Maison Law can help you after a car accident leaves you with a traumatic injury in California. Even if you’ve never been in a serious car accident, you’re still able to understand why a cardiac contusion is so serious. Anything with your heart and its function means problems. Our team can guide you through an injury claim. Set up a free consultation today.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
A cardiac contusion—a bruised heart—isn’t the kind of injury you can easily point to. There’s no cast, no visible wound, and in a lot of cases, no immediate symptoms. You might walk away from a car accident thinking you avoided serious injury, only to notice chest pain, shortness of breath, or an irregular heartbeat later that day or even days after.
Meanwhile, you’re also trying to look into your legal options. That’s where having a lawyer can make a difference. Our team at Maison Law can step in to:
- Take a close look at how the accident happened and identify who may be responsible
- Gather and organize medical records that clearly show how your heart was affected
- Handle communication with the insurance company so you don’t have to explain a complex internal injury on your own
- Help you understand your options in a way that actually makes sense
You shouldn’t have to balance recovery and paperwork at the same time. Having someone guide you through the legal side can take a lot of pressure off while you focus on getting better.
What Causes Cardiac Contusions in Car Accidents?
Once you understand how cardiac contusions happen medically, it’s pretty easy to see how they happen in a given car accident.
As the Cleveland Clinic points out, car accidents are one of the most common causes of a cardiac contusion because they happen when there’s a strong, blunt force to the chest. And in a car accident, that kind of impact can happen in several ways:
- Your chest hitting the steering wheel during a sudden stop
- Contact with the dashboard in front-end collisions
- A seatbelt tightening sharply across your chest
- Airbag deployment, especially in higher-speed impacts
- The overall force of the collision pushing your body forward or sideways
Even if the outside injuries seem minor, the internal force can still be significant. That’s what makes cardiac contusions tricky—they don’t always show themselves right away. Some people experience symptoms immediately, while others don’t notice anything until hours later. Common symptoms can include:
- Chest pain or tenderness
- Shortness of breath
- Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Fatigue or dizziness
One of the biggest issues with these symptoms is that it takes a lot of monitoring and follow-up to effectively treat this kind of injury. With that, your focus is going to shift to the claims process. And the foundation of that is found in information.
What Information Will I Need If I Want to File a Claim?
When you’re dealing with a cardiac contusion, documentation becomes especially important. Since the injury isn’t visible, the details help connect what happened in the accident to what you’re now dealing with physically. Here are some of the most helpful pieces of information:
- Medical records like ER records, EKG results, imaging, hospital notes, and follow-up visits all help show how your heart was injured and confirm the contusion.
- Accident reports that include when and where the accident happened, who was involved, and any initial findings about fault.
- Witness statements that help explain how the impact happened and how severe it was.
- Photos/videos of the aftermath of the accident, especially showing damage near the steering wheel, dashboard, or seatbelt area.
- Medical bills, prescription costs, missed paychecks, and other out-of-pocket expenses that help show how the injury has affected you financially.
Most people aren’t thinking about gathering evidence in the moment—and that’s completely understandable. Your focus should be on your health. Part of our role is stepping in to help collect and organize this information so you don’t have to track everything down yourself.
What Financial Support Can I Get When I File a Claim?
Filing an injury claim isn’t just about what happened at the scene of the accident—it’s about how the injury continues to affect your life afterward. With a cardiac contusion, that impact can go beyond the initial hospital visit. You may need ongoing care, time off work, or adjustments to your daily routine while your heart recovers.
Whether you decide to file an insurance claim outside of court or a personal injury lawsuit in civil court, you’re going after financial support for what you’ve lost. These are your “damages” and they can include things like:
- Medical expenses, including ER visits, hospital stays, testing, and follow-up care
- Ongoing treatment or monitoring if your symptoms continue
- Lost income from time missed at work
- Reduced earning ability if you can’t return to your job in the same way
- Physical pain and discomfort tied to the injury
- Emotional stress, especially when dealing with a heart-related condition
- Changes to your quality of life during recovery
Every case is different, so what applies to you will depend on your specific situation and how the injury has affected your day-to-day life. Even if a cardiac contusion doesn’t require surgery, it can still carry lasting effects that deserve to be taken seriously. Crucially, though, there’s a deadline. You only have two years from the date of the accident to file.
Who Pays For My Damages After a Car Accident Leaves Me With a Cardiac Contusion?
In general, the party responsible for causing the accident is also responsible for the damage that follows. Most often, that means another driver. For example, someone who was:
- Distracted by their phone
- Speeding or driving aggressively
- Under the influence
- Failing to follow traffic laws
But not every situation is that straightforward. Depending on the circumstances, responsibility could also involve:
- A company, if a commercial vehicle or work-related driving was involved
- A manufacturer, if a defective vehicle part contributed to the accident
- A government agency, if unsafe road conditions played a role
Some accidents involve multiple contributing factors, which can make determining responsibility more complicated. Even so, if someone else’s carelessness played a part in what happened, you still have the right to file an injury claim.
Get Help After a Traumatic Cardiac Contusion Injury in a California Car Accident
A cardiac contusion might be described as a “bruise,” but when it involves your heart, it’s not something you can brush off. Even a moderate injury can require careful monitoring and follow-up care to make sure your heart is functioning the way it should.
Once you’ve gotten medical care and have a clearer understanding of your condition, the next step is figuring out how to move forward. That’s where our team at Maison Law comes in. We focus on making the process easier for you as you move forward. Set up a free, no-obligation consultation today.
