The Role of a Chiropractor in Your Car Accident Case
After a motor vehicle accident, many people worry about paying for medical treatment. Our Clearwater personal injury lawyers often represent clients who have suffered serious back and neck injuries but may have very high health insurance deductibles or no insurance at all. In these situations, people often worry that their injuries will simply go untreated and they will have to continue suffering. Fortunately, there is hope. By working with a skilled and experienced attorney, you can often obtain the care you need right away. A chiropractor is sometimes a great place to start.
No Fault Insurance
Florida uses a no-fault liability system for car insurance. This means that all Florida drivers must carry something known as PIP (“personal injury protection”). This is a minimum of $10,000 in coverage to pay for your own injuries after a car wreck. If you get hurt, you first file a claim with your own insurance company to pay for your injuries – regardless of who caused the crash. This is great in some cases. If you have very minor injuries or just need to get checked out, then you are protected against heavy deductibles and having to worry about whether the hospital is in-network for your health insurance. But what if your injuries are more serious?
What is Chiropractic Care?
If the injuries you suffered consist of whiplash or disc injuries or a bulging or herniated disc, you may need weeks or months of therapy and treatment in order to resolve your pain. In this situation, the cost may exceed what’s available through your PIP coverage. Chiropractors are specially trained medical providers who have the training and expertise to treat muscular and spinal disorders. Chiropractors generally have the same length or education as most other types of physicians.
They receive a 4-year degree then pursue a 4-year doctoral degree from a chiropractic college. Instead of treating the body from a ‘medical’ or ‘disease’ model, chiropractors are more holistic, treating the human body as self-healing. They often focus on treating:
- Whiplash
- Muscular disorders
- Scoliosis
- General ligament and tendon injuries
- Pain and aches
- Back problems
- Posture problems
- Allergies
- Headaches
- Much more
How Can a Chiropractor Help After a Car Accident?
After a car accident, it can be tough to know exactly what is causing pain. If there are no broken bones, the emergency room is going to usually send you home with some painkillers and muscle relaxers and tell you to follow up with your primary care doctor. This is a good time to see a chiropractor. They can perform a range of tests to look for disc injuries, herniations, and soft tissue injuries.
If further diagnostics are needed (MRI, CT, etc.), they can order these. If you need a surgical consultation, they can refer you to the appropriate doctor or specialist. If the injuries are limited to muscle aches and pains, a chiropractor can often offer valuable relief at a reasonable cost. The best part is that many chiropractors will treat on a lien. This means they simply treat you until you feel better and get paid from the final settlement of your auto accident claim. This way you get the care you need when you need it.
Get Help With Your Clearwater Auto Accident
If you’ve been in a car accident in Pinellas County, call Roman & Roman, P.A. for a free case consultation. We have decades of experience helping injured Floridians just like you recover compensation for their injuries. But don’t delay. Time is limited for pursuing compensation.
Resource:
flhsmv.gov/ddl/frfaqgen.html
