an auto accident might have caused you to slam into the car door, the steering wheel, or the dashboard. You might have been injured by the deployment of an airbag or the restraint of a seat belt. Chest pain might also signal a heart attack that occurred during the accident. Injury might also result from items in your vehicle or debris from the crash.
Among the most common causes of chest pain after an accident are the following:
- Bruises or contusions.
- Bruised ribs.
- Cracked or broken ribs or collarbone.
- Muscle strain or tearing.
- Punctured lungs or other lung damage.
- Kidney damage.
- Bruising of the heart.
- Liver damage.
- Spleen injury.
- Injury to the chest wall.
- Damage to the sternum.
- Damage to the trachea.
- Anxiety attack.
- Internal bleeding.
- Ruptured abdominal aorta.
- Collapsed lung.
Takotsubo syndrome is another cause of chest pain after an auto accident – one that may be unfamiliar to you. When you are under severe emotional stress, the muscles of your heart can weaken due to the stress. The heart muscles can begin to beat in an irregular rhythm. This can cause a heart attack, which demands immediate attention.
If you have been injured in an auto accident or any other vehicle accident it is important that you seek medical attention. You should be evaluated and treated for obvious injuries. You should also ensure that you are checked out with your physician or with a doctor in the emergency room or an urgent care center. It is important that you get treatment as soon as possible to prevent injuries from becoming complicated or causing other injuries. If you are injured in an accident, it is important to be examined and have all injuries documented. This documentation can make a critical difference in the settlement or jury award in a legal action or an insurance claim.
If you or a loved one is injured in an auto accident or vehicle accident due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another and through no fault of your own, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your hurts and harms. After obtaining medical care, call Altizer Law, P.C. Bettina Altizer and her expert team work every day to help people injured in auto accidents. We fight for the largest possible settlement to help you recover and rebuild your life. Whether negotiating a settlement or trying a case in court, we understand that it’s about the money.
