Last Updated 4th December 2025.You may be able to make a bruised ribs injury claim if your injury was caused by a road accident, fall, workplace accident, or assault that was not your fault. Compensation can cover pain and suffering, lost earnings, and medical expenses linked to your rib injury.
Bruised ribs can cause difficulties with breathing and ongoing permanent pain, often making it more challenging to perform simple tasks like going to work or driving. They can also lead to significant financial loss, especially if you’ve been left unable to work.
At a time when you should prioritise recovery, working with our personal injury solicitors here at Legal Expert to seek bruised rib compensation can help provide financial redress.
Please get in touch with our advisors today for a free case consultation to determine whether you’d be eligible to seek compensation, or keep scrolling to learn more about the claims process
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Key Information
- What Types Of Accidents Can Lead To Bruised Ribs? Slips on unmarked wet floors in public, collisions on the road, and poorly maintained work equipment are common causes of bruised ribs.
- How Long Does It Take For Bruised Ribs To Heal? Bruised ribs typically take 2 to 6 weeks to heal; however, this timeframe will depend on the severity of the injury.
- What Are Some Symptoms Of Bruised Ribs? Tenderness in the torso, pain, swelling or bruising to the area are common symptoms of a bruised rib injury.
- Can I Claim For Bruised Ribs? Yes, you can claim compensation for your bruised ribs if the injury resulted from the negligent actions of a third party, such as an employer or a road user.
- How Long Does A Bruised Ribs Injury Claim Take? The duration of a personal injury claim depends on various factors, such as what evidence is needed to support the case and whether the opposing party admits liability for your bruised ribs.
What Is A Bruised Ribs Injury?
Your ribs are thin pieces of bone solely designed to protect vital internal organs such as your lungs and heart. Your ribs form from your spine, go around your chest and attach to your sternum. Due to their length, you could suffer a rib injury in different parts of your body. For instance, you could suffer bruised ribs in your back.
A bruised ribs injury, or a rib contusion, is usually caused by a direct impact to your torso. This can be caused by many different incidents, such as slips, trips and falls and road traffic accidents. The injury can be very painful, making it difficult to breathe and move.
What Is The Difference Between Bruised And Broken Ribs?
There is only one main difference between bruised and broken ribs, as similar incidents often cause them. Broken ribs tend to be slightly more complex because, with the rib protecting vital organs, a broken part of them could, theoretically, puncture or tear one of the organs underneath. This could, therefore, lead to further medical complications. While a bruised rib is very painful, the bone itself is still intact.
Under extreme circumstances, complications from a broken rib could lead to surgery or severe heart or lung issues. While there can still be difficult complications dealing with a bruised rib, it tends to not lead to as many permanent or long-term health issues.
Call us to see if you can make a bruised ribs injury claim. Our advisors can quickly assess your circumstances to see if you’re able to seek compensation for a bruised or broken rib.
Common Causes Of Bruised Rib Injuries
This next section will provide scenarios that could lead to you making a successful bruised ribs injury claim. You will, therefore, have a better understanding of your situation and whether you’ll be able to make a successful claim.
For a third party to be negligent, they need to have a duty of care towards you.
From a legal perspective, negligence occurs when the third party doesn’t adhere to their duty of care, causing you to get injured because of it.
As a duty of care is a legal obligation, if you can prove that third party negligence caused your injury, you may be able to receive compensation.
Road Traffic Accidents
Every road user in the UK needs to adhere to the Highway Code. It is a series of rules designed to lessen the number of road traffic accidents on the road. It clearly defines safe and careful conduct so that every road user knows how they should conduct themselves.
By defining what is considered safe-conduct, it illustrates that any conduct not described within its rules is unsafe. If you feel that you’ve been injured due to another road user’s negligence, you may be able to claim compensation for the damage caused.
Examples of a car accident you could claim for include:
- Suffering a rib injury due to another vehicle turning into your motorway lane without indicating.
- Colliding with another car due to the driver going above the speed limit and turning into a junction at the wrong moment. This could result in you making a bruised ribs injury claim.
- Another driver reversing their vehicle without sufficiently checking their mirrors. This could lead to their car colliding with yours. As the vehicle collides with the front of your car, it could cause you to suffer ribcage damage.
- A rear-end shunt forcing you forwards and leading you to bang your ribs.
There’s one thing to bear in mind when claiming for road traffic accidents, such as a car accident – if your injuries are judged to be worth less than £5,000, you will need to claim via an alternative method. This is highlighted in The Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. However, get in touch with us first to check the value of your case.
Slips, Trips And Falls
You may also be able to claim if you’ve suffered an injury after a slip, trip or fall in a public place. You could seek compensation if your injury has occurred due to the controller of the space not making sure the place is reasonably secure for members of the public.
This is because the controller has a duty of care to anyone using their facilities to ensure it’s reasonably safe to use. However, this doesn’t just mean that the space needs to be fit for its designated purpose – it means that the public need to generally be able to use the space without being at risk of injury. The controller’s duty of care is detailed in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
Examples of slips, trips and falls that could lead to you making a successful claim include:
- Falling down a flight of stairs because of poor lighting or a handrail in need of repair. This could cause you to need to visit a minor injury unit for a bruised rib.
- Slipping on a wet floor due to no warning signs being present. This could happen in a supermarket, for instance. Due to how you fall, this could result in you suffering bruised ribs in your back.
- Exposed wiring could lead to you falling. The bruised ribs could result in you being unable to take deep breaths while recovering, leading you to inquire about making a personal injury claim.
Accidents At Work
You could also potentially claim if you’ve suffered an accident at work. To claim, you must’ve suffered the injury due to employer negligence. Your employer’s duty of care is described in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Every employer must ensure, within reason, that their facilities are secure enough for employees to use them safely. It also covers systems of work and the need to ensure tools and machinery are kept in good working order. Therefore, if you injure yourself while at work due to unsafe work conditions, you may be able to claim. Examples of this kind of negligence include:
- Falling from a ladder due to the ladder not being secure enough to use.
- Suffering rib fractures because you were instructed to carry an object that’s too heavy. This could result in you slipping and the object falling onto your chest.
- Slipping and falling due to the flooring not being correctly installed. This could lead to you receiving bruised ribs compensation.
Assaults Or Blunt Force Trauma
If you’ve been the victim of a violent crime, you can claim compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). Examples of incidents that could lead to you claiming through them include:
- Sexual abuse.
- Being the victim of a mugging.
- Being injured while having your car stolen or your house broken into.
- Assault
Any of these incidents could result in you having bruised rib symptoms. Despite going through the CICA, you can still use a personal injury lawyer to help you with the case. Our lawyers and solicitors could help clarify the claims process so you have a greater knowledge of how you could receive compensation.
You can find more details of the potential compensation amounts from these types of claims through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.
Visit our website to learn more about the different types of criminal injuries you could claim for. If you have any more questions or queries about making a bruised ribs injury claim, you can contact our advisors 24/7 at a time that works for you.
They can also provide you with a reliable compensation estimate by using a specialised personal injury claims calculator over the phone. Call them using the contact details above.
How Much Compensation For Bruised Rib Injury Claims?
There are many different factors that will be considered when your claim is being evaluated. This is why we cannot provide an average settlement for broken ribs after a car accident. Every claim is assessed according to the individual circumstances. Your claim could comprise of:
- General damages: Compensates for the pain and suffering your injury has caused. This includes physical injuries as well as psychological injuries. The payout you might receive depends on the severity of your injury and its impact on your quality of life.
- Special damages: Special damages, on the other hand, compensate for financial losses caused by your injury. The amount will depend on the damages incurred and the evidence you could provide.
Solicitors consider compensation amounts from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to assist them in valuing claims. However, the bracketed compensation amounts from the JCG cannot be considered average compensation for broken ribs as they may not reflect your own payout. Instead, each case is unique and will be considered individually to calculate an appropriate payout for broken ribs from a car accident.
The table below is taken from the JCG. If you want a more personalised evaluation, our advisors can help you. Please note that the top figure was not taken from the JCG, and these are guidelines only.
| Type of Injury | Guideline Compensation |
|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Special Damages | Up to £200,000+ |
| Chest (b) - Traumatic Injury To Chest, Lung(s) And/Or Heart | £80,240 to £122,850 |
| Chest (c) - Damage To Chest and Lungs | £38,210 to £66,920 |
| Chest (d) - Relatively Simple Injury | £15,370 to £21,920 |
| Chest (e) - Injuries Leaving Some Non-Permanent Residual Damage | £6,500 to £15,370 |
| Chest (f) - Injuries Leading To Collapsed Lungs | £2,680 to £6,500 |
| Chest (g) - Rib Fractures Or Soft Tissue Injuries | Up to £4,820 |
| Multiple Laceration Scars that are Noticeable or A Disfiguring Scar | £9,560 to £27,740 |
| Scarring With No Significant Internal Injury | In the region of £10,550 |
For a more precise estimate relevant to your case, please get in touch.
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Financial Losses You Can Claim
Special damages can relate to any financial losses suffered from the injury that you’re able to prove. You can, therefore, claim for such things as:
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of future earnings
- Travel costs
- Prescription costs
- Recreational activities that you can now no longer go to.
Being able to prove the financial losses is very significant. You’ll need to provide your personal injury solicitor with receipts, invoices or bank statements validating the amounts you’re looking to claim. If you’re unable to do this, you may only receive some or none of the special damages you intended to claim.
If you have any more questions or queries about the possibility of receiving bruised ribs compensation, give us a call. We can give you a reliable compensation estimate on the phone in just a few minutes.
What Is The Time Limit For Bruised Rib Injury Claims?
You typically have 3 years to claim compensation if you suffered from a bruised rib in an accident that was not your fault. This generally begins from the date you sustained your injuries.
This limitation period applies to all personal injury claims under the Limitation Act 1980. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, allowing everyone an equal opportunity to start a claim.
For example, the time limit may not apply if:
- The claimant is a minor- here, the time limit is paused until the claimant’s 18th birthday and ends on their 21st birthday. This is because children cannot manage their own claim.
- The claimant lacks mental capacity- here, the time limit is indefinitely paused as the claimant cannot start a claim independently.
If a bruised ribs injury claim is paused, a litigation friend may start a claim on behalf of the injured person. It is their responsibility to act in the claimant’s best interest throughout the entire claims process. Some of their key duties include:
- Making legal decisions for the claimant
- Signing legal documents for the claimant
- Discussing the claim with our advisors and solicitors
If you want to know more about the role of a litigation friend or whether you are still within the bruised ribs compensation claims time limit, please contact our helpful advisors.
Evidence Needed For A Bruised Rib Claim
Broken rib injury claims require supporting evidence. You must be able to demonstrate that a third party owed you a duty of care, and when they breached this, you suffered a rib injury and potentially other injuries as well.
Examples of evidence that could support a personal injury claim for rib injuries include:
- Medical records that include details of any treatment for bruised ribs you received. In addition, you might be asked to attend an independent medical exam.
- Accident footage, such as footage from CCTV, a mobile phone or dashcam footage.
- A report from the accident book if your injuries occurred while at work.
- The contact details of any witnesses who could provide a statement about the incident that harmed you.
- Photographs of the accident scene. For example, if you fell down the stairs due to a broken handrail, you could submit images of this.
Contact Legal Expert today for free advice on matters regarding rib injury claims including what evidence to gather, whether you could be supported by one of our No Win No Fee solicitors and what the average payout for broken ribs is in the UK.
Who Pays My Compensation Settlement?
Who pays your compensation settlement if you’ve made a successful claim purely depends on who was deemed liable for the injury. This, therefore, depends on how the injury occurred and if it’s assessed that third party negligence caused it.
- For road traffic accidents, the third party’s insurance company will pay the settlement. If they’re uninsured, a claim can be made through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.
- For slips, trips and falls, the controller of the space will pay the settlement, potentially through an insurer. It all depends on whether they have public liability insurance.
- If you’ve suffered an accident at work that is deemed the employer’s fault, the employer’s insurance company will pay the settlement.
- For violent crime compensation, the government pays you compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.
No Win No Fee Bruised Ribs Injury Claims
If you’ve had to seek medical attention, such as needing to go to a minor injury unit for a bruised rib, you may be wanting to seek compensation but are concerned over the cost. Well with a No Win No Fee claim, this isn’t necessary.
With that in mind, you may be unsure what “No Win No Fee” means and how it can benefit you. It means that:
- Your personal injury solicitor will not request legal fees from you either up front or during the claims process.
- In a successful case, they’ll deduct a small percentage of your award. This is capped by law.
- They will also not request you pay any legal fees should your claim be unsuccessful.
Therefore, you can rest assured knowing that they won’t waste your time. They will only take your case if they feel you have a reasonably good chance at success.
Our solicitors have years of experience with personal injury claims and work on a No Win No Fee basis. Contact us today using the details below!
- Call us on 0800 073 8804.
- Contact us through our online form.
- Use our live chat function on the right-hand side of your screen.
Essential References
Please use the links below to learn more:
- To know more about rib fractures and chest injuries, view this NHS guidance.
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offers UK-based work-related injury statistics which you can view here.
- Broken your rib? If so, and you want to see if you can claim, view this page on our website.
- To know more about general rib injury claims, click here.
- Suffering a scar injury from an accident you weren’t liable for? If so, click here.
- Get help making a claim for accidents at home with our informative guide.