Some attorneys view 3D medical illustrations and animations as unnecessary luxuries, believing raw imagery and operative reports are enough to represent their clients in personal injury matters. However, this belief is both antiquated and risks underserving the people who entrust their attorneys to attain justice.

Today, litigators ranging from megafirm partners to solo practitioners integrate 3D medical animations into their case strategies – and, in doing so, often magnify the results for their clients.

Among the many kinds of medical animations and illustrations, surgical demonstratives can contribute tremendous value. So, how can surgical animations help attorneys achieve the outcomes they’re looking for during litigation?

First, surgical animations are tools to demonstrate the procedures their client experienced, telling their story, framing damages as accurately and concisely as possible, and eliminating ambiguity to help viewers understand what happened. Second, it puts into context why a high-value demand is warranted. When the opposition, a mediator, or a potential jury visualizes a procedure’s invasiveness and the immense suffering an injured party endured, it fosters empathy and understanding.

Ultimately, surgical animations must be accurate to uphold their probative value. Danielle Burgess, DK Global’s Creative Director of Medical Animation and Illustration, states, “Accuracy is the key. We only use documented and factual information, providing visuals that educate what we can show with certainty." In other words, “We only show what we know,” says Danielle.

To ensure the contents of a surgical animation are accurate and publishable in court, DK Global’s Certified Medical Illustrators and Visual Consultants review our clients’ operative notes, reports, and imagery. Then, without exaggerating injuries, malpractice, or situations, they map out on storyboards what happened based on evidence and expert testimony.

“Sometimes we’re looking at radiology reports, where there will be certain write-ups. Often, if it’s a surgical procedure, we’re going through the [operative] reports and looking at the story the surgeon is telling, trying to put together that timeline and the way that everything occurred,” says Rachel Bajema, a Certified Medical Illustrator at DK Global.

Because no two cases are the same, DK Global personalizes each animation to show each trauma’s extraordinary impact. From the mechanism of injury to the methods used during surgery, DK Global’s medical illustrators tailor surgical animations to depict the unique damages each person sustained to bolster demand packages and arguments. Rachel explains, “We’re often building the anatomy backward based on what the imagery looks like to show in detail what the injury is, what we can tell about it – and then working from there, using the op reports to tell the story in a way that’s going to be different for every case.”

Surgical and medical animations are vital tools for demand packages, mediation, and trial. Additionally, they help ensure viewers and other stakeholders understand complex testimonies and topics. To find out more about how we can maximize your case value with animated demonstratives, contact us today for a personalized consultation with one of our Visual Consultants.