Ellis Law Offices LLP Massachusetts Personal Injury Lawyers
Schedule Your Free Consultation
508-762-4334

Se Habla Español | Tiếng Việt

  • Home
  • About
    • Why Choose Ellis Law Offices?
  • Practice Areas
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Construction Accidents
    • Heavy Equipment Accidents
    • Motor Vehicle Accidents
    • Personal Injury
    • Dog Bites
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Premises Liability
    • Slip-And-Fall Accidents
  • FAQs
    • How Do I Choose The Right Lawyer?
    • How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
    • Car Accident FAQs
    • Personal Injury FAQs
    • Workers’ Comp FAQs
  • Results
  • Client Reviews
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Contact
  • En Español
  • Home
  • About
    • Why Choose Ellis Law Offices?
  • Practice Areas
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Construction Accidents
    • Heavy Equipment Accidents
    • Motor Vehicle Accidents
    • Motorcycle Accidents
    • Pedestrian Accidents
    • Dog Bites
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Premises Liability
    • Slip-And-Fall Accidents
  • FAQ
    • How Do I Choose The Right Lawyer?
    • How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
    • Car Accident FAQ
    • Personal Injury FAQ
    • Workers’ Comp FAQ
  • Verdicts & Settlements
  • Client Reviews
  • Blog
  • Video Center
  • Contact
  • En Español
  • X Close
EMAIL

 Call

Why are broken ribs so dangerous?

On Behalf of Ellis Law Offices LLP | Sep 13, 2021 | Blog, Personal Injury

You risk cracking or breaking one or more of your ribs any time you sustain trauma to your chest. As the Mayo Clinic explains, broken ribs are a common result of motor vehicle accidents, falls and sports injuries.

As you might expect, cracked ribs, while extremely painful. are considerably less dangerous than broken ribs that can seriously damage your internal organs.

Broken rib symptoms

You likely will feel immediate chest pain when you break a rib. This pain worsens under the following circumstances:

  • You try to take a deep breath.
  • You bend or twist your body.
  • You press on your chest.

Broken rib complications

As stated, your broken rib is not, in and of itself, dangerous. In fact, a cracked or broken rib almost always heals on its own within 1-2 months. The danger comes from the damage that the jagged edges or a broken rib can cause. The most likely damage includes one or more of the following:

  • Punctured or torn aorta
  • Punctured lung
  • Punctured spleen
  • Punctured kidney
  • Punctured liver

Any of these complications can lead to death. In addition, the more ribs you break, the greater the risk of complications.

Broken rib treatment

This is why you should seek immediate medical attention any time you receive a chest injury. Your doctor likely will want to take x-rays of your chest area. If he or she discovers one or more broken ribs, however, there is little he or she can do to treat them directly. Instead, he or she likely will recommend or prescribe a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or naproxen or other pain relievers so you have a better chance of breathing normally and avoiding lung complications such as pneumonia.

Recent Posts

  • What are common workplace injuries and their solutions?
  • What if the other driver denies fault in a serious car accident?
  • Why you should not settle a car accident alone
  • What are the most common injuries suffered by construction workers in Massachusetts?
  • Social media and workers’ compensation: 3 things you should avoid 

Categories

  • Animal Bites (36)
  • Birth Injury (35)
  • Blog (52)
  • Car Accidents (91)
  • Car Accidents (6)
  • Firm News (2)
  • Injuries (9)
  • Medical Malpractice (20)
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents (62)
  • Motorcycle Accidents (33)
  • OSHA And Fall Safety (1)
  • Personal Injury (59)
  • Slip And Fall (16)
  • Workers' Compensation (94)
  • Workplace Accidents And Workers' Compensation (42)
  • Wrongful Death (1)

Archives

RSS Feed

Subscribe To This Blog's Feed

Subscribe To This Blog’s Feed
FindLaw Network

How Can We Help You?

Please fill out the secure form below and schedule a free consultation.

Ellis Law Offices LLP Massachusetts Personal Injury Lawyers

Worcester Office

33 Pleasant Street Suite 2
Worcester, MA 01609

Phone: 508-762-4334
Fax: 508-762-4334
Worcester Office Location

Free Consultation • Home and Hospital Visits Available • Call Today 508-762-4334

Se Habla Español • ΜΗΛΑΜΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΗΚΑ • Chúng TÔi Biet Nói Tieng Viet

Serving all of Massachusetts, including the following regions:

Fitchburg
Southbridge

Worcester
Boston

Springfield
Framingham

Review Us
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow

© 2025 Ellis Law Offices LLP • All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Business Development Solutions by FindLaw