Not all car accident injuries are visible. If your chest slams against the seat belt or steering wheel, the damage can go far deeper than cuts and bruises. This type of chest trauma can lead to lung injuries, which can affect your ability to breathe and even become life-threatening if untreated.
Some of these internal injuries need emergency care right away. Others don’t show symptoms until hours or even days after the accident. This guide explains the types of lung injuries that happen in motor vehicle accidents, how they’re diagnosed and treated, and how a Georgia personal injury attorney can help you seek compensation if someone else was negligent.
What Causes Lung Injuries in Car Crashes?
Lung injuries often result from sudden, forceful trauma to the chest during an auto accident or other catastrophic event. Even if you walk away without visible injuries, your lungs may still be bruised, punctured, or compressed. Below is an overview of the most common causes of accident-related lung injuries:
- Blunt Force to the Chest: A rapid collision can push your upper body forward into the steering wheel, dashboard, or seatbelt. This type of impact can compress the chest and damage lung tissue without even breaking the skin.
- Seatbelt Compression: Seatbelts are meant to keep you safely in place, but during a motor vehicle crash, the force they apply to your chest can be severe. This intense pressure may cause bruising or contribute to rib fractures that affect your lungs.
- Airbag Deployment: When an airbag inflates, it does so rapidly and with force. The impact to your chest may injure soft tissue, especially if you're seated close to the airbag when it deploys.
- Rib Fractures: Broken ribs can shift during a car accident and press against the lungs. In some cases, a fractured rib may puncture the lung lining and lead to partial or total collapse.
- Debris or Sharp Objects: Glass, metal, or sharp components from the vehicle may puncture your chest in a high-impact collision. These injuries can cause direct damage to lung tissue and usually need immediate treatment.
- Smoke or Fume Inhalation: If the vehicle catches fire, inhaling smoke or chemicals can damage the airways and lung lining. This type of injury may not be apparent right away but can lead to serious respiratory problems.
Types of Lung Injuries After a Car Accident
Lung trauma can affect your ability to breathe, lower your oxygen levels, and sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. Some lung injuries clearly require emergency intervention, while others develop gradually and may go unnoticed without proper medical testing.
- Pulmonary Contusion (Lung Bruise): This injury happens when lung tissue is bruised from a blunt impact, such as hitting the steering wheel or the seat belt tightening suddenly across your chest. Blood and fluid may build up in the lung, making it harder for oxygen to pass into your bloodstream. Symptoms often get worse over the first 24 to 48 hours and may include chest pain, persistent coughing, or respiratory distress.
- Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung): A collapsed lung occurs when air escapes and fills the pleural space between the lung and chest wall. This can happen if a broken rib or other object punctures the lung. Common signs of a punctured lung include sharp pain, shortness of breath, and a feeling of tightness in your chest. You may need a chest tube to help re-expand the lung.
- Hemothorax: This condition involves bleeding into the pleural space. It can result from damaged blood vessels or rib fractures. Hemothorax reduces lung capacity and may cause low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and fatigue. Treatment usually involves draining the blood to relieve pressure on the lung.
- Flail Chest: Flail chest trauma occurs when several ribs break in more than one place, creating a loose segment that moves in the opposite direction when you breathe. This makes breathing difficult and painful. It’s often seen in high-speed crashes and usually appears with other internal injuries like lung bruises or collapsed lungs.
- Diaphragmatic Rupture: The diaphragm is a muscle that helps with breathing by separating your chest from your abdomen. If this muscle tears in a crash, organs from the abdomen can shift into the chest cavity. You may feel chest pain, shortness of breath, or abdominal discomfort. This injury usually needs surgical repair and can be hard to detect without advanced imaging.
- Smoke Inhalation: If your vehicle catches fire, inhaling smoke or toxic gases can inflame the lungs and airways. This may lead to coughing, wheezing, or a delayed drop in oxygen levels. While less common in car crashes, smoke-related injuries can be serious and may need hospital care, even if you weren’t burned.
Diagnosing Traumatic Lung Injuries
If you've been in a crash and are experiencing chest pain or difficulty breathing, medical staff may need to perform several tests to determine the extent of your car accident injury. An accurate diagnosis is important not only for treatment but also for connecting your injuries to the crash if you decide to pursue a legal claim.
- Chest X-rays: X-rays are typically the first imaging tool used to assess chest injuries. They can show fractures, internal bleeding, or organ damage like a collapsed lung. However, smaller injuries such as bruising or air leaks may not appear immediately.
- CT Scans: A CT scan provides a detailed view of the lungs and surrounding structures. It’s often used when an X-ray doesn’t explain your symptoms or when more serious internal damage is suspected.
- Oxygen Level Monitoring: Your oxygen levels may be measured with a finger sensor or a blood test. Low oxygen can signal internal bleeding, swelling, or impaired lung function, all of which require further investigation.
- Ultrasound: In emergency settings, doctors may use ultrasound to detect air or fluid in the chest cavity. This test is fast, non-invasive, and helpful when immediate decisions need to be made.
- Bronchoscopy: In more complex cases, a bronchoscopy may be used to examine the airways. This test involves a thin tube with a camera that’s inserted into the lungs to identify tears, blockages, or internal bleeding.
All test results, clinical notes, and imaging findings help establish a timeline and diagnosis. These medical records also play a key role if you file a claim related to your internal injuries.
Can You Get Compensation for Lung Injuries After a Car Accident?
If you suffered a lung injury in a preventable car accident, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. This legal action can help you cover economic and non-economic damages like the following:
- Medical Expenses: Your hospital stay, imaging scans, chest tubes, oxygen therapy, and surgery can lead to substantial medical bills. An injury claim can help you recover both current and future treatment costs related to your lung injury.
- Lost Wages: If you had to miss work or reduce your hours while recovering from chest injuries, you may be entitled to recover damages for lost income. This includes time missed for appointments, treatment, and rest.
- Reduced Earning Capacity: Some chest injuries make it harder to return to your previous job or work full-time. A claim may include future income you’ll lose if your condition limits your earning ability.
- Pain and Suffering: Difficulty breathing, ongoing pain, and disrupted sleep can affect your quality of life. These non-economic losses may be included when determining compensation.
- Emotional Distress: A lung injury can lead to anxiety, especially if you're dealing with shortness of breath or an uncertain recovery. Mental health effects may be part of your claim if supported by medical records.
- Long-Term Care Needs: If you need respiratory therapy, routine follow-ups, or other ongoing care, those future costs can be included in your claim.
Why You Should Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
Lung injuries can be difficult to prove, especially when symptoms are delayed or not visible on the surface. Insurance companies may argue that your condition isn’t related to the crash or that your injury isn’t as serious as you say. Having a personal injury attorney gives you a better chance of recovering the full value of your case.
Your attorney can help gather medical records, speak with your doctors, and build a timeline that connects the injury to the crash. They can also deal with the insurance company on your behalf so you’re not pressured into accepting a low settlement. If your injury has long-term effects, your attorney can work with medical professionals to estimate future care costs and include them in your demand.
At The Champion Firm, we’ve handled serious injury cases across Georgia, including claims involving lung damage. When one of our clients suffered pulmonary contusions in her lungs after a rollover crash, we secured a significant settlement for her despite the insurance company initially insisting on a lowball offer. We understand how these injuries affect your life and what it takes to prove your case. You don’t pay us unless we recover compensation for you.
Speak to a Car Accident Lawyer at The Champion Firm Today
A lung injury can disrupt your life in ways that aren’t always obvious right after a car crash. You might feel fine at first, only to develop breathing problems, chest pain, or fatigue days later. These symptoms may point to internal damage that needs medical attention and careful follow-up.
If someone else caused the crash, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you hold the at-fault party accountable. At The Champion Firm, we help people across Georgia recover compensation for serious injuries. If you’ve been diagnosed with a lung injury after a car accident, reach out for a free consultation. You may call our personal injury law firm at 404-738-7509 or contact us online today.
