Assessment of Multiple Traumatic Injuries Following Motor Vehicle Accident

Case Overview

In this case study, we focus on a patient who suffered a severe motor vehicle accident (MVA) in 2014. The incident, triggered when a tire blowout on the interstate, caused the truck they were driving to roll over.

This traumatic event led to multiple injuries for the patient, including fractured vertebrae, knee and shoulder injuries requiring two surgeries, head injury, fractured ribs and other soft tissue and bone injuries.

An expert in physiatry/pain management was enlisted to review the medical records, conduct an Independent Medical Examination (IME), and provide professional insights into causation and impairment rating.

Questions to the Rehabilitation expert and their responses

How often do you see/treat patients with multiple traumatic medical issues following an MVA?

As a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, I frequently encounter patients involved in motor vehicle accidents with multiple injuries.

Generally, in a patient involved in trauma such as a motor vehicle rollover, what aspects of a patient's chart and your examination would be critical in determining what pathologies were caused by the rollover and what the patient's impairment rating is?

In cases like these, it’s crucial to consider several factors. These include prior history, mechanism of injury, response to treatments, changes in symptoms over time, medical history taken from the claimant, physical examination results, and understanding the natural history of their injuries. It’s also essential to differentiate between what can be attributed to the normal aging process and what is directly or indirectly related to the injury.

Have you ever reviewed a similar case? If yes, please elaborate.

Yes, I have reviewed similar cases. However, this case is more complex due to this accident occurring nine years ago. It will most likely require a review of multiple medical records and an extensive interview and evaluation.

About the expert

This expert brings over 15 years of experience as a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, with a specialization in sports medicine. They are board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, holding memberships with the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Sports Medicine Institute. Currently serving at a private practice in Georgia, they have previously held an assistant professorship in orthopedics and rehabilitation at a prominent university.