When assessing injury in patients after a MVA, should speed of the impact be considered? Here is what Arthur Croft, DC, MS, MPH, FACO of the Spine Research Institute of San Diego has to say:
“Here, the relationship between property damage and injury risk is nonlinear. In the lower velocity range, vehicles are relatively stiff, the collisions more elastic. In engineering parlance, there is a relatively higher coefficient of restitution in lower velocity crashes. Then, as crash velocity increases, so too does the amount of residual crush of the vehicle. Interestingly, though, the actual risk to the occupants decreases as this occurs. This has been demonstrated in several studies. So, over this range of crash velocities, there is no good correlation between injury risk, injury severity, or long-term outcome and property damage. This is, of course, an important distinction to understand.”
Here is an article which explains how insurance companies are perpetuating the myth that injurie are not likely at low impact: DISPELLING THE MYTHS THAT YOU CANNOT BE INJURED IN A “LOW IMPACT” AUTO ACCIDENT
Great article laying out the truth about low impact injuries: Soft Tissue Injuries From A Low Impact Auto Accident
The research is overwhelming in showing that injuries and even death can occur in low impact crashes.
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