Punctured Lung Injury Claims Guide – How Much Could I Claim?

By Jo Anderson. Last updated 4th December 2023. Welcome to our guide to compensation claims for traumatic and spontaneous punctured lung injuries.

This guide about punctured lung injury claims explains how you could claim for a punctured lung from a broken rib. It answers questions about a punctured lung from broken ribs, a dry needling lung puncture and even explains the recovery time for a punctured lung. Plus, ‘What is a punctured lung called?’. We also answer FAQs such as ‘How long do personal injury claims for a deflated lung take?’ Plus, ‘Where can I get help with personal injury claims?’

A compensation claim against a liable party could help to compensate you for any financial expenses incurred as a result of a spontaneous or traumatic pneumothorax, as well as the suffering and pain caused by the punctured lung itself.

We could provide you with an experienced personal injury lawyer who could help you fight for the maximum compensation possible for your injury.

Simply call us on 0800 073 8801 to get a free case check and benefit from expert advice and support with making a claim.

Doctor and patient sitting at a desk examining a chest x-ray result

Punctured lung injury claims guide

Select A Section

  1. Compensation Payouts For Punctured Lung Injury Claims
  2. The Criteria To Claim For A Chest Injury Or Punctured Lung
  3. How Can I Prove My Punctured Lung Compensation Claim?
  4. No Win No Fee Punctured Lung Injury Claims
  5. References To Support This Guide

Compensation Payouts For Punctured Lung Injury Claims

We have chosen not to provide a personal injury claims calculator on this page. The reason for this is that we feel the table below could be just as useful, if not more so. A claims calculator would only be able to offer you a very rough estimate of your compensation. For any claim, you would have to undergo a medical assessment. Your injuries need to be verified and reported on by an independent medical expert. This would serve as medical evidence. It could be used by your solicitor and the court to determine how much compensation could be appropriate for your claim.

The table below gives you some figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a legal publication used by courts and solicitors. It could help them to arrive at a value for your claim.

The first entry has not been taken from the JCG.

 

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Injury Remarks JCG compensation bracket
Multiple severe injuries including financial loss. A multitude of severe injuries causing financial losses as well as pain and suffering. Could include loss of earnings, care costs and travel expenses, for example. Up to £1,000,000+
Chest injuries (a) Leading to the removal of a lung + serious damage to the heart, leading to permanent scarring, suffering and pain that is prolonged and serious £100,670 to £150,110
Chest injuries (b) Traumatic injuries to the heart, lung or chest leading to permanent harm including function impairment, disability and shorter life expectancy £65,740 to £100,670
Chest injuries (c) Lung and chest damage causing a continual disability of some type £31,310 to £54,830
Chest injuries (d) Penetrating wound/single which causes permanent harm to tissue but no long-term significant effects on function £12,590 to £17,960
Injuries leading to collapsed lungs (f) Full recovery with no complications £2,190 to £5,320
Fractured ribs or soft tissue injuries (g) Serious pain or disability but only over a period of weeks Up to £3,950

 

The Criteria To Claim For A Chest Injury Or Punctured Lung

Should you suffer injuries in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you could be eligible to claim compensation for a punctured lung from broken ribs. However, you would need to prove that the accident in which you were injured was caused by someone’s breach of their duty of care towards you. This is negligence.

There are several examples below of what could lead to a punctured lung claim:

  1. If your employer breached a duty of care they owe you under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, causing you to suffer a punctured lung from broken ribs sustained in the resulting accident. For example, a crush injury resulting from faulty equipment.
  2. If you were injured in a public place because the party in control of a public space breached the duty of care they owe you under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. For example, a slip, trip or fall in a supermarket or a public park.
  3. If a road user caused a road accident in which you sustained a punctured lung from broken ribs, by driving carelessly or dangerously. They have a duty of care under the Road Traffic Act 1988. 

If you would like to get advice or check your eligibility to claim, we could assist you. If appropriate, we could provide you with a No Win No Fee solicitor to assist with your claim. Please call our team for free legal advice or to start your claim.

Time Limit For Making A Punctured Lung Claim

If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim for a punctured lung from a broken rib, you should be aware of how long you would have to start legal proceedings.

Per the Limitation Act 1980, you would generally have three years from the date you were injured to start your claim. However, there may be some exceptions.

If, for example, a child suffered a perforated lung, they could not start a claim until their 18th birthday. They will then have years to start the process from this date. A litigation friend could make a claim for them prior to their 18th birthday.

To learn more about the other exceptions that apply to this three-year time limit, you can contact our advisory team.

How Can I Prove My Punctured Lung Compensation Claim?

As we stated above, your solicitor can help you collect evidence should you wish to appoint one. You will need to provide evidence that proves negligence occurred as well as who was liable for your punctured lung.

Some examples of the evidence that could be useful for your personal injury compensation claim include:

  • Video footage of the accident, such as from CCTV or a dashcam.
  • The contact information from any witnesses. They could be contacted for a statement later into the claiming process.
  • Photographs of the accident scene.
  • A copy of your records with details on your injury as well as what treatment was required.

If you need any assistance obtaining evidence or would like more information on the question ‘what is a punctured lung worth?’, please get in touch with one of our advisors.

No Win No Fee Punctured Lung Injury Claims

We believe that a claimant with a valid case for compensation should be able to make a personal injury claim. Plus, we think they should be able to do so without finding the funds upfront to get legal help. We could provide you with a personal injury solicitor with the capability to fight for compensation on your behalf. With us, you wouldn’t need to pay anything upfront in legal fees. Nor throughout the duration of your case.

With No Win No Fee claims, you would simply have to sign an agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement. This would agree to pay your chosen lawyer a small, success fee (which is legally capped). It would be payable once your claim had ended successfully and compensation had been paid out. If your case didn’t end successfully, and no compensation was awarded, you would not have to cover the solicitor’s costs in pursuing your claim.

We believe this is a great option for claimants. If you would like to know more about making claims under these terms, please call us. We will be glad to answer any questions you may have about No Win No Fee claims.

To get in touch and benefit from our expert advice, simply:

References To Support This Guide

Other Useful Compensation Guides Relating To A Punctured Lung From A Broken Rib

Thanks for reading our guide on punctured lung injury claims. For free advice on starting your claim for a punctured lung from a broken rib, please call today.