Disability and Dave Norton (Grand Theft Auto 5)

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN: February 2023

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional, this post is just based off of research I have personally done in the past.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Mentions of Drunk Driving

It’s not so noticeable in the story mode of GTA 5, however while playing as Dave Norton in Director Mode, something interesting can be noted:

While jogging and running, Davey has a noticeable limp in his right leg.

Given that this only really affects him as he’s walking and running, it can be assumed that the issue comes from bearing weight on that one leg, which in turn suggests that it’s an issue with his femur. Had it been a hip or knee injury, the limp would theoretically translate into all ranges of motion. Not to mention, through the game you can see small signs of injury. The way he’ll subtly hold his hand on his thigh, the slight limp here and there, etc.

So how did Dave Norton mess up his femur?

My best guess is a head on collision, most likely caused by a drunk driver.

We know Davey hasn’t been on any other high priority jobs since putting Michael in witness protection, or had any prior to Michael’s capture in Yankton, so that essentially eliminates the potential for a high speed pursuit. If Dave was a LSPD officer, sure, but being in the FIB his work is mostly done at his desk or in meetings. The most direct action he sees after capturing Michael really is when shit hits the fan and all the teams are at the observatory.

We also know Davey isn’t reckless. His personality is too laid back, and many voice lines of his suggest he really dislikes when he’s in a vehicle with a reckless driver.

So the accident couldn’t have been his fault. The science behind the incident is beyond me, but here’s what I can explain:

• In the case of a head on collision, the vehicle’s engine would get driven back towards him and his femur would end up getting split from the accident. While car bodies are made of aluminum, engines are often made of hard solid metal like iron and steel. A head on from a drunkard/reckless driver going down the freeway as 65 (more like 80 given they’re drunk), would end up triggering the airbag to keep him pinned, his seat belt would catch him, but the front of the car would sink in and end up slamming against his legs. All that force is going to get distributed through the patella, and go straight to the femur in a complete stress fracture.
• There is the potential that there was some sort of domino effect as well, but the specifics are very. Very. Beyond me. Essentially, for every car hit in the collision, it would take approximately half the energy of the impact exponentially, and that’s assuming there’s no space between them… But that’s a math equation I don’t quite know how to set up and haven’t learned in years so I can’t calculate that.