Common Causes of a Broken Sternum in North Carolina Accidents
Key Highlights:
Common Causes of a Broken Sternum in North Carolina Accidents
- As the sternum protects the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, a broken sternum may become a life-threatening injury.
- The most frequent causes of broken sternums in car crashes are auto repair vehicles, steering wheels, and airbags.
- Adrenaline may conceal the physical symptoms of a broken sternum following an auto collision; therefore, an immediate medical examination is critical after any chest trauma.
- If you’re partially responsible for your injuries, that may prevent you from recovering anything. That’s why getting legal advice sooner rather than later is vital in North Carolina.
- A person who suffers a fractured sternum can seek damages for their medical bills, lost income, physical discomfort and pain, and future care costs.
Because of its location, the sternum (or breastbone) is one of the worst injuries a North Carolina accident victim can suffer. The sternum is a long, flat bone located at the front of the chest that provides stability to the rib cage while protecting the heart, lungs, and other important blood vessels from direct impact. Knowing what types of auto accidents usually result in a broken sternum is important for any person who has suffered chest trauma from a car accident or is considering filing a personal injury claim.
Hello, I’m Robert Tatum, an attorney with Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm, a veteran-owned law firm with over 65 years of combined experience handling broken-sternum car accident claims in North Carolina since 2005. Chest trauma cases involve complex medical issues and complicated legal issues; we know how to establish, prove, and advocate for the maximum compensation our clients are entitled to. We will advocate for your rights.
7 Ways How Does a Car Accident Cause a Broken Sternum?
Car accidents commonly result in sternum fractures as a result of blunt force trauma to the chest from impact or sudden stops. The impact of a crash compresses the chest, which can result in severe chest injuries, particularly if the crash is at a high rate of speed or involves multiple vehicles.
- Frontal crash: One of the most common causes of the chest impact is the steering wheel hitting the chest in a frontal crash.
- Seatbelt compression: The force of a sudden stop pushes the seatbelt against the chest.
- Airbag deployment: The rapid opening of the airbag creates an impact on the sternum.
- Blunt force injury: Most of the breaks in the chest are the result of blunt impact to the chest, according to the National Library of Medicine.
- Collision types: Rear impact, head-on impact, and “T-bone” type crashes generate a significant amount of deceleration force.
- Truck accidents: The greater the weight of the vehicle, the greater the force imparted to the chest, causing more serious chest injury.
- High accident rate roads: Busy freight routes such as I-85 and I-40 will typically have a greater number of chest injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes.
Can a Seatbelt Cause a Sternum Fracture in a North Carolina Crash?
Seat belts prevent ejection and save lives; however, they can also create enough force during a high-speed crash to fracture the sternum. This is a common aspect of crash biomechanics. The NHTSA has previously stated that while seat belts reduce the likelihood of fatality, they can also result in chest injuries (including sternal fracture) as a result of sufficient decelerative forces.
Having a seatbelt chest injury accident claim in NC does not mean that a seatbelt is defective or that one should not use them. Instead, the claim relates to injuries caused by the force of the accident, causing sufficient force to injure someone when using a seatbelt. Such injuries could be pursued against an at-fault driver, and seeking the assistance of a catastrophic chest injury attorney in NC claims resulting from accidents caused by the at-fault driver will be an effective first step toward achieving a settled claim.
What Symptoms Indicate a Broken Sternum After an Accident?
Adrenaline can make it hard to feel pain after an accident, making it hard to identify a broken sternum right away. This reinforces the need to see symptoms early to avoid medical complications and help get the right medical care.
Symptoms that could indicate that a person has a broken sternum include:
- Severe, localized pain in the center of the breastbone that gets worse when moving, coughing, or twisting.
- Visible bruising or swelling over the center of the chest area.
- Feelings of movement or clicking in the chest area when breathing or inhaling.
- Shortness of breath: If it’s hard to take a breath, it could indicate a more serious injury to the chest area.
- General feeling of nausea, unable to get comfortable, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep.
- Injuries may not be apparent on presentation due to the effects of adrenaline.
- Possibility of serious complications, such as pneumothorax or other internal contusions.
- If there has been an impact on the chest, the person should seek medical evaluation, even if initial symptoms are mild.
How Serious Is a Chest Injury After a North Carolina Accident?
Broken sternum injuries are rarely isolated injuries because they sit immediately in front of the heart and major blood vessels; therefore, any force from the fracture is transmitted directly to those organs. Cardiac contusion (bruising of the heart muscle) occurs in a significant portion of sternal fractures and can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias. Aortic injuries, which are one of the most common deadly blunt force injuries, can occur as a result of a high-energy sternal fracture.
Pulmonary complications such as pneumothorax (collapsed lung) or hemothorax (blood collecting around the lung) may develop as a result of chest trauma. The American College of Surgeons considers thoracic injuries to be one of the leading causes of traumatic death.
Level I trauma centers in North Carolina, such as UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill and Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, can treat these complex injuries; the ultimate outcomes will be greatly influenced by the quickness with which the patient can receive operative treatment.
What Medical Treatment Is Required for a Broken Sternum?
The treatment options for a broken sternum caused by a car accident in North Carolina can differ depending on how badly it was broken or if there are additional heart/lung injuries.
There are typically 2 main types of treatment for someone with a broken sternum, depending on the severity of their injury and if they have additional injuries: conservative treatment (resting, medication, and physical therapy) and more aggressive treatment (surgery and long-term rehabilitation).
Conservative Treatment for Minor Fractures
If you have a non-displaced fracture (no pieces in your heart/lungs), then you usually will not need much more than some medication for pain, rest, physical therapy, and activity restrictions for 4-6 weeks.
Recovery and Pain Management
Many patients will continue to have some form of chest discomfort long after the incident, even when no intervention is needed.
Surgical Treatment for Severe Fractures
When there is a complete displacement of the sternum, they will require an operative procedure to place plates and screws to maintain the stability of the broken sternum and restore the original position of the sternum.
Treatment for Associated Injuries
In the presence of contusions to the heart or injuries to the lungs, patients would be required to have telemetry, placement of a chest tube, or other surgical intervention, depending upon the level of injury.
Typical Medical Care Process
Treatment generally contains an emergency room evaluation, hospital admission, radiology studies, a follow-up appointment with a doctor, and at least twelve weeks (or more) of rehabilitation.
Importance of Medical Documentation
All stages of treatment must be completely documented in support of a chest injury claim resulting from an accident while in North Carolina.
North Carolina Case Study: $1.15 Million Settlement for Crushed Sternum in Van Crash
An example of the potential impact of serious chest trauma cases can be seen in a verified North Carolina wrongful death settlement published by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly in October 2025. In June 2024, a victim of a van crash died when they suffered a crushed sternum and broken neck upon impact. A wrongful death lawsuit based on the death of this individual resulted in a settlement of $1,150,000. The blunt force chest trauma lawyer NC representing the victim was located in Wilmington and worked long and hard locating and verifying insurance coverage before settling.
Two fundamental truths can be gleaned from this thoracic injury lawsuit in North Carolina:
- Fractures of the sternum in high-speed collisions create a serious risk of death, and as such, compensation awarded for fatal or catastrophic cases is indicative of that risk; and
- Insurance coverage disputes are common when dealing with serious injuries and require the assistance and experience of a legal professional to navigate successfully. Whether the victim’s fractured sternum is a survivable injury or a fatal/catastrophic injury, the quality of legal representation will have a significant effect on the settlement amount the victim will receive in sternum fracture compensation North Carolina.
Can You Recover Compensation for a Broken Sternum in North Carolina?
A broken sternum injury lawyer in North Carolina can help you get compensated for the totality of damages incurred as a result of your chest injury. Damages that can be recovered in a successful broken sternum injury claim could include all of your past and future emergency medical and surgical expenses for treatment of your broken sternum and any subsequent cardiac or pulmonary follow-up treatments; the lost wages you experienced after being injured; your reduced future earning capacity if your chest injury limits you permanently; pain and suffering associated with the injury; and any permanent disability and/or disfigurement associated with your injury.
Under North Carolina General Statute Section 1-139, if a court finds that you are even slightly at fault for the collision, your claim could be barred from receiving any damages. This is known as North Carolina’s contributory negligence standard, which is one of the strictest in the United States, and therefore makes it essential to have an experienced North Carolina catastrophic injury attorney actively involved with your case from the beginning. Since insurance company defence attorneys are very skilled at making contributory negligence arguments, your personal injury attorney must also be equally experienced at demonstrating why those arguments are invalid.
What Evidence Helps Prove a Broken Sternum Injury Claim in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, obtaining compensation for a sternum injury claim requires sufficient evidence, including medical records, imaging, accident reports, wage documentation, and expert testimony to support the claim of damages. The attorney will utilize these documents to show the extent of damages, establish liability, and assist in preventing insurers from denying or placing low values on the claim. Broken sternums are often caused by seatbelt compression, being hit by something such as the steering wheel, or violent forces in a crash.
Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm has a team of broken sternum injury lawyers in North Carolina that handle chest trauma cases on a contingency fee basis. You will not incur any attorneys’ fees unless we win your case for you. For a free consultation regarding your chest trauma, please call us at (800) 529-0804 so that we can assist you in receiving the compensation that you are entitled to.
FAQs: What Causes a Broken Sternum in Car Accidents?
Can a broken sternum cause internal organ damage after a North Carolina car accident?
Yes, if you have a fractured sternum (i.e., breastbone) from a fall or crash, there’s a good chance you will also have heart contusions (bruises), lung collapse (pneumothorax), or aorta injury. It is very important to get evaluated at an NC trauma center as soon as you experience any serious impact on your chest.
What kind of evidence helps prove a chest injury from a car accident in NC?
Medical records associated with your broken sternum car accident in North Carolina from the date of your car accident should be the highest priority. Emergency room records, CT scans, specialist reports, police reports, and/or dashcam video.
Will insurance cover long-term pain from a sternum or chest injury?
Your at-fault driver’s liability insurance must cover all reasonably foreseeable long-term consequences of your injuries, including, but not limited to, chronic pain, reduced lung function, and ongoing monitoring of your heart condition.
Can I still work while recovering from a broken sternum injury?
This depends on your job duties. For physically demanding jobs, 4-8 weeks off from work may be required; office jobs may be able to return to work sooner. If you lose wages as a result of your chest injury accident claim in North Carolina, you are entitled to compensation for those lost wages.
How do doctors confirm a sternum fracture after a car crash in North Carolina?
The use of a CT scan is the gold standard for the diagnosis of sternum fractures. A traditional chest x-ray may miss a nondisplaced fracture. Trauma centers in NC will routinely perform additional imaging with a CT scan using a contrast agent to evaluate the sternum fracture and any other injuries.
