Two Car MVC

Sasha

Sasha

Forum Chief
Messages
7,667
Reaction score
11
Points
0
You are called to an MVC on the interstate. The offending car was travelling 50 mph, approximately, and hit a stopped car from a backed up exit. The offending car tried to swerve away, hit the rear passenger side with damage to the bumper and the tire of the parked car. The offending car's driver door is caved in just enough where it wont open, the headlights broken, bumper's hanging off, hood bent up. No airbag deployment.

Crasher has self extricated through passenger door, is walking around upset and crying. The state trooper tells you that originally both the crasher and the crashee claimed to be fine, but now that the crashee's friend has arrived, the crashee is complaining of neck pain.

Ready, set, go.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It is, I thought what the medics did was...interesting, nothing I've ever read or heard or seen before. Would like to see the direction other people take it.
 
Without a more detailed physical exam, can't decide much. C-spine and hx, and tx for xray.








On a personal note-
The usual bystander would go "Faking it", but we all know that adrenaline can mask pain when something first happens, soo.... get a lawyer.
 
Uhm.. ask what you want and I will tell you. I saw everything the medics did, I was standing right there and was infact a "patient" myself.
 
Well, what was the other driver complaining of?

Any specific area or general?

1/10?

Provocation?
 
"My neck hurts and my brain feels like it's swelling"
"My whole neck"
"10"
Negative.
 
Sasha said:
"My neck hurts and my brain feels like it's swelling"
"My whole neck"
"10"
Negative.
Click to expand...

What does "my brain feels like its swelling" feel like? And how would you know?

My response... tell the crashee that, "It probably ain't anything of concern (:rolleyes:), but if you want to make their lawsuit more realistic we should probably put a tight restraining device around your neck, strap you to a really hard and uncomfortable backboard, and leave you on that board for hours on end while the ER staff finds the time to clear your neck... hopefully you won't have to pee, eat, or drink anything for 6-12 hours... oh and while we are at it we should strip you naked just to make sure that you don't have something more serious, start 2 12 gauge IVs just to be cautious, and probably take a rectal temp because... well just becasue... or would you like to sign out AMA and not waste our time." J/K Mountain would never say that!!! ^_^

On the other hand... sounds like you are screwed Sasha... :sad:
 
Listen. I'm not looking for legal advice, "you're screwed" or "sucks you were in an accident".

I am looking to play out the scenario. I'll post what actually happened. Anything more with your assesment? How the patients were sitting or standing, physical findings, vital signs?
 
Were they ambulating?

How did they opt to get on the backboard *if one was used*, IE standing takedown, or did they sit?

Did they sit, twist, turn, or bend at all either during the EMS crews presence, or the police presence?

Prior hx of back/neck pain?

BGC?

AOx4?

Accept or reject cspine precautions?
 
Here's what happened:

The medics went to put a C-Collar on her and she was texting, looking down at her phone. It was established she still had full range of motion and no neural defict. They put a C-Collar on her, stood her up and walked her from the driver's side to the passenger side to sit her down, ( I presume so their backs weren't to traffic, it was very busy and there were accidents all up and down the interstate due to a really big 4th of july event. ) They took orthostatics, her intial vitals were 127/something with a pulse in the high 80s pulse ox 98 on RA with no significant change when standing. She said she hit her head on the "door pole".

After some talking, they decided to let her go by friend's POV to the ER, still wearing C-Collar.

Patient was released from the ER with no injury.

That's what I was a little befundled about. They let her go with a C-Collar. What if it had become too tight and she had trouble breathing? Or it slipped? Though I doubt she wouldn't be able to figure out how to pull it off, you never do know!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well, as far as the c-collar is concerned, maybe they don't have clearing c-spine in their protocols?
 
Linuss said:
Well, as far as the c-collar is concerned, maybe they don't have clearing c-spine in their protocols?
Click to expand...

Then transport the patient.

I'm not a fan of the idea of releasing a patient while they're still wearing a C-Collar.
 
Well, you all will like this one then... today, while responding to the SAR Cache to pick up vehicles and gear for a rescue... an 18 y/o girl ran a stop sign and drove right into my lane of traffic. I swerved to avoid killing her and ended up snapping my axel. Non-injury... and I took all the appropriate steps for legal reasons. The Highway Patrol agreed it was her fault even if I was doing 60 mph, like she claimed after admitting guilt to me with a, "I'm so sorry." BTW, I was not doing 60, something that is impossible on this road. I was doing the speed limit (25) and was in fact riding the brakes to avoid another car that ran the same sign only 5 seconds before. What a great weekend for me!!! :sad:

As far as Sasha goes... I would never place a collar on someone unless we were going to transport; you don't start medical treatment like that and then just let them drive to an ED. What's next... traction, IVs, intubating and then leting them drive themselves in? No transport... no c-spine... sign AMA... and let's get clear this call.
 
Where I work the pt can refuse transport at any time. Doesn't matter what interventions or treatment you've started. You could have them in full spinal precautions, with an IV running and if they say "Stop, let me go, I don't want you to touch me" they are within their right to do it (as long as they meet the LOC requirements).
 
Aidey said:
Where I work the pt can refuse transport at any time. Doesn't matter what interventions or treatment you've started. You could have them in full spinal precautions, with an IV running and if they say "Stop, let me go, I don't want you to touch me" they are within their right to do it (as long as they meet the LOC requirements).
Click to expand...

Yes they have the right but you wouldnt leave the IV in or the collar on would you?
 
She hadn't refused, they told her she would be okay to go by POV. If they couldn't clear C-Spine they should not have released her to go by POV, nor should they have stood her up and walked her anywhere. Personally I feel the medics handled it wrong. If she was going by POV, I think that they should had taken off the C-Collar. Not doing so opens them up to liability should she run into complications during her ride to the hospital.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top