Most golf injuries happen while out on the field. For Attorney Michael E. Gatto’s client, his golfing injury happened while inside a golf store. Plaintiff suffered an injury from a golf ball while shopping; a ball caromed out an indoor hitting bay, striking him in the forehead.

As a result, Attorney Gatto’s client suffered a severe welt on his forehead which also broke the skin. Plaintiff had the common list of symptoms associated with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI): nausea, vomiting, severe headaches, photophobia, word finding difficulties, forgetfulness and later, psychological changes like irritability, frustration and anger. Neuropsychological testing showed significant deficits consistent with a coup contrecoup. To no surprise, the defense used their typical malingering/alternate theory of injury defense.

Standard medical images showed no hemorrhage or other common signs of mTBI; however, they showed a cavum septum pellucidum (CSP). Normal, healthy brains have a septum dividing the brain's ventricles. CSP is associated with traumatic brain injury. Plaintiff needed evidence to establish his claim of structural damage to brain tissue, the torn septum.

Attorney Gatto needed something to demonstrate his client’s injury and communicate the mechanism of the injury to the jury; so, he turned to DK Global. The team at DK Global was able to graphically demonstrate the flight of the ball, the point of impact, and the transfer of energy through the skull in a plane with the damaged septum, CSP. Attorney Gatto provided DK Global with medical literature demonstrating the Stages of CSP, as well as the plaintiff's CSP from an MRI. DK Global then integrated this information into the video to create compelling demonstrative evidence which was instrumental in obtaining a favorable settlement. 

DK Global specializes in creating custom medical animations and illustrations for our clients. However, for attorneys looking for a simpler, faster approach, we offer the use of our stock animations. Our stock animations are created in-house and are regularly updated to guarantee a high-quality image. We then take the visual and customize it to fit the needs of our client.

In this case, our team animated a 3D golf ball flying into frame and striking the forehead of the Plaintiff. Thus, the attorney conveyed how the injury to the septum was caused by the strike of the ball; the animation shows precisely how the injury to the septum is in the same plane as the path of the ball. This was followed by a transparent image of the skull and brain, allowing the viewer to see how the impact of the ball caused a coup contrecoup. The presentation also carefully details the location of the incident through the implementation of a bird’s eye view of the site that was labeled with bold text. The presentation then concludes with an authentic image of the Plaintiff which demonstrates the accuracy of the damages presented in the graphic presentation. Through rigorous litigation tactics and visual support from the DK Global team, Attorney Michael Gatto was able to provide his client with the financial security he well deserved as the case resolved favorably for the Plaintiff.

Attorney Gatto currently continues his pursuit of justice with Van Blois & Associates, located in Oakland, California. He is a trial attorney specializing in catastrophic injury cases with complex medical issues and is recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in Personal Injury Litigation. Attorney Gatto tirelessly advocates on behalf of his clients and strives to offer aid to those in need; his steadfast dedication to attaining justice has enabled him to consistently achieve multi-million-dollar case results.