Spinal injuries are some of the most common and complex outcomes of car crashes. Yet in the courtroom or mediation room, simply showing a medical diagnosis isn’t always enough. Jurors and adjusters may see an MRI showing a herniated disc, but they don’t always understand how the crash caused that injury. That’s where Mechanism of Injury (MOI) animations come in.

At MotionLit, our MOI animations are designed to support the evidence by visually reconstructing the forces, movements, and mechanics that led to injury. By aligning with expert testimony and medical documentation, these visuals help reinforce causation and give decision-makers the context they need to understand how an injury occurred.

Reinforcing the Medical Evidence with Visual Context

Medical records show the injury. MOI animations help show the physical chain of events that likely caused it. For example, a C5-C6 disc herniation shown on an MRI can be visually linked to the rear-end collision where the head and neck underwent rapid extension and flexion. Rather than relying on verbal testimony alone, the animation demonstrates the biomechanics behind the injury in a clear and accessible way.

Clarifying the Aggravation of Preexisting Conditions

It’s not uncommon for injured individuals to have preexisting spinal degeneration or disc bulges. Insurance carriers often use this to challenge the validity of the injury claim. MOI animations can help clarify how a crash aggravated an existing condition. For example, a lumbar disc bulge that was stable before the crash may become a herniation due to axial loading or seatback collapse. Visuals help support expert conclusions that differentiate between pre- and post-accident condition.

Specific Injury Examples and How They Occur

• Flexion and Extension Injury (Rear-End Collision): The neck is thrown forward and back in rapid succession, straining soft tissues or herniating cervical discs.
• Axial Load (Rollover or Roof Collapse): The spine absorbs downward force, leading to compression fractures.
• Lateral Shear (Side-Impact Collision): The body twists unexpectedly, causing facet joint damage or nerve root irritation.
• Seatbelt-Induced Flexion (Frontal Impact): The pelvis stays fixed while the upper body folds forward over the lap belt, compressing thoracic vertebrae.

Each of these injury mechanisms can be clearly illustrated with visual precision in an MOI animation, helping the factfinders understand not just that the injury exists, but how it came to be.

Strengthening Causation and Legal Strategy

When causation is disputed or expert testimony is highly technical, MOI animations offer a tool to bridge the gap. They enhance expert narratives, make complex biomechanics understandable, and allow for a more persuasive and visually supported claim. Used effectively, they can help shift a case from explanation to visualization—and from doubt to understanding.

Conclusion

MOI animations are not a replacement for medical evidence—they are a tool to enhance it. In spinal injury cases stemming from car crashes, MotionLit’s visuals help support the claim, clarify how injuries occurred, and reinforce the expert findings that drive settlement and verdict outcomes.