Chest pain after a car accident in Michigan
The seat belt and airbag that protect you in a crash can also bruise your chest, strain the muscles between your ribs or crack a rib. NovaMed in Southfield examines chest pain after a crash the same day when we can. Sudden, severe chest pain or trouble breathing is an emergency: call 911.
- Seat belt bruising and soreness
- Rib and chest wall pain
- Pain when you breathe deeply or cough
- Phones answered Mon-Fri, 9 AM to 5 PM. After hours the line goes to voicemail. Walk-ins from 9 AM.
Call to schedule your car accident injury evaluation
Hurt in a car accident? Our team sets up your visit and checks your auto coverage on the phone. Same-day visits are often available during office hours.
- Same-day visits often available
- No referral needed
- Phones answered Mon-Fri, 9 AM to 5 PM. Walk-ins welcome at 27211 Lahser Rd, Suite 200, Southfield
Tap to call from your phone. Phones are answered Mon-Fri, 9 AM to 5 PM. After hours the line goes to voicemail. If you are badly hurt, call 911.
- Same daySame-day car accident visits are often available, and walk-ins are welcome.
- No-FaultMichigan No-Fault (PIP) accepted. We handle the paperwork with your auto insurer.
- RecordsExam findings and reports sent to your insurer or attorney with your permission.
- Southfield27211 Lahser Rd, Suite 200. Serving Detroit and all of Metro Detroit.
How a car accident injures your chest
In a crash, the shoulder belt locks and holds your upper body while it is thrown forward. That force runs across your collarbone, breastbone (sternum) and ribs. Airbags deploy at high speed and can strike the chest. A steering wheel can too.
Chest injuries we see after car accidents include:
- Seat belt bruising across the chest and collarbone
- Chest wall strain: stretched or torn muscles between the ribs
- Bruised or cracked ribs
- Breastbone (sternum) bruising
- Inflammation where the ribs meet the breastbone (costochondritis)
Some chest pain after a crash comes from the heart, lungs or blood vessels. Those injuries need an emergency room, not a clinic visit. If your pain is severe, crushing or spreading, or you are short of breath, call 911.
Why chest pain can start the next day
Adrenaline masks pain right after a crash. Bruising and swelling in the chest wall build over the next day or two, so it is common to wake up sore, with pain when you breathe deeply, cough, laugh or turn in bed.
Chest pain that lingers should be examined. A cracked rib or chest wall injury can make it hard to breathe deeply, and an exam creates a medical record that ties the pain to the accident.
How we evaluate chest pain after a crash
A clinician asks how the crash happened, where the belt and airbag hit, and how your pain behaves when you breathe and move. We examine your chest wall, ribs, collarbone and breastbone. When it is medically necessary, we order imaging such as X-ray through our referral partners. If anything suggests a heart or lung injury, we send you to emergency care right away.
Your plan is based on that evaluation and can include pain management, follow-up exams to track how you are healing, and specialist referrals when you need them. Every finding goes into your medical record, and with your permission we send records to your auto insurer or attorney.
Back and neck pain often come with seat belt injuries. See back pain after a car accident and whiplash.
Paying for chest pain treatment in Michigan
Under Michigan No-Fault, medical care for car accident injuries is generally billed to the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) part of your own auto insurance, up to your policy’s limits, no matter who caused the crash.
We verify your coverage before your visit and handle the paperwork with your auto insurer. Read more about seeing a No-Fault doctor in Michigan.
What happens at your first car accident injury visit
One visit gets you examined, diagnosed and on a plan, with everything written down.
What to bring
- Photo ID
- Your auto insurance card or claim number
- The police or crash report number, if you have it
- Your health insurance card
- A list of medications you take
- 01Call or walk in
Same-day visit
Call or walk in. Bring your ID, your auto insurance card and the crash report number if you have it.
- 02Exam
A full evaluation
A clinician asks how the crash happened, examines the areas that hurt and checks movement, strength, reflexes and pain levels.
- 03Records
Findings written down
Your diagnosis, exam findings and treatment plan go into your medical record, including how your injuries relate to the accident.
- 04Plan
Care that fits the injury
Follow-up visits, pain management, physical therapy or a specialist referral, and imaging such as MRI through referral partners when it is medically necessary.
Chest pain symptoms after a car accident
Adrenaline hides pain. These often show up hours or days after a crash. Any of them is a reason to get checked.
- 0-24 HSoreness or a bruise where the seat belt crossed your chest
- 0-24 HPain when you take a deep breath
- 24-72 HPain when you cough, sneeze or laugh
- 24-72 HTenderness over a rib or your breastbone
- DAYSPain turning or lying on one side
- DAYSCollarbone or shoulder pain on the belt side
- DAYSTrouble sleeping because of chest pain
- WEEKSChest pain that is not getting better
Chest pain that is crushing or spreading to your arm, jaw or back, trouble breathing, coughing up blood, or feeling faint can be life threatening. Call 911 now.
Common questions
Is chest pain after a car accident normal?
Chest soreness from the seat belt or airbag is common. But chest pain can also mean a serious injury. If it is severe, crushing, spreading or comes with shortness of breath, call 911.
How long does seat belt chest pain last?
Bruising and chest wall strain often improve over a few weeks. Rib injuries can take longer. We reassess at every visit.
Should I see a doctor for chest pain after a crash if I can breathe fine?
Yes. Get any chest pain after a crash checked. An exam rules out a rib injury and documents what happened.
Can I come in if the accident was weeks ago?
Yes. Chest pain that lingers or starts late is common. Call or walk in and we will evaluate it.
Do I need a referral or a lawyer to be seen?
No. You can call or walk in. No referral is needed.
Is treatment covered in Michigan?
Medically necessary care for crash injuries is generally billed to your PIP benefits, up to your policy’s limits. We verify your coverage first.
Care for every part of a crash injury
Car accident whiplash and neck injuries
The most common car accident injury. We check how your neck moves and treat the strain before it settles in.
Learn moreCar accident medical exams
A head-to-toe evaluation of the areas that hurt, done the same day, with findings recorded.
Learn moreCar accident medical records
Clear documentation of diagnoses, findings and treatment, ready when your insurer or attorney asks for records.
Learn moreMichigan No-Fault (PIP) patients
We work with your auto insurer’s PIP medical benefits and help you get the paperwork right.
Learn moreSouthfield, on Lahser Road
- Address
- 27211 Lahser Rd, Suite 200
Southfield, MI 48034 - Phone
- (313) 319-4284
- Visits
- Same-day appointments and walk-ins. Call ahead and we'll have your paperwork ready.
- Serving
- Southfield, Detroit, Oak Park, Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, Dearborn, Livonia, Novi, Troy, Warren and the rest of Metro Detroit.