If you have been in a car accident, it is important to know the signs of a broken rib after a car accident. If your ribs are:
- sore,
- it is more difficult to breathe, or
- it hurts to take a deep breath,
you should seek medical care to determine if you have any rib fractures or other car accident injuries. Other signs of a broken rib include:
Flail Chest
Flail chest is when three or more ribs are fractured in two or more places, creating a freely moving piece of the chest wall. This causes the chest wall to become unstable and significantly interferes with the ability to breathe.
A flail chest can be observed as the affected area will move in opposition to the rest of the chest wall when a person breathes. As the chest wall expands, the loose portion will be drawn in, and as the chest wall contracts, the loose portion will tend to move outward.
Breathing with a flail chest is painful and inefficient, which can lead to hypoxia (low levels of oxygen in tissues). A person with hypoxia can act confused or restless, have a lot of trouble breathing, and their skin may appear bluish. Hypoxia can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
Rib Fractures
It is usually blunt force trauma that causes ribs to break in serious car accidents. Greater force can cause a more severe break or multiple breaks. In terms of break severity, rib fractures are classified as either displaced or non-displaced.
- Displaced Rib Fracture – A displaced rib fracture is more severe because the bone has separated at the break site and is out of alignment. There is a greater risk of internal organ and vessel damage with a displaced rib fracture. Surgery may be necessary.
- Non-displaced Rib Fracture – A non-displaced rib fracture is a break in the bone that does not cause it to completely sever and move out of alignment. The term ‘hairline crack’ refers to a type of non-displaced fracture.
Without an X-ray, a person can’t know the severity of a rib fracture and whether there has been or may be further damage to internal organs.
Car Accidents and Broken Ribs in Older People
Age is an independent factor that corresponds to increases both in the frequency of broken ribs in car accidents and the severity of the resulting injury.
Older people are at an increased chance of fatal car accident injuries. The traffic fatality statistics studied by the AAAM showed that 40% of the restrained drivers over 60 years of age who died in frontal crashes had sustained chest injuries no greater than fractured ribs.
As people age, bones lose strength and become more porous and susceptible to fracture from trauma. Older people are also challenged to tolerate the decreased abilities associated with a broken rib and can develop additional medical problems as a result.
Elderly adults who suffer rib fractures are much more likely to develop the following respiratory complications and less likely to survive them:
- Pneumonia
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
- Respiratory Failure
Factors affecting a patient’s mortality risk after thoracic trauma include:
- Being age 65 or older
- Having 3 or more rib fractures
- Pre-existing disease – especially cardiovascular
- Developing pneumonia
When Broken Ribs Can Lead to Serious Medical Complications
The likelihood of serious internal injury increases with the number and location of broken ribs. Having multiple broken ribs usually indicates a more significant thoracic trauma. Where the broken ribs are located is also indicative of the potential for secondary injury.
Fractures to the top three ribs are rare because they have better protection than lower ribs. If fractures occur to the top three ribs, it indicates a very forceful impact, which makes the risk of an aortic or other cardiovascular injury higher. Fractures to the bottom two ribs increase the risk of abdominal injury.
Serious secondary injuries that may be associated with broken ribs include:
- Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
- Hemothorax (blood entering the space between the chest wall and the lungs)
- Cardiac injury
- Lacerations to the liver or spleen
The Frequency of Rib Injuries from Car Accidents
People injured in traffic accidents sustain injuries to the thoracic region (between the base of the neck and the abdomen) about 50% of the time, according to a recent study. In patients with multiple injuries, thoracic injury is the third most common cause of death and accounts for as much as 25% of all trauma-related deaths.
The thorax includes the heart and lungs as well as the ribs, sternum, and spine. Generally, the more damage done to the skeleton, the more likely the soft tissue and organs within the chest cavity will also be damaged.
According to a fatality statistics study done by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM), broken ribs are the most common thoracic injury sustained by persons wearing seat belts in frontal crashes. Almost 94% of those who are fatally injured while restrained by a seatbelt have fractured ribs.
Despite the frequency of rib fractures sustained in car crashes, a broken rib is not typically considered to be life-threatening unless the break is particularly severe, there are multiple breaks, or the person injured has other pre-existing health considerations.
You May be Entitled to Compensation for a Broken Rib after a Car Accident
If you suffered a broken rib or other injuries in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation from the driver at fault. Rib fractures do not typically result in any long-term consequences, but they are painful, require significant modifications to daily activities while they heal, and, in some situations, can lead to serious secondary medical conditions that can be life-threatening.
The Houston accident attorneys at The Mejia Law Firm, based in Houston, Texas, can help you collect compensation if you have been injured in a car accident. The experienced car accident lawyers will review the circumstances of your accident, advise you of your rights, and recommend a course of action with your best interests in mind. Schedule your free consultation with The Mejia Law Firm.