Every year, there are millions of car accidents that cost the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars. In the event of an accident, you need to prepare and know what to do if you are injured.
Different types of injuries require different treatments. In the aftermath of a car crash, you might not think about seeing a chiropractor. It might surprise you to find out how much help a chiropractor can be when you have been hurt in a personal injury accident, such as a car accident. Chiropractic doctors can be very useful at determining the value of a suit. The most important thing following an accident should be the recovery of your health. In some cases, a personal injury chiropractor may be the best choice for you. In addition to treating whiplash and soft tissue injuries, chiropractors are able to treat musculoskeletal problems as well as musculoskeletal injuries caused by personal injury accidents.
After being in a car accident, you should still visit a chiropractor as quickly as possible, even if you don't feel injured. Regardless of whether your insurance company covers chiropractic care, you should still seek treatment. A personal injury lawyer can help you obtain compensation for chiropractic treatments if negligence from another party led to your accident. Schedule an appointment with your chiropractor as soon as possible to ensure that your chiropractic visits and accident injuries are covered. It is best to schedule your appointment within 72 hours of the accident. Your health and injury claim will be better served if you are evaluated as soon as possible.
In this article, we'll cover common personal injury claims, reasons why chiropractic care could benefit your personal injury claim, and what to expect at your first appointment.
Common Personal Injury Claims
A personal injury can occur whenever someone is negligent, but there are a few common types of accidents that result in personal injury. Some of these accidents include:
- Auto Accidents: Accidents may involve cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and boats. Whether you were a driver, passenger, pedestrian, cyclist, or involved in another capacity in an accident, a chiropractor may be able to help you.
- Premises Liability Accidents: A slip and fall accident, for example, is attributable to negligence on the part of a business or property owner. This type of accident can occur on slick sidewalks or floors caused by water, ice, or other substances, resulting in a person falling and becoming injured.
- Workplace Accidents: Injuries at the workplace can occur in any organization, but they are most prevalent in industries such as construction and oil production.
- Product Liability Accidents: People file these types of claims when it is discovered that a product is defective or dangerous. Examples include cars, household goods, prescription drugs, and others. As an example, the defective part of a car could lead to an accident leading to injuries.
Your First Visit With a Chiropractor
A chiropractor will evaluate your injuries and how they have affected you during your first consultation. Chiropractic care may also involve checking your medical records to see if there are any underlying conditions that can impact your treatment. You will also be asked questions about your injury, the amount of pain you are experiencing, and where the pain is located in your body. You will be examined and, on occasion, you may be subjected to X-rays to determine how much movement you have left in your injured area.
Following this, your chiropractor will develop an individualized treatment plan. It may involve massaging damaged tissue, completing spinal manipulation, and performing at-home exercises. Depending on the injury and how you respond, your treatment may last weeks or months.
Spinal adjustments and manipulations are a part of chiropractic care so as to reduce back, neck, and shoulder pain. A chiropractor's goal is to find unknown issues and discover their causes, then to treat the source of the pain with natural methods. Chiropractors also provide long-term, non-invasive healthcare.
Increased Chances of Winning a Claim
If you've been in an accident, another driver's negligence could've caused your injuries. As a result, you may be entitled to compensation. If you want to receive this benefit, you will have to see a chiropractor right away to get your injuries assessed. Your medical bills will be covered once you have the appropriate documentation.
Your healthcare costs should be covered by the negligent driver when you are injured in an accident that wasn't your fault. Settlements take time, so you might need to consult a chiropractor before reaching an agreement. Similarly, keep in mind that receiving medical care does not mean that an insurer or a jury will find the care all "medically necessary." In any case, your chiropractor should treat your injuries and ensure that the necessary steps are taken to ensure you receive the best possible settlement.
The proper documentation of your chiropractic treatment is required to get a favorable settlement for your personal injury claim. Chiropractors should know how important it is to document:
- Detailed Medical Charts: All of your symptoms should be listed in your medical chart, along with their severity. Because not all symptoms appear immediately following an accident, this is crucial information to include in your chart. After an accident, you may feel fine, but the proper documentation will corroborate your injuries.
- All Necessary Treatments: It is not enough for an insurance company to only see the treatments rendered. It is important that they know that they were necessary due to your injury. A detailed record will make this clear. It is also imperative to have accurate billing information, including dates of treatments and appointment costs.
H2: Chiropractors Can Help Produce Timely Claims
After a car accident, chiropractors do one of the most overlooked things they can do for you: they help you determine what kind of injuries they can treat and how to remedy them. Obviously, other types of doctors will be better at treating some injuries.
In addition, the sooner you receive medical treatment, the sooner your claim will be settled. Receiving medical attention right away will prevent your claim from being delayed if the extent of your injuries is not immediately obvious. You will be better able to recover from an accident if you visit a chiropractor right away. This will also ensure that your claim is filed on time.
Although you may not feel any pain immediately after an accident, you need to check with a chiropractor to make sure everything is okay. Even if you don't feel any pain, you need to ensure all is well. A minor injury that you choose to ignore and treat at home with a few painkillers may actually be masking a more serious one that needs to be treated as soon as possible. It is important to keep in mind that every state has different time limitations for receiving chiropractic care, so if you wait too long, you may end up having to pay out of pocket.
Chiropractors Can Work With Your Insurance
Being injured in a car accident is never ideal, but dealing with the insurance company's logistics makes it worse. Working with a chiropractor with experience in personal injury cases can help ease the stress of worrying about your out-of-pocket expenses.
As soon as possible after an injury, you should get your injuries documented in case you decide to file a claim with your insurance company. Documenting your injury immediately after the accident will only help your claim. Your injuries will be documented, so the other insurer cannot claim they are not as serious as you claim they are or weren't caused by your accident. The assistance of a lawyer will also alleviate some of that stress, and a chiropractor who has experience in personal injury cases can make the process a lot easier for you. Chiropractic practices can also deal directly with health insurance companies, allowing you to focus only on getting better without worrying about billing.
If you wait too long to see a chiropractor after a car accident, not only will your symptoms worsen, it is likely that you won't receive coverage from the insurance company of the party liable after filing your claim. Besides evaluating your health, your chiropractor will detect any other issues that you may have. You might win your case against someone who was negligent, and you'll be compensated, which will cover the medical assistance you may need.
Contact DOCS4PI Today
Chiropractic care is the best thing you can do for your health and your personal injury claim after a car accident. In the absence of obvious injuries that need to be treated immediately in a hospital, a chiropractor will put you on the road to recovery and maximize your settlement payout as soon as possible. DOCS4PI will match you with the best chiropractor in your area, so you can begin receiving treatment immediately. In addition, they could recommend you to the best personal injury lawyers so that you could be sure you get the best settlement possible for your claim.
