Common Causes of a Fractured Sternum

Sternum injuries are usually caused by accidents involving blunt trauma such as a car accident, a sporting accident or a fall. In many cases, fractured sternum injuries occur alongside another injury.

• Soft tissue injuries to the organs such as the lungs, heart and diaphragm
• Chest wall injuries such as broken ribs
• Head, spinal, arm or leg fractures

Injuries to the chest, like a fractured sternum, can be very painful. The amount of pain you experience will depend on the type and severity of your sternum injury.

A broken sternum is usually a self-limiting injury which gets better without the need for treatment or surgery. However, because you use your chest all the time when you breathe, it is difficult to rest it. Usually, it takes about 4-6 weeks to recover from a fractured sternum, with bruising taking between 2-4 weeks to heal.

Returning to Work Following a Sternum Injury

If your job involves a lot of manual handling or lifting, you are unlikely to be able to return to work while your sternum injury heals. When you do return to work, you may be restricted to light duties until you have completely recovered.

If you have had to take time off work as a result of your injury, you may be able to claim loss of earnings as part of a personal injury claim.

Average Settlement For a Fractured Sternum

Because fractured sternum injuries often occur alongside another injury, it is difficult to predict the total amount of compensation you could receive. However, the figures below give you an idea of how much you might receive for your fractured sternum, only.