The Connection Between Severe Facial Trauma and Vision Loss in an MVA

Case Overview

This case involved a severe MVA injury sustained by an adult male in his 60s. The patient suffered severe facial trauma, resulting in vision loss in one eye.

This case hinges on establishing causation and understanding how intense facial injuries from a car accident can result in vision loss. This complex medico-legal issue required the assistance of an expert witness in ophthalmology.

Questions to the Ophthalmology expert and their responses

How often do you evaluate patients suffering from vision loss due to trauma?

As a board-certified, actively practicing ophthalmologist, I regularly examine, treat, and manage patients presenting with a spectrum of eye injuries, from minor to severe. These injuries often stem from traumatic incidents.

How may facial fractures in a car accident result in vision loss?

Most facial fractures do not result in vision loss unless the bones of the orbit were also fractured. Orbital bone fractures can damage the eyeball itself, or cause damage and injury to the optic nerve. The severity of the eyeball or optic nerve injury determines the severity of the vision loss.

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

Over my career span, I have been called upon to review numerous cases involving eye injuries due to various causes, including trauma-related incidents such as motor vehicle accidents.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert is an ophthalmologist with over 35 years of experience, board-certified and highly active in their field. They have an extensive academic background, including a residency in ophthalmology where they served as chief resident, and a fellowship in cornea and external disease. Currently, they hold the position of clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at a prestigious medical center, are an attending physician at multiple hospitals, and run their private practice, all while contributing to the field through numerous publications and lectures.