How much compensation for broken ribs you could claim can depend on how severe the injuries are and whether they caused any financial losses. Broken ribs can be extremely painful, with their impact going beyond the physical injury, affecting your ability to carry out everyday tasks, restrict your ability to work, and severely affect your sleep. They can limit simple movements such as lifting everyday objects, turning in bed, and can make it painful to breathe deeply.
Whether you were injured in a road traffic accident, at work, or in a public place iif someone else was responsible for your broken rib injury, you could be entitled to claim compensation. How much compensation for broken ribs a claimant may be owed can depend on the injury they sustained, how severe it was, and the financial impact it had on them.
Key Takeaways
- Broken ribs may be caused by blunt force trauma, falls, and underlying medical conditions.
- Typically, broken or bruised ribs will heal by themselves in 2-6 weeks.
- Symptoms could include intense chest pain, tenderness, swelling, and bruising.
- Treatment may include pain relief and rest.
- A No Win No Fee solicitor could help you to claim compensation for a broken rib.
Please get in touch with our team to find out how much compensation for broken ribs you could be awarded.
We are here to help you
Here at HowMuchCompensation.co.uk our expert advisors are on hand 24 hours a day 7 days a week to assess your compensation claim. Should you require free advice we can connect you to a specialist solicitor.
Jump To A Section
- How Much Compensation For Broken Ribs Can I Claim?
- How Is The Value Of A Broken Rib Claim Assessed?
- Can Special Damages Be Awarded For Broken Ribs?
- Can I Claim Broken Rib Compensation?
- What Accidents Could Result In Ribs Being Broken?
- How Can I Bring A Compensation Claim For Broken Ribs?
- Get Help From How Much Compensation For Broken Rib Claims
- Learn More
How Much Compensation For Broken Ribs Can I Claim?
How much compensation for broken ribs you could claim will depend on the severity of your injuries, the impact they had on you during your recovery (and beyond), as well as any financial losses sustained.
When estimating the value of bruised or broken ribs, legal professionals may turn to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication contains compensation brackets for different injuries, with compensation guidelines at differing levels of severity. We have used entries from the JCG to create the following table.
| Injury/ severity | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries and speical damages for care costs, medial bills, and lost earnings. | Severe injuries. | Up to £250,000+ with special damages. |
| Chest injury, worst type of case (a). | May include cases with prolonged and serious pain and suffering, significant permanent scarring and serious heart damage. | £122,850 to £183,190. |
| Chest injury, traumatic injury (b). | Traumatic injury to the chest, such as the heart or lungs, causing impaired function, permanent damage, disability, and reduced life expectancy. | £80,240 to £122,850. |
| Chest injury, damage to chest and lungs (c). | chest/ lung damage causing some disability. | £38,210 to £66,920. |
| Chest injuries, simple injuries (d). | A single penetrating wound which causes some permanent tissue damage. | £15,370 to £21,920. |
| Chest injuries, causing collapsed lung (f). | Where the claimant can make an uncomplicated, full recovery. | £2,680 to £6,500. |
| Chest injuries, fractured ribs. | Fractured rib injuries causing serious pain and disability. Only lasting a period of weeks. | Up to £4,820. |
Please be aware that these entries are only guidelines and do not guarantee what your case may be awarded. Note, the figure in row 1 does not come from the JCG. We have used this to illustrate what you could be awarded when compensation for financial losses and multiple injuries is taken into account.
You can also use our online compensation calculator to see what your claim may be worth.
How Is The Value Of A Broken Rib Claim Assessed?
When assessing the value of your broken rib injury claim factors such as your degree of physical pain and suffering, any emotional distress caused, as well as the wider impact on your life will be considered. Collectively, compensation for these factors are awarded under the first of 2 heads of loss, general damages.
These may be assessed as follows,
- Your pain and suffering, this looks at the physical pain and suffering caused by your broken rib injury.
- Your emotional distress, such as anxiety or other psychological damage caused by your injuries and their impact on you.
- Loss of amenity, this refers to the effect the injury has had on your daily life, such as difficulty carrying out everyday tasks, or participating in activities.
You can contact a member of our advisory team to learn more about the different ways in which you could be compensated.
Can Special Damages Be Awarded For Broken Ribs?
Special damages, covering medical bills, care costs, and lost income could be awarded for broken ribs. These form the second part of a personal injury claim settlement. Unlike general damages discussed above, they are not awarded automatically and must be proven. Evidence which you could submit and costs you could claim for are detailed below.
- Medical treatment for your broken ribs, as well as medication, proven using invoices or receipts.
- Care costs, such as domestic support and care during your recovery period. This can be supported with invoices, etc.
- Lost earnings, as well as other workplace benefits if you had to take time off. May be supported by bank statements and payslips.
- Travel costs, getting to and from appointments for treatment, can be proven with bus and train tickets and receipts for taxis or petrol.
A solicitor from our panel could provide a thorough assessment of your case and help to determine how much compensation for broken ribs you could claim.
Can I Claim Broken Rib Compensation?
Yes, you can claim compensation for fractured or broken ribs if you can show that they were caused by someone else’s negligence. There are a few basic criteria which you must meet to claim broken rib compensation.
- The party you are making a claim against (the defendant) owed you a duty of care.
- The defendant breached their duty of care.
- This breach caused your broken ribs.
In the next section we look at different scenarios in which someone may have a duty of care towards you and in which their breach could cause you harm. Please contact an advisor to learn more about making a rib injury compensation claim.
What Accidents Could Result In Ribs Being Broken?
Accidents such as those on the road, at work, or in public places could all result in your ribs being broken. We look at each of these in more detail below, along with why you are owed a duty of care.
Road Traffic Accidents
Road traffic accidents may occur when road users do not uphold their duty of care to avoid causing harm, failing to adhere to the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988. Examples of road traffic accidents include,
- A driver is too close to the vehicle in front without due care and attention. Due to not leaving enough space, they fail to stop when the car in front brakes at a junction, colliding with it. The driver of the stopped vehicle is thrown forwards, striking their steering wheel and fracturing several ribs.
- A driver changing lanes on the motorway fails to check their mirror. They drive into the side of another vehicle. The impact causes blunt force trauma to the other driver, fracturing multiple ribs.
Accidents At Work
Accidents at work may occur where employers fail to uphold their duty of care as set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Employers must take reasonable steps, such as by providing protective equipment and training, to prevent you from sustaining an injury at work. Workplace injuries could be caused by,
- Items in a warehouse are improperly stored at height, without use of appropriate racking or safety processes. A heavy item falls, striking a worker on their chest, breaking several ribs. The worker will require several weeks of recovery.
- The floor is wet, but a sign has not been put up, nor have employees been notified in any other manner. An employee suffers a fractured wrist and multiple broken ribs in a slip and fall accident.
Public Place Accidents
Public place accidents can happen when the party in control of such a space (known as the occupier) fails to uphold their duty of care. Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, this party must ensure that visitors are kept reasonably safe. Public liability claims could be made where,
- There was a broken floor in a gym which was not signed or cordoned off. A user trips on the hazard, falling and breaking a rib as well as suffering other injuries.
- A restaurant was aware of a leak in a bathroom, causing a hazard. A customer slipped on the wet floor, breaking a rib as well as suffering other injuries.
These accidents could leave victims in serious and prolonged pain. If you have been injured in these or other circumstances, please speak to an advisor who can help assess whether you have a strong bruised or broken rib claim.
We are here to help you
Here at HowMuchCompensation.co.uk our expert advisors are on hand 24 hours a day 7 days a week to assess your compensation claim. Should you require free advice we can connect you to a specialist solicitor.
How Can I Bring A Compensation Claim For Broken Ribs?
To bring a compensation claim for broken ribs you will need to file your case within the 3 year time limit, and ensure that you have sufficient evidence to show it meets the criteria previously outlined.
The standard time limit to begin the claims process is 3 years. This runs from the date on which you fractured your ribs. This is referred to as the limitation period and it is governed by the Limitation act 1980. There are circumstances in which exceptions to this time limit may be made, such as where a claimant is under the age of 18. You can read more in this resource looking at the limitation period.
Evidence which could help to prove your claim and who is liable may include a copy of your medical records, details of costs, such as medical expenses, incident reports, CCTV footage or images, or contact details for witnesses. You can read more about how to prove negligence in our glossary.
Get in touch with an advisor to see if you could bring a broken rib claim with a solicitor from our panel.
Get Help From How Much Compensation For Broken Rib Claims
How Much Compensation can help with broken rib claims, by reviewing your case, explaining how the claims process works, and by connecting you to a solicitor from our panel. When you first get in contact, an advisor can provide you with a free, no obligation assessment. If they think your claim is valid, they could connect you to a solicitor from our panel.
The solicitors on our panel have years of expertise and experience in helping people to claim compensation for broken rib injuries. One could,
- Assess how much compensation for broken ribs you could be owed.
- Help you collect evidence.
- Ensure your claim is filed on time.
- Negotiate with the defendant and their solicitors on your behalf.
- Prepare your case or court, only necessary in a small number of cases.
If a solicitor is able to work on your case, they may do so under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This enables them to work on a No Win No Fee basis. Working in this way, the solicitor will not charge solicitors’ fees before or during the case. If lost, you will not pay anything for their services. If you win, they will charge a success fee. This fee is deducted automatically and charged as a percentage of your compensation, which is capped by law.
Contact Our Advisors
Contact our advisors today to learn more about how a solicitor from our panel could support you.
- Call us on 0800 408 7826.
- Talk to us live below.
- Use our form to contact us.
Learn More
Learn more about personal injury claims in these resources.
- Check how to make a gym injury claim here.
- See how to claim for a manual handling injury.
- Here you can see more about slips, trips, and falls.
References.
- Read more about rib injuries in this NHS resource.
- See if you could become a litigation friend and claim on behalf of someone else.
- Learn how to request CCTV footage of yourself here.
If you want to know more about how much compensation for broken ribs you could claim, please get in touch with our advisors.
