Personal Injury & Auto Accident Recovery in Novato, CA
Care that gets you moving again after a crash — and a medical record thorough enough to carry your claim.
The first exam after a crash decides two things at once
It decides how well you heal — and it decides what your injury will look like on paper months from now, when a carrier or an attorney reads the file. Most offices are set up to do one of those well. This one has spent 40 years doing both.
Dr. Douglas DeSalvo has treated spinal trauma in the North Bay since 1987. Physicians and attorneys refer to him precisely because his findings hold up: he holds postdoctoral certification in auto crash and brain traumatology, served ten years as a state-appointed Qualified Medical Evaluator, and reads spinal imaging himself. When your case needs motion imaging to prove ligament instability, it happens in our own building.
Credentials that matter on an injury case
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Qualified Medical Evaluator
State of California — ten years serving as a state-appointed QME.
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Auto Crash & Brain Traumatology
Certified through the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.
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Independent Disability Examiner
Certified through the California Chiropractic Association.
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Postdoctoral trauma training
New York State Department of Education Board of Chiropractic.
From the first exam to maximum medical improvement
Five stages, in order. You will always know which one you are in and what has to be true before we move to the next.
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01
A real examination, not a triage glance
Orthopedic, neurological and range-of-motion testing on your first visit, with the cranial-nerve and vestibular screening a head impact calls for. The point is to find every injured structure — including the ones that will not hurt until next week — rather than to treat only what is loudest today.
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02
Imaging that can actually see a ligament injury
Static x-rays and MRIs photograph a spine holding still, which is precisely when instability hides. Dr. Douglas DeSalvo holds a California x-ray operating permit, is a Certified Fluoroscopy Owner-Operator, and directs the motion-imaging facility in our building — so when a case needs Vertebral Motion Analysis, it happens here rather than three referrals from now.
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03
A diagnosis in writing, with the mechanism spelled out
You leave with a report of findings that names the injured tissue, connects it to the forces of your collision, and states what care it will take to resolve — in language a claims adjuster, an attorney and you can all follow.
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04
Treatment aimed at healing, not at padding a file
Gentle adjusting, non-surgical spinal decompression for disc injuries, laser and shockwave therapy for stubborn soft tissue, and progressive rehab so the joint holds its correction. Every visit records objective measures, so improvement is something we can show rather than assert.
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05
Documentation through to maximum medical improvement
Care continues until you have recovered as far as you are going to, then the file closes with a final assessment — impairment, residual limitations, and any future care your injury is likely to need. As a Qualified Medical Evaluator who spent ten years state-appointed to that role, Dr. Douglas DeSalvo writes those opinions to the standard they will be read at.
The injuries a crash actually leaves behind
Rear-end impacts, side impacts, low-speed collisions, bicycle and pedestrian injuries, and slip-and-fall cases. Tap any condition to see how we treat it.
A file that holds up when someone is trying to take it apart
If you represent injured clients in Marin, Sonoma or Napa county, what you need from a treating doctor is defensible findings and reports that arrive when you asked for them. That is the practice Dr. Douglas DeSalvo has built.
- A complete injury report with mechanism-of-injury analysis tied to the collision
- Objective, repeatable exam measures documented visit by visit — not narrative impressions
- Motion imaging when ligament instability is in question, read independently
- Impairment and residual-limitation opinions from a Qualified Medical Evaluator
- Causation opinions and future-care recommendations you can put in front of a carrier
- A treating doctor whose written opinions physicians and attorneys across the region already rely on
Your own Med Pay
Most California auto policies carry medical-payments coverage that pays for accident care regardless of who was at fault. Using it does not raise your premium for being hit.
The at-fault carrier
When liability is clear, treatment is commonly billed through the third-party claim. We handle the paperwork and the records requests that come with it.
Attorney lien
In represented cases, care is frequently handled on a lien against the settlement — so treatment starts now and payment waits for the claim to resolve.
Which of these applies depends on your policy and your case. Call (415) 898-6888 and we will walk through it with you before you owe anything. See also our payment options.
What recovery has looked like for other patients
“Very professional staff. Good CS and accommodating”
“Always the best care and most thoughtful staff.”
“Combines high-tech high touch, organization professional, excellent treatments”
“My experience has been that these people are efficient and I had very little waiting at all, they are doing everything they can to help me”
“The entire staff of this office is fantastic, and Dr. Toni Campbell is a great asset to the practice. She explained in terms I could understand why my back was doing what it was and what she was trying to do to help. 10/10 recommend”
“Nice place . The staff is great !!”
Accident & injury FAQs
I feel mostly fine after my accident. Do I still need to be examined?
Yes — and this is the single most common mistake we see. Adrenaline masks pain for the first day or two, and ligament and disc injuries frequently peak three to six weeks after a collision. An early examination gives you the best chance of a full recovery and records the findings while they are still unambiguous. Waiting gives the other side room to argue your injury came from something else.
Do I need an attorney before I come in?
No. Many patients see us first and decide about representation later; others arrive with counsel already involved. Either way we treat the injury and document the case properly.
How does payment work on an accident case?
It depends on the coverage in play. Many patients use the Med Pay portion of their own auto policy, some are billed to a third-party carrier, and in attorney-represented cases care is commonly handled on a lien so nothing is due from you while the claim is open. Call our Novato office at (415) 898-6888 and we will tell you which applies to your situation before you commit to anything.
Does the New Patient Special cover an accident visit?
No. Collision and personal-injury patients are scheduled under our standard personal injury evaluation protocol instead, because those cases require diagnostic and documentation services the introductory offer does not include. It is a more complete visit, and it is usually billed to the claim rather than to you.
What if I was in a low-speed collision?
Low speed does not mean low force. Crash research has repeatedly shown cervical injury at impact speeds under 10 mph, particularly when the head was turned or the headrest was low. We evaluate the mechanism, not the estimate on the body-shop invoice.
What if I have already been to the emergency room?
That is a good first step and does not replace this one. Emergency imaging is designed to rule out fracture and bleeding — it is not designed to find a torn ligament, a disc injury or a facet joint that has lost its motion. Bring your records and imaging with you and we will build on them.
How soon after a crash should I be seen?
As soon as you reasonably can — ideally within the first few days. We keep room in the schedule for accident patients and can usually see you the same week.
Get examined this week.
The sooner a collision injury is documented, the better it heals and the harder it is to dispute. We keep room in the schedule for accident patients.