Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries: An Evidence-Based Approach (Trauma CME)

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Delivery Method:	Online
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Publication Date: January 2026 (Volume 5, Number 1)

CME Credits: 4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, 4 ACEP Category I credits, 4 AAFP Prescribed credits, and 4 AOA Category 2-B CME credits. CME expires 01/01/2029.

Specialty CME Credits: Included as part of the 4 credits, this CME activity is eligible for 4 Trauma CME credits, subject to your state and institutional approval.

Authors

Peer Reviewer

Abstract

Motor vehicle collision injuries are frequently seen in urgent care and may be associated with significant patient morbidity and clinician diagnostic uncertainty. Effective evaluation begins with a thorough history and physical examination, with particular attention to the mechanism of injury. In most cases, diagnosis and management are guided by validated clinical decision rules and the judicious use of diagnostic imaging. While many post–motor vehicle collision injuries are minor, urgent care clinicians must be able to identify potentially serious or life-threatening conditions, recognize high-risk populations, and facilitate timely referral to a higher-acuity facility when necessary. This review outlines an evidence-based approach to the evaluation and management of motor vehicle collision-related injuries in the urgent care setting.

Case Presentations

A 45-year-old man presents to your urgent care clinic 11 days after a motor vehicle collision...

• He states he was the unrestrained driver of a dump truck that went through a guardrail and fell 30 feet to the ground.
• He was initially transported to the regional trauma center via EMS and was treated and released.
• He complains of persistent headaches with blurry vision, thoracolumbar spine pain, and right lower extremity swelling with difficulty bearing weight. He reports that his imaging studies at the trauma center were “normal.”
• You have a sense of reassurance that he has been previously evaluated at a Level 1 trauma center, but you wonder how to manage his complaints…

An 88-year-old woman presents to your urgent care clinic days after she was a passenger in her daughter’s car when it was involved in a motor vehicle collision…

• She reports that she was wearing a seat belt and was seated in the front passenger seat when another vehicle, traveling approximately 40 to 45 mph, struck the passenger side of her vehicle while it was crossing an intersection. She declined EMS transport at the scene.
• She complains of right-sided chest wall pain as well as right hip pain with difficulty bearing weight.
• She denies headache, neck pain, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath.
• She is alert and oriented. Her vital signs are: heart rate, 90 beats/min; blood pressure, 102/80 mm Hg; respiratory rate, 20 breaths/min; and oxygen saturation, 96% on room air. She has a past medical history of atrial fibrillation managed with apixaban.
• As you complete the remainder of the examination, you consider how you will proceed with her evaluation and management…

A 27-year-old man presents to your urgent care clinic 2 days after a motor vehicle collision...

• He reports that he was the restrained driver of a car that was rear-ended by another car while he was stopped at a stoplight. The other driver claimed he was driving 25 mph and was braking when he struck the patient’s car.
• He had no pain immediately after the collision but developed neck and upper back discomfort and stiffness the morning after the incident. He denies any upper or lower extremity numbness, paresthesia, or weakness.
• He presents to urgent care at the request of his lawyer for proof of causation, documentation of the seriousness of his injuries, and evaluation for hidden injuries. You wonder how to manage this case…

Accreditation:

EB Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.