Broken Ribs

How Much Is a Broken Rib Worth to Settle?

Insurance companies usually think the average broken rib settlement amount should settle for $2,000-$4,000 per broken rib because they think a broken rib is a minor injury.

But a broken rib is not a minor injury, and we won’t settle cheap, according to an insurance company formula. A broken rib is a serious injury!

To see what a broken rib settlement is worth, see some of our personal injury settlements in New York.

Note: A broken rib, rib fracture, and a cracked rib are different words for the same injury. See, a fracture, bone break, and broken bone are all the same.

Why Do Insurance Companies Offer Little for a Broken Rib Settlement?

• A broken rib can heal in 6-8 weeks.
• They think the pain is gone after a broken rib heals, so there is no future lifelong pain, but that’s not true.
• Usually, there is little to no medical treatment for a broken rib.
• Many personal injury lawyers will convince injured clients to accept the offer because they don’t know how to prove a broken rib is worth more money.

Even when you need surgery for a broken rib, the insurance company will think your injury is worth a lot less than it really is. They will offer personal injury attorneys a small settlement because they think the pain isn’t permanent.

Pain, Symptoms, and Treatment of Broken and Fractured Ribs

Broken ribs can cause permanent, lifelong pain. Just because there isn’t much medical treatment for a broken rib, that doesn’t mean that the injury is minor and not worth a lot of money for a settlement.

There are many other very serious injuries worth a lot of money, although the claimant may not have received much medical treatment. Like a broken rib, an amputated finger may not require any medical treatment after the amputation, but an amputated finger settlement is worth a lot of money.

See a funny but serious video showing the pain caused by a broken rib, symptoms of broken ribs, and treatment of broken ribs.

How to Get a Big Settlement Offer For a Broken Rib

To get the maximum settlement value for our client’s broken rib, we created this 3-D color video from the 2-D black and white CT scan taken in the hospital. We showed it to the insurance company, and they offered $150,000.

This is one of the videos we made and how we get real money to settle your case.

Evidence like a 3-D color video can get a great settlement offer for broken ribs, but f they don’t pay us what you want, we’ll show it to a jury at trial.

Different Types of Rib Fractures

There are different types of rib fractures. The two common types of rib fractures are:

• Non-displaced rib fracture
• Displaced rib fracture

Non-Displaced Rib Fracture

Most broken ribs are not displaced. In a non-displaced fracture, the bone breaks, and the two ends are lined up straight together.

Displaced Rib Fracture

In a displaced fracture, the bone breaks and moves so that the two ends are not lined up straight together.

The three images below show one broken rib that is fractured in two places (both rib fractures are displaced). The images were taken from the 3-D color video of the 2-D black and white CT scan of the chest to make large color blowups for settlement purposes or to show the jury if we could not settle the case.

The image below shows the two displaced rib fractures as a vertical red line.

The image below shows the end of the break on the left side of the rib is not lined up straight together, which is why the broken rib is displaced.

The image below shows the break on the right side of the broken rib is not lined up straight together, which is why this broken rib is displaced.

When Can a Broken Rib Be a Serious Life-Threatening Injury?

Accidents, such as car accidents and motorcycle accidents, are common causes of pneumothorax from chest trauma.

What is a pneumothorax? A pneumothorax is a punctured lung.

The end of a broken rib can puncture your lung, causing air to leak out of your lung. When air leaks from the lung, it accumulates in the cavity outside the lung and is called a pneumothorax. If both lungs are punctured, it is called a bilateral pneumothorax.

A pneumothorax is life-threatening without medical treatment, which is usually surgery.

If you have any of these symptoms of a broken rib, take an ambulance to the hospital to get checked out after an accident.

Symptoms of Pneumothorax

• Sharp, stabbing chest pain that worsens when trying to breathe in.
• Shortness of breath.
• Bluish skin (caused by decreased oxygen content in the blood).
• Fatigue.
• Rapid breathing and heartbeat.
• A dry, hacking cough.

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