Broken Ribs After Car Accident: Emergency Signs, Symptoms, Treatment
Broken ribs from a car accident cause sharp chest pain, restricted breathing, and bruising, and can signal a collapsed lung or internal bleeding — seek emergency care immediately. Report the injury to your auto insurer under Michigan’s No-Fault law, which entitles you to PIP benefits covering medical bills and lost wages. (MCL 500.3107) If your injury meets the state’s serious impairment threshold under you may also file a third-party lawsuit against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering. (MCL 500.3135)
Navigating your medical recovery and financial stability after a serious crash requires understanding both your insurance rights and your civil litigation options. In Michigan, a chest injury triggers multiple layers of financial recovery. This comprehensive guide outlines how to secure your immediate healthcare expenses and pursue maximum compensation for the long-term impact on your life.
To evaluate the potential legal value of your broken ribs, utilize our interactive car accident settlement calculator, or read on to understand your rights.
Can you break your ribs in a car accident?
Yes, you can break your ribs in a car accident often due to: (1) your chest colliding with the steering wheel or column; (2) your chest striking the dashboard; and/or (3) the force exerted by your seatbelt against your chest at the moment of impact.
What to do if you suffered broken ribs after a car accident?
If you suspect you have broken ribs following a car accident, taking the right steps immediately will protect both your health and your legal rights under Michigan law:
- Seek immediate medical attention: Go to an emergency room or urgent care right away. These fractures can cause life-threatening internal injuries like a punctured lung (pneumothorax) or internal bleeding, which require immediate diagnostic X-rays or CT scans.
- Obtain official documentation of the injury: Ensure the treating physician explicitly notes your injury, chest pain, and breathing difficulties in your medical records. This creates an immediate, objective medical link between the car crash and your fractures.
- Report the crash to the police: File a police report at the scene or immediately afterward. Ensure the report accurately documents the crash details and notes that you suffered physical injuries.
- File a No-Fault application for PIP benefits: Submit a formal application for benefits to your auto insurance company within one year of the crash date under MCL 500.3145. This ensures your medical expenses and lost wages are paid.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance: The insurance adjuster representing the negligent driver may try to use your statements to downplay the severity of your chest injuries. Politely decline and refer them to your attorney.
- Preserve financial and medical evidence: Keep a detailed file of all crash-related documents, including emergency room discharge papers, specialized prescriptions, imaging results, out-of-pocket receipts, and written doctor’s notes restricting you from returning to work.
- Consult an experienced attorney: Speak with a specialized personal injury lawyer before signing any insurance waivers. An attorney will evaluate your medical files to determine if your fractures meet the state’s legal threshold for a third-party pain and suffering lawsuit.
Seek Immediate Emergency Care (Call 911) If You Notice:
Go to the nearest emergency room right away if you experience any of these red flag symptoms after suffering broken ribs from a car accident:
- Severe or worsening shortness of breath – Feeling winded or struggling to catch your breath.
- Coughing up blood or pink-tinged mucus – A sign that internal tissue damage may be more serious than a simple fracture.
- Dizziness, fainting, confusion, or sudden weakness – Can indicate internal bleeding or low oxygen levels.
- Sharp pain radiating to your stomach or shoulder – May signal damage to internal organs like the liver or spleen.
- Bluish lips, fingernails, or pale, clammy skin – A sign your body isn’t getting enough oxygen.
Symptoms of broken ribs after a car accident
If you have broken ribs after a car accident, you’ll typically experience:
- Sharp, localized chest pain – Often described as a stabbing sensation focused over one specific spot, known as point tenderness.
- Pain with breathing – Deep breaths, coughing, sneezing, laughing, or twisting your torso usually make the pain worse.
- Bruising and swelling – Dark discoloration or swelling on the chest or side that may not appear until hours or days after the crash.
- Popping or grinding – A subtle sensation or sound when moving or taking a breath.
In severe cases, broken ribs after a car accident can lead to complications like punctured lungs or internal bleeding, so medical evaluation is important.
Types of chest injuries after a crash
The most common types of chest injuries after a crash include:
- Sprained ligaments – Stretching or tearing of the connective tissue around the chest bones caused by impact, leading to pain and limited movement.
- Bruised tissue – Pain and tenderness caused by blunt force trauma damaging the soft tissue surrounding the chest bones.
- Cracked bones – Small fractures in the bony structures of the chest from blunt force impact, causing sharp pain, especially with breathing or movement.
- Broken ribs – Fractured rib bones from the severe impact of the car accident, causing intense pain and difficulty to breathe
- Flail chest – A serious injury where a segment of the chest wall breaks free from the surrounding structure in several places, causing that section to move abnormally when breathing.
Diagnosis
Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following diagnostic tests to determine whether and to what extent an injury has occurred: (1) X-rays; (2) CT scan; (3) MRI; and/or (4) a bone scan.
Treatment
Unlike arms or legs, broken ribs after a car accident can’t be put in a cast. Never wrap or tightly bandage your chest — compression wraps prevent your lungs from expanding fully, which dramatically increases your risk of developing pneumonia or a collapsed lung. Standard medical care instead focuses on:
- Pain management – Taking prescribed or over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, as recommended by your doctor. Managing the pain is essential so you can keep breathing deeply.
- Breathing exercises – Taking slow, deep breaths every hour or using an incentive spirometer. Gently holding a pillow against your chest while coughing can help support the area and reduce pain.
- Rest and ice – Applying ice packs wrapped in a cloth for 10–20 minutes at a time to reduce localized swelling.
- Healing time – Most simple fractures take 6 to 12 weeks to heal completely.
Why is this injury considered serious after a crash?
Broken ribs after a car accident is considered a serious injury because they can puncture or otherwise damage a victim’s lungs, aorta (carrying blood from your heart to your circulatory system), kidneys, spleen and/or liver. Pneumonia is also common among victims who resist coughing because of the extreme pain.
Can you sue for broken ribs in a car accident?
Yes, you can sue for broken ribs after a car accident, but only if the injury meets Michigan’s statutory threshold of a “serious impairment of body function” under MCL 500.3135.
Whether you can sue depends entirely on how the injury impacts your life:
- Simple Fractures: Clean, isolated fractures that heal completely within a few months generally do not meet the legal threshold for a lawsuit.
- Complex Fractures: Multiple broken ribs, displaced fractures, or injuries causing long-term chronic pain and breathing limitations after a car accident typically qualify.
- The Lawsuit: Meeting this threshold allows you to file a third-party tort lawsuit against the at-fault driver to recover pain and suffering compensation.
What is the statute of limitations for broken ribs after a car accident in Michigan?
Michigan enforces two distinct, strict deadlines for broken rib car accident claims that you must meet to preserve your legal rights:
- First-Party PIP Claim: Under the No-Fault one-year back rule (MCL 500.3145), you must file a formal application for benefits with your insurance company within one year of the crash date.
- Third-Party Lawsuit: Under MCL 600.5805, you must file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent at-fault driver for pain and suffering within three years of the crash date.
When is a broken rib after a car accident considered a serious impairment in Michigan?
Under the Michigan Supreme Court standard set in McCormick v. Carrier, a broken rib rises to a serious impairment of a body function after a car accident when it meets three strict legal criteria:
- It is objectively manifested (meaning it can be clearly seen on a diagnostic X-ray or CT scan).
- It impairs an important body function (such as breathing, lifting, or twisting your torso).
- It affects your general ability to lead your normal daily life by restricting your capacity to work, drive, or perform routine household tasks.
About pain and suffering compensation
You may be able to recover compensation for your pain and suffering from the at-fault driver who caused your crash, but under Michigan’s bodily injury threshold law, you will first be required to prove that the driver was negligent and that your injury caused you to suffer a serious impairment of body function.
Depending on the extent of your medical bills and lost wages and whether they are fully covered by the coverage limits in the policy through which you are claiming benefits, you may also be able to recover economic damages from the at-fault driver for excess and future medical expenses and wage loss.
About No-Fault benefits
If you’re a Michigan resident and you’ve suffered broken ribs after a car accident, then you may be able to recover No-Fault PIP benefits to help you pay for your crash-related medical bills and for wages you were unable to earn before your chest injury prevented you from working.
To start the process, you must file an application for No-Fault benefits with the responsible insurance company within one (1) year of your crash. This is very important because if you fail to comply with the 1-year filing deadline, you will forfeit all of your legal rights to No-Fault benefits. That means you can’t request them or sue for them and if you do try to sue, the insurance company will be able to easily get your claim dismissed by the court.
Generally, the responsible insurance company that will be paying your No-Fault benefits will be your auto insurer or the insurer of your spouse or a relative who lives with you in your home. And if coverage is not available to you through any of those sources, then you can apply for benefits through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan and an auto insurer will be assigned to your claim.
Does PIP Insurance cover broken ribs after a car accident?
Yes, your Michigan No-Fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance covers all reasonably necessary medical treatment for injuries resulting from a motor vehicle crash under MCL 500.3107. Depending on the specific coverage limits chosen in your auto policy, PIP benefits will pay for your emergency room visits, diagnostic X-rays, pain management, physical therapy, and up to 85% of your lost wages if your doctor restricts you from working during your recovery.
How much compensation for broken ribs in a car accident?
Compensation for a chest injury is not determined by a flat rate. Instead, insurance companies and courts calculate the financial value of a settlement based on three distinct legal categories:
- Economic Damages (MCL 500.3135): This includes any excess medical bills, specialized care costs, and out-of-pocket prescription expenses that exceed your No-Fault policy limits. It also covers future lost wages if your injury causes a long-term restriction on your ability to work.
- Noneconomic Damages: This covers your pain, suffering, mental anguish, and the loss of enjoyment of life. Because there is no fixed medical price tag for physical trauma, this portion of your compensation relies heavily on how severely the injury disrupted your daily routines.
- Insurance Policy Limits: The maximum available compensation is often capped by the bodily injury liability coverage limits of the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, as well as any Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage you carry on your own policy.
What is the average settlement for broken ribs from a car accident in Michigan?
There is no true “average” settlement because the final recovery depends entirely on the specific complications and long-term impact of the skeletal damage. When evaluating a claim, insurers group chest injuries into varying value tiers based on these measurable case factors:
- The Severity of the Fractures: Simple, clean cracks that heal completely with basic rest settle for less than displaced fractures, multiple broken bones, or a flail chest condition requiring surgical reconstruction.
- Objective Medical Complications: Settlements increase significantly if the initial blunt force trauma caused secondary organ injuries, such as a punctured lung (pneumothorax), lacerations to the spleen or liver, or internal chest bleeding.
- The Length of Real Impairment: Under the McCormick v. Carrier framework, the primary value driver is how long the injury objectively prevents you from leading your normal life. A fracture that sidelines a manual laborer for six months carries a higher settlement value than an identical fracture that allows an office employee to return to work within a week.
Why choose Michigan Auto Law to handle a broken ribs car accident case?
Michigan Auto Law is uniquely qualified to handle car accident claims for broken ribs due to our exclusive and specialized focus on motor vehicle crash cases for more than 50 years. This deep specialization allows us to navigate our state’s complex No-Fault and third-party injury laws with precision, ensuring that every claim is properly evaluated, documented, and pursued for full compensation.
Our law firm is also one of the most awarded and recognized auto crash injury law firms in the state, with attorneys consistently named among Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Best Law Firms and holding the highest ethical and legal ratings from Martindale-Hubbell. We have secured record-setting verdicts and settlements — including multiple eight-figure recoveries — demonstrating a proven ability to maximize compensation in serious injury cases.
Clients also benefit from a personalized, client-first approach. Each case receives focused attention, clear communication, and compassionate support, and clients pay no legal fees unless compensation is recovered. With over 3,500 five-star reviews and decades of peer recognition, We combine legal excellence with trusted advocacy for people injured in automobile crashes.
Injured and need legal help after a crash? Call our attorneys now for a free consultation!
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Written By
Steve M. Gursten,
Attorney,
License#: P53632
Steven Gursten, attorney at Michigan Auto Law and one of the most successful auto accident attorneys in Michigan. Michigan Auto Law represents people seriously injured in car, truck, motorcycle, and bus accidents, including catastrophic injury, traumatic brain injury, and No-Fault insurance cases. Steven has recovered the largest reported auto and truck accident settlement of any Michigan lawyer, and has been named Michigan Lawyer of the Year and a Top 50 Michigan Super Lawyer.
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