Motor vehicle accidents can result in serious injury and lifelong disability. As a rehabilitation doctor with over 20 years of experience caring for trauma patients, Dr. Greg Vigna has managed some of the most serious car accident and high speed injuries. Dr. Vigna knows that having leading medical experts available early, and ensuring that life-long rehabilitation needs are provided for, can improve the degree to which an individual regains their independence and quality of life after a serious accident.
Dr. Vigna pursued his law degree when he realized some of his patients were not receiving the best possible treatments; as a lawyer he advocates for adult and child victims of trauma so he can help them get the care he knows will improve their quality of life. As a motor vehicle injury lawyer with experience in car, motorcycle and bus accidents, Dr. Vigna is dedicated to help you receive the best possible jury ruling or legal settlement possible.
There is a range of common personal injuries after a motor vehicle accident, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and limb, tissue and organ trauma.
Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) happens when the head is directly impacted by a great force, or if the head accelerates or decelerates rapidly. The brain is surrounded by liquid, so when the head stops moving, the brain continues forward and impacts the inside of the skull. The impact causes the brain to bounce off one side of the skull and fly in the opposite direction, where it hits the other side of the skull. The brain can be violently shaken against the skull multiple times during an accident. This repeated impact causes blood vessels to rupture and brain tissues to swell.
Unfortunately, since the brain is completely surrounded by the skull, it has nowhere to go when it swells or bleeds. Pressure within the head and brain rise as the injured areas become increasingly inflamed. As the brain presses against inside of the skull, blood can no longer flow through the tissues. Oxygen and nutrients have a difficult time reaching brain cells, and some cells may begin to starve and die. This can happen quickly, depending on how powerful the impact was to the brain during the accident.
TBI causes complex problems depending on which part of the brain was damaged, and how long those areas were inflamed and not receiving oxygen and nutrients. As your catastrophic injury attorney, Dr. Vigna communicates directly with your treating physicians about the severity of your brain injury. He also reviews your medical record to determine if there are additional therapies or consultations that will help you recover. Finally, Dr. Vigna, attorney at law, builds a comprehensive Lifecare plan that integrates life-long treatment and rehabilitation requirements into your legal case.
Spinal Cord Injury during MVA
A spinal cord injury (SCI) may happen at any point from the neck to the lower back. The spine can be violently bent forward or backward. These are called flexion or hyperextension injuries. It may be twisted or crushed, causing the vertebral bones of the spine to fracture and press directly into the spinal cord. It may also be cut by flying debris.
The types of symptoms that result from an auto injury SCI depend on where along the spine the damage occurred and how completely the spinal cord was damaged. The initial injury during the motor vehicle accident causes the first insult to the cord. Bleeding, inflammation and cellular death cause the second injury. Secondary damage requires careful management, and can even be more serious than the initial injury. Inflammation and cellular changes often go on for several weeks.
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, special equipment, home construction for accessibility requirements, psychological support, retraining for all aspects of daily life including a new job, and even life-long personal attendant care may be needed after a spinal cord injury. It’s important that all elements of your case be carefully evaluated in the context of your life-long needs.
Since Dr. Vigna has extensive experience working with accidents and injuries in SCI patients, and works closely with medical experts throughout the country, he is able to recommend the best possible interventions for the injuries you sustained. As your motorcycle and car accident attorney, he integrates everything you may need into your case, including later manifesting complications such as a herniated disk, so that the jury ruling or legal settlement you receive takes care of you in the most comprehensive way possible
Limb, Tissue and Organ Trauma
Fractures may occur to the ribs, sternum, clavicles, spine, pelvis, legs and arms. The force of the body hitting the seatbelt, and any other parts of the vehicle, can damage the internal organs: blood vessels may be torn, organs bruised or ruptured. Soft tissues of the face and eyes are often damaged.
All of these injuries will need specialized management. Multiple surgeries may be required. Damage to the peripheral nerves may cause a variety of complications, such as a brachial plexus injury which affects the victim’s ability to move the hand and arm. Hip and leg fractures can require special hardware and long term therapy in order for the trauma victim to walk again. Face and eye injuries will need reconstructive surgery and long term follow up.
With Dr. Greg Vigna as your motor vehicle injury lawyer, you get the best of both worlds: a rehabilitation physician who truly cares about his clients and knows from personal experience which treatments have the greatest likelihood of improving your quality of life, and a car accident attorney who is dedicated to ensuring your life-long needs are taken care of and that you will receive best possible medical outcomes with the maximum compensation possible to cover your life-time needs.
