steady-dove-9095/17/2026

Black ice took me out on my commute — broken ribs, pneumonia, now what?

Still wrapping my head around all of this so bear with me.

Three weeks ago I was driving to work on a road I take literally every single day. Hit a patch of black ice on an overpass, fishtailed, and slammed into the concrete barrier. I don't remember the impact at all — my first real memory is someone knocking on my window asking if I was okay.

Ride to the hospital, x-rays, CT scans — turns out I had three fractured ribs and a small pneumothorax (collapsed lung, basically). The ER got me stable but said I needed to be transferred to a trauma center about 45 minutes away. So yeah, two ambulance rides in one night. Fun stuff.

Spent four days inpatient. Thought I was in the clear when they sent me home. Then about a week later I spiked a fever and couldn't stop coughing — went back to the ER and they diagnosed me with pneumonia. Apparently it's not uncommon after a chest injury because you're unconsciously breathing shallow to avoid the rib pain, and that lets fluid build up. Nobody warned me about that beforehand and I'm still a little annoyed about it.

I'm home now, recovering. My partner has basically become my full-time assistant because certain movements — reaching overhead, twisting, even laughing — are brutal. I'm out of work and have no idea when that changes.

Here's where my head is at: the road conditions were bad and there were zero warning signs posted. I don't know if that matters legally. My health insurance is covering most of the medical stuff, and my auto policy is doing something with the car, but I feel like I'm just reacting to whatever comes at me instead of actually having a plan.

Has anyone navigated something like this? What should I even be doing right now?

10 replies

Most helpful first

warm-kestrel-7225/17/2026
The pneumonia thing happened to me after a crash with chest injuries too. You're right that nobody mentions it upfront. I was so focused on the broken bones that I didn't even think about what shallow breathing was doing to my lungs. Hope you're through the worst of it — the combo of rib pain AND pneumonia is absolutely miserable.
- keen-tern-1655/17/2026
  Please do not just let the insurance company guide this process. They will absolutely lowball you, especially on things like lost wages and future medical needs. They're counting on you being exhausted and overwhelmed — which you clearly are, reasonably so — and just accepting whatever they put in front of you. Don't sign anything releasing claims until you fully understand what you're giving up.
- spry-lynx-4925/17/2026
  I know it probably doesn't feel this way right now, but the fact that you're three weeks out and already home, already asking smart questions, already thinking about next steps — that's honestly a good sign. A lot of people in your situation just go completely passive and let things happen to them. You're not doing that. That matters.
gentle-marten-2155/17/2026
The pneumonia post-chest trauma is really common and really under-discussed. When you're splinting — meaning unconsciously protecting your ribs by not breathing deeply — you're not clearing your airways properly. Make sure your care team has you doing incentive spirometry if they haven't already (it's that little plastic breathing device). It genuinely helps and speeds recovery. Also don't push through the pain to 'tough it out' — controlled breathing exercises matter more than most people realize at this stage.
mellow-heron-5585/17/2026
I used to work claims and I want to second what the person above said. When a file has multiple hospitalizations, a secondary condition like pneumonia, AND lost income, the value of that claim is significantly higher than a basic injury case. Adjusters are trained to close files fast and cheap. The longer your recovery drags on, the more pressure you'll feel to just settle and move on. Resist that. You don't have to be aggressive about it, just don't be in a hurry.
kind-seal-4245/17/2026
On the road conditions question — that's actually worth looking into. Municipalities and transportation departments can sometimes be held liable if a known hazard wasn't properly signed or treated, depending on your state. It's complicated and there are usually shorter deadlines for claims against government entities than against private parties. I'm not saying that's definitely your situation, just that it's worth having someone with legal knowledge take a look before you assume it's not relevant.
hearty-seal-5785/17/2026
Not legal advice, but I'd say the most important thing right now is documentation. Keep every medical record, every bill, every prescription receipt, and start a simple daily journal logging your pain level, what you can't do, and how the injury is affecting your life. That log becomes really valuable later. The road condition angle is worth exploring — it's a fact-specific question but it doesn't cost anything to ask a PI attorney about it, and most offer free consultations.
careful-badger-0605/17/2026
Three fractured ribs AND a collapsed lung AND pneumonia — you've been through so much in such a short time. Please don't feel like you have to figure out all the legal and insurance stuff while you're still in the middle of recovering. Take care of yourself first. The paperwork will still be there.
quiet-grouse-3375/17/2026
Couple of practical things: (1) stop talking to the insurance adjuster without knowing your rights — anything you say can be used to minimize your claim. (2) Get a free consult with a personal injury attorney before you do anything else. You don't have to hire anyone, just get informed. (3) Document everything your partner is doing for you — that care and lost normalcy is part of your damages too.
genuine-mole-9975/17/2026
Quick question — was the road a state highway, a county road, or a city street? And do you know if there had been any complaints or previous accidents at that overpass? That context matters a lot for whether the road condition angle has any legs. Not trying to be discouraging, just want to understand the situation better before you chase something that might not pan out.