An Arsenal of Medical
and Engineering Studies
to Prove Injury
For decades physicians
believed that injury in rear-end auto accidents was caused by extension of
the spine beyond its normal range of motion. Hyperextension did not explain
low-speed injury, however, and insurers seized upon this anomaly to deny or
lowball otherwise meritorious neck injury claims.
New medical research,
based upon high-speed x-ray videotapes of spinal motion in simulated
collisions, shows that compression and shear occurring 25 milliseconds prior
to hyperextension can cause damage to facet joints … even in low-speed
crashes.
Now you can use this
study and others like it to obtain fair value for your whiplash claims.
Medical Proof of Whiplash
includes:
-
Summaries of almost 400 medical and
engineering studies that demonstrate the underlying causes of whiplash
injuries and the serious and widespread damage that can result. Full
citations and dates of studies are included.
-
Scientifically-supported rebuttals to insurer
claims that whiplash injuries heal within six weeks, whiplash injuries
can be faked, patients are cured by a verdict, reconstructionists can
accurately calculate G force, head restraints safeguard occupants, and
low speed collisions are safe.
-
A detailed explanation of low velocity
whiplash biomechanics, complete with almost 100 citations to medical
articles and studies.
-
61 illustrations that help explain anatomy
and treatment.
-
A factor and variable checklist that
determines an accident's potential for injury with only 14 questions.
-
A companion CD-ROM including a 26 slide,
four-color, PowerPoint presentation for settlement brochures or
courtroom exhibits and search software allowing you to search the entire
text of the publication.
Whiplash
remains an injury whose pain often does not correlate with objective
radiological findings and so continues to be doubted. Whiplash scholar
Michael Melton, who has been analyzing medical and engineering studies
regarding the injury for over ten years, fights this skepticism with
scientific knowledge.
Michael Melton’s
Medical Proof of Whiplash walks you through the anatomy of the cervical
spine, the forces exerted on the spine in a rear-end auto accident, and the
possibility of lasting injury. Medical Proof of Whiplash
evaluates and summarizes nearly 400 hard to fiind studies that will convince
even the most suspicious. The following are excerpts from a few of the
recent studies included:
Low-speed collisions
-
"These are the first
studies to subject cadavers to ‘minor’ collisions and then to carefully
examine the bony and soft tissues for sign of injury. The findings were
dramatic: injuries were found in 4 of 6 cadavers in the first study, and
4 of 5 in the second. Furthermore, many of these were injuries that
would not be detected on normal X-rays or even CT scans. Most of the
injuries in these test specimens were only detected upon autopsy." Page
11-14
Long-term effects
-
"43% of patients with
cervical whiplash still had symptoms sufficiently severe to interfere
with their ability to work two years after their injury." Page 11-84
-
"Dizziness and vertigo
are common symptoms of whiplash injuries. The goal of this current study
was to see if there was a difference in balance between healthy subjects
and patients with neck trauma. Whiplash patients had significantly
reduced postural control functioning." Page 11-71
-
"TMJ is a recognized
symptom of whiplash injuries, but the belief that TMJ is mainly a
psychological affliction is so pervasive that a New England Journal of
Medicine article recommended counseling as the main treatment for TMJ.
We found obvious TMJ intra-articular disorders (significant clicking,
lock, TMJ synovitis) in 86%, or 258 of the 300 patients studied. This
finding is difficult to ascribe to psychological or cultural factors."
Page 11-163
-
"Past research has
shown that a sizable minority of those who experience physical trauma
will develop psychological symptoms including anxiety, depression, and
post-traumatic stress disorder. The authors of this work assessed 152
patients and found, ‘This research supports two main conclusions: first,
that physical trauma need not be great to precipitate adverse
psychological sequelae and, second, that even individuals who have
stable backgrounds and who have high levels of life contentment before
their trauma can develop acute psychological distress.’" Page 12-119
Diagnosis and treatment
-
"One of the most
frustrating aspects about whiplash is the lack of objective signs that
the patient has been injured after a collision. A new study from the
Netherlands may change this situation. Patients with Grade II
whiplash-associated disorder were not able to relax the upper trapezius
muscles to baseline levels." Page 11-134
-
"Although little
exists in the literature to recommend it, the standard treatment (rest,
the use of a soft cervical collar, and gradual self-mobilization) is
still commonly prescribed in cases of acute whiplash. A new Swedish
study showed that active treatment was more effective than standard
treatment in reduction of pain. The active treatment protocol was more
effective when initiated early." Page 11-168
Risk factors
-
"A turned head has
consistently been reported in the literature as a risk factor for
increased symptoms. A new study with cadavers from Duke University
demonstrates that a pre-twist of the head and neck increases strain
magnitude in the facet capsule." Page 11-15
-
"This is the first
study to look at the effect of a previous hyperextension injury on
prognosis in a second whiplash injury. The researchers conducted a
retrospective study of 79 patients who had suffered two whiplash
injuries. Results showed that after the second injury, 84% of patients
reported increased symptoms." Page 11-100
Head restraints
-
The Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety admitted, "The head restraints in most cars
are inadequate, neither high enough nor close enough to many people’s
heads to prevent whiplash injuries or associated neck disorders in
crashes." Page 11-8
-
"Significantly, the
data shows that the peak of shear in the vertebral segments occurs
before the head hits the head restraint." Page 11-12
Rebuttal
-
Researchers at the
University of Alberta in Canada studied the medical claims of 7,462
Saskatchewan residents before and after a no-fault insurance system was
implemented. The study concluded, "claimants recover faster if
compensation for pain and suffering is not available." The serious
problems with the study are exposed, including (1) insurance funding,
(2) resignation and suit by a researcher, and (3) contradictory results
in a second study conducted by the same researchers. Page 11-86
-
"This is a very common
scenario in low speed crashes: a patient is injured, the car shows
little or no vehicle damage, and the defense expert testifies that,
based on his calculations, the acceleration that the occupant
experienced during the crash was minor and that injury was impossible.
The expert’s testimony may be very impressive to a jury, since his or
her report seems to be authoritative and accurate – ‘the occupant did
not experience an acceleration greater than 3.12Gs.’ The truth is that
these numbers are not accurate – in fact they are pulled out of thin
air…." Page 11-49
With
this heavily-supported medical and scientific proof of whiplash--along with
several forms, illustrations and a slideshow--you will be armed to overcome
insurer suspicion and juror skepticism.
Published March 15, 2002. Updated
annually. ISBN 1-58012-068-7. Book Price: $99.00
C7 |
| Reviews
"Melton's book is the most accessible and
organized source of information regarding injuries associated with moderate and lower
speed motor crashes that I have come across. I own dozens of rather expensive texts on the
subject, yet when I need to find well researched and accurate information on whiplash
injuries quickly, the first reference that I use is Melton's. It is particularly helpful
when looking for relevant citations. I tell every audience that I lecture to on the
subject that there is no better way to quickly educate themselves regarding whiplash
injuries."
—Michael D. Freeman, PhD, DC, MPH, Forensic Trauma Epidemiologist,
Salem, OR
"I had Medical Proof of Whiplash for
less than a week when I got a call from an insurance claims adjuster on one of my accident
cases. I proceeded to rattle off some of the many statistics and facts that I found in
your book. He quickly changed from an aggressive tone to one of being quite passive, as
well as mentioning to me that I really seemed to know my information."
—Grant P. Evans, Jr., Reynoldsburg, OH
"I recommend this book to attorneys,
doctors, and insurance adjusters."
—William D. Robison, Vancouver, WA |
