Many Americans swear by chiropractic care. They may feel an immense sense of relief after getting a chiropractic adjustment. They also may prefer a more holistic approach that focuses more on the body as a whole and less on prescription medications and more invasive treatments.
After a car accident, you may choose to get chiropractic treatments for your injuries. However, you should usually see a medical doctor first to get a diagnosis and then make sure that your insurance company covers chiropractic care as part of your PIP policy. Our Florida personal injury lawyers can help you understand your rights and get you the compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
Located on the Treasure Coast of Florida, Gould Cooksey Fennell fights for the rights of accident victims throughout the region. We work hard to help our clients get a fair settlement for their injuries. Contact our law firm today to schedule a free consultation with a Vero Beach car accident attorney.
Injuries That Chiropractors May Be Able To Help
Chiropractors are specialists who are trained in chiropractic adjustment. This is a procedure in which a chiropractor uses their hands or an instrument to apply controlled force to a joint in the spine. Known as spinal manipulation, the goal of these chiropractic treatments is to improve the motion of the spine.
Chiropractors most often perform spinal adjustments for patients who have lower back pain, neck pain, chronic pain, and/or headaches. They can treat a range of issues related to muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage, and the nervous system. Many patients experience pain relief from chiropractic treatments, including easing long-term pain.
After a car accident, a chiropractor may treat a patient for common injuries such as:
- Neck pain and stiffness, which may be related to whiplash injuries
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Muscle strains
- Muscle pain
- Pain in the upper back, shoulders, or arms
- Dizziness
- Soft tissue injuries
- Ringing in the ears
- Muscle and tissue strains
- Herniated discs
- Spinal cord injuries
- Chronic pain
These types of auto accident injuries are typically linked to musculoskeletal issues. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may have a range of treatment options.
During a chiropractic appointment, the doctor will ask you about your medical history and perform a physical examination. They will then develop a personalized treatment plan that avoids the use of addictive medications and instead focuses on non-invasive treatments.
While chiropractors are considered doctors, they are not medical doctors. They cannot prescribe drugs (including pain medication) or perform surgery. Chiropractors earn a doctor of chiropractic degree and get licensed by the state of Florida.
When Should I See a Chiropractor After a Car Accident?
If you are in a motor vehicle accident, you should prioritize getting medical treatment as soon as possible. Even if you don’t think that you were hurt, you should – at a minimum – get checked out by your doctor. Doing so will help you get the right diagnosis and treatment.
Seeing a doctor right away will also help make your personal injury lawsuit stronger. Having a record of seeking treatment shortly after the accident can be incredibly important. Getting a diagnosis at this time will tend to show that your accident injuries were caused by the crash, not some other factor.
It can also reduce the risk that a delay in treatment will jeopardize your personal injury claim. Insurance companies often argue that a person’s injuries were made worse by a failure to seek treatment or comply with the treatment prescribed by a doctor. Going to the doctor right away will help to strengthen your case and make it difficult for insurance companies to make that kind of argument.
However, while you should go to see a doctor after a motor vehicle accident, it shouldn’t necessarily be a chiropractor – at least not initially. You should go to an emergency room, urgent care, or your primary care physician’s office to be seen. They can run tests and formally diagnose you with any accident injuries that you may have suffered.
Your doctor can also recommend seeing a specialist who can provide additional care as part of a broader treatment plan. This may include a recommendation that you see a chiropractor, go to physical therapy, or see another medical professional.
Under Florida law, you have to seek medical care after a motor vehicle accident within 14 days for your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to pay for your treatment. Florida does include chiropractors as healthcare professionals that you can see after a crash. Because chiropractors might not be able to diagnose the full scope of your injuries – and because they cannot prescribe medicine or do surgery – it is usually a good idea to see a medical doctor first before moving on to chiropractic care.
A personal injury attorney can help you understand your rights and options when it comes to the recovery process for an auto accident injury. This includes advising you what type of health care provider you should see in order to build the strongest possible case for compensation.
Will My PIP Insurance Pay for Chiropractic Care?
In Florida, all drivers are required to carry automobile insurance in order to operate a motor vehicle in the state. This coverage must include a minimum of $10,000 in PIP or no-fault insurance. PIP will pay for 80% of up to $10,000 in reasonable and necessary medical expenses, along with certain other expenses like lost wages. Minor injuries may be covered entirely by PIP, while more serious injuries – like broken bones or a neck injury – may result in higher medical bills.
The point of no-fault coverage is to ensure that accident victims can get necessary medical care without going through a legal process and waiting to find out if their medical bills will be covered by the at-fault driver’s insurance company. However, your own insurance company may limit your coverage to what they deem “reasonable and necessary” – which may not include chiropractic care as part of your treatment plan.
Reasonable and necessary is a subjective standard. In other words, insurance companies have a bit of discretion when it comes to how they interpret it. They may also deny coverage for chiropractic care if your treatment went beyond what was recommended or included treatments that may not be standard for your type of injury.
For example, consider a situation where you suffered soft tissue damage from whiplash after being rear-ended in a car crash. Your doctor recommended 3 months of chiropractic manipulations. You really liked the treatments, so you kept going for 2 more months. In this case, your PIP may not cover all 5 months since only 3 months of adjustments were recommended.
Some insurance policies may require pre-authorization from a medical doctor before they will cover any chiropractic care. If you have been hurt in an accident, you should always check with your insurance company – or have your Vero Beach car accident attorney do it for you – to determine what medical care will be covered by your PIP policy.
Keep in mind that even when dealing with your own insurance company, you may have a battle on your hands. Insurance companies make money by paying out as little as possible on claims. Even when filing a claim against your policy, you may find that the insurer uses different tactics to try to reduce how much they pay for your medical expenses and other losses.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. Through this type of claim, you may be able to recover financial compensation for your property damage, additional lost wages, reduced earning capacity, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and other losses. Our law firm will fight for your right to maximum compensation for your injuries.
Help for Treasure Coast Accident Victims
Motor vehicle accidents are associated with injuries ranging from relatively minor to incredibly serious. For some injuries, chiropractic care might be the best form of treatment. You may seek out this care if covered by your insurance, but should see a medical doctor initially. Our law offices can advise you of your rights and help you get full compensation for your losses.
At Gould Cooksey Fennell, we advocate for victims of all types of accidents, including car accidents, slips and falls, and wrongful death claims. We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will never pay a fee unless we recover money for you. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a Vero Beach car accident lawyer, give us a call at 772-231-1100 or fill out our online contact form.
