Bruised Rib Symptoms. Bruised ribs, rib fractures, and rib cartilage injuries could occur due to falls, accidents, or blunt force trauma to the chest. If a person suffers from a bruised rib, he/she is most likely to experience pain while breathing or flexing the torso.he characteristic sign of a bruise is discoloration of the skin, which results when the blood from the ruptured blood vessels gets trapped under the skin. One of the most common bruised rib symptoms is that the affected individual experiences pain while taking deep breaths.