Broken Sternum Car Accident Settlements in Florida: What Recent Cases Reveal

A broken sternum is one of the more serious injuries that can result from a high-impact car accident. The sternum — the flat bone running down the center of your chest — absorbs enormous force during a frontal collision, particularly from a seatbelt or steering wheel. Understanding how these cases settle in Florida requires knowing what makes this injury medically significant, how Florida's insurance framework shapes the claims process, and what variables drive outcomes up or down.

Why a Broken Sternum Is Treated Seriously in Claims

Unlike a minor soft tissue strain, a sternal fracture is objectively documented through imaging — X-rays, CT scans, or MRI. That documentation matters enormously in a personal injury claim. Insurers and juries respond differently to injuries that appear clearly on diagnostic studies versus those that rely on self-reported pain alone.

A broken sternum typically involves:

• Emergency room treatment and hospitalization
• Pain that limits breathing, movement, and sleep for weeks or months
• Potential complications, including injury to the heart, lungs, or major vessels behind the sternum
• Prolonged recovery, sometimes requiring physical therapy or surgical intervention
• Documented lost wages if the injury prevents working

These factors — combined with clear medical records — tend to produce more defensible demand positions than soft tissue cases alone.

How Florida's Insurance System Affects These Claims

Florida is a no-fault state, which shapes how most accident claims begin. Drivers are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage of at least $10,000. After an accident, your own PIP pays a portion of your medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash.

However, Florida's no-fault system also includes a tort threshold: to step outside the no-fault system and pursue a claim against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, your injuries generally must meet a legal standard — typically involving significant and permanent injury, permanent scarring, or death.

A broken sternum often satisfies this threshold, particularly when it involves:

• Documented permanent impairment
• Prolonged or complicated recovery
• Surgery or ongoing treatment

Once the tort threshold is met, an injured person can pursue a third-party liability claim against the at-fault driver's insurance — and that's where larger settlements typically originate.

What Damages Are Generally Recoverable 💡

In a Florida broken sternum claim that clears the tort threshold, recoverable damages can include:

Florida follows pure comparative negligence rules, meaning if you're found partially at fault for the accident, your recoverable damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. Someone found 20% at fault, for example, would receive 80% of the total damages awarded.

What Shapes Settlement Value in These Cases

There is no standard settlement figure for a broken sternum in Florida. Outcomes vary based on a combination of factors, and no two cases resolve identically.

Factors that tend to increase settlement value:

• Severe fracture requiring surgery
• Complications such as cardiac contusion or pneumothorax
• Lengthy hospitalization or ICU stay
• Permanent impairment rating from a treating physician
• Strong liability position with little comparative fault on the injured party
• High at-fault driver policy limits or umbrella coverage

Factors that can reduce settlement value:

• Low liability policy limits on the at-fault driver's policy
• Shared fault in the accident
• Gaps in medical treatment or delayed care
• Pre-existing conditions affecting the same area
• Insufficient underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage on the injured person's own policy

Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage plays a significant role in Florida broken sternum settlements. If the at-fault driver carries only the minimum required liability insurance — which in Florida can be as low as $10,000 for bodily injury, and some drivers legally carry none — the injured person's own UIM policy may become the primary source of meaningful compensation.

How These Cases Typically Progress ⚖️

Most broken sternum claims in Florida follow a general sequence:

1. PIP activates for initial medical bills and a portion of lost wages
2. Medical treatment proceeds — and documentation accumulates
3. Maximum medical improvement (MMI) is reached, giving attorneys and adjusters a clearer picture of total damages
4. A demand letter is sent to the at-fault driver's insurer
5. Negotiation occurs — often over several weeks or months
6. Settlement is reached or litigation begins

Florida's statute of limitations for personal injury claims has changed in recent years, and the applicable deadline depends on when the accident occurred. Missing a filing deadline can bar a claim entirely — this is one of the many reasons people in these situations consult with personal injury attorneys.

Attorneys in Florida typically handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning they receive a percentage of any settlement or verdict rather than hourly fees. Fee percentages vary and are governed by Florida Bar rules.

The Numbers You'll Find — and Why They're Incomplete

Reported settlements for broken sternum cases in Florida range from tens of thousands of dollars into the hundreds of thousands, with more severe cases — particularly those involving surgical repair, cardiac injury, or permanent impairment — settling in the higher ranges. But published figures reflect cases that resolved publicly or were reported by attorneys. They don't represent average outcomes, and they don't account for the specific policy limits, fault allocations, or injury details that determined each result.

The coverage available, the clarity of liability, the extent of documented injury, and the specific facts of how the accident occurred are what actually determine where a broken sternum claim lands — not a general range attached to the injury type.