Being involved in a car accident is a terrible experience. Besides the shock and trauma of colliding with another vehicle, accidents often cause serious types of injuries.
One of the most common musculoskeletal injuries are to the back or neck. These may require continuous, ongoing care beyond the medical attention you receive immediately after an accident to recover fully, such as chiropractic sessions.
Seeking chiropractic care is a prevalent treatment method to alleviate debilitating pain and discomfort due to an auto accident injury.
If you decide to see a chiropractor or have been referred to one, a major concern is the costs related to it. You probably wonder whether you have to pay for the chiropractor costs out of pocket or will health insurance cover it.
So, who pays for chiropractor after an accident? Read on to learn more!
Do I Get Coverage for Chiropractic Treatment After an Accident?
There are two ways you can receive compensation for all medical expenses related to a car accident injury, including your chiropractor bill. These include personal injury protection (PIP) and through a claim car accident settlement.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
PIP is a no-fault insurance coverage that provides medical payments coverage, including medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, and lost wages due to time away from work. It includes wider coverage than your health insurance Med Pay, which only pays for medical bills. One of the most helpful aspects of PIP is that it covers all these costs regardless of fault.
However, whether or not you get reimbursed by PIP insurance depends on one vital condition, depending on the state. Your auto insurance must include PIP. While some states have a mandatory requirement for drivers to include PIP in their car insurance policy, others, like Washington, make it optional for drivers to add it or not.
If you have PIP as part of your car insurance, you may be entitled to receive up to $15000, depending upon the limit set during registration, which, again, varies from state to state.
Third-Party Settlement
If the cause of the car accident was the other party’s negligence, you have the legal right to seek compensation for all damages incurred under liability insurance. That includes chiropractic care, which comes under the umbrella of economic damages.
You can also get treatment on a medical lien while you wait to receive the settlement amount from the at-fault party.
A medical lien allows you to seek personal injury chiropractic treatment and pay for it after your case settles.
However, it is essential to note that chiropractic care is often deemed unnecessary by insurance adjusters. They go to lengths to dispute your claim by downplaying your injuries. As a business, you can expect them to pay you minimum compensation even if you have a legitimate claim that warrants a higher reimbursement amount.
To receive the money needed to cover your chiropractic costs, it is also indispensable to realize the significance of demonstrating that chiropractic treatment was medically necessary for your treatment and recovery.
That is where a personal injury attorney comes in. An experienced lawyer will bring a specialized skill set for dealing with manipulative insurers and negotiating a fair settlement. They will present invaluable evidence provided by you to prove that chiropractic treatment was a necessary component of your medical care, helping secure the maximum compensation.
They might also suggest filing a lawsuit if you do not reach a fair settlement agreement.
Proving Necessity for Chiropractic Treatment
As mentioned, gathering and presenting evidence to prove the medical necessity of chiropractic care is at the core of having your chiropractic costs covered and paying the least amount from your own pocket. You can do this by ensuring the following:
Seeking Medical Treatment
Whether it is a fall accident or a car crash, seeking prompt medical treatment is the most critical step to creating a strong personal injury claim. However, undergoing a medical evaluation is even more essential for another reason.
Even if you are experiencing no physical pain or mild discomfort, you might have hidden injuries that warrant immediate medical attention. The adrenaline rush and state of shock after a car accident and trauma can mask symptoms of an underlying injury.
Injuries, like whiplash and soft tissue damage can often present symptoms several days or weeks after your automobile accident.
Visiting a chiropractor soon after the car accident, preferably within 48 hours, will serve a twofold benefit. First, it will identify any internal injuries that may be asymptomatic, preventing them from aggravating into something more severe and ensuring timely treatment and your well-being.
Secondly, it will document your injury and establish medical records, helping create a causal relationship between the car accident and your injury.
Delaying or refusing medical treatment is a red flag for insurers. If you do not see a medical provider or chiropractor immediately after the car accident but many weeks or months after it, it could weaken your car accident claim to a great extent.
That is because insurance companies will use this to undermine the legitimacy of your claim. They might argue that your injuries were not a result of the crash or that chiropractic care was not a medically necessary part of your car accident treatment since you waited too long to start it.
That could ultimately affect the amount of compensation you receive for your chiropractic treatment, or perhaps, be deprived of securing any compensation if the insurers deny your claim.
Maintaining Medical Records
The medical documents you receive are an integral component of proving the need for chiropractor treatment to the insurance company and the jury.
Document and keep detailed records of everything, including chiropractic treatment dates and appointments, symptom charts, medical bills, and any other documents explaining your symptoms or the extent of injuries.
Also ask your chiropractor to write a note outlining the expected length of your treatment for a full recovery, in case the insurance company argues that you had more chiropractic sessions than needed.
If you visit a primary care physician before a chiropractor, ask them for a chiropractic treatment referral, which will also be a useful document in supporting your personal injury case.
How Chiropractic Help Can Be Beneficial After a Car Accident
Chiropractic treatment is an effective way to promote healing from several injuries after a car accident. These include whiplash, back pain, neck pain, herniated discs, headaches, and stiffness and soreness in other muscles.
Seeing a chiropractor after a car accident brings multiple benefits. They will conduct a comprehensive physical evaluation to diagnose any invisible injuries, such as soft tissue injury or damage to ligaments and tendons. Delaying an evaluation can lead to long-term, chronic pain, which is much more complicated to treat.
The noninvasive, drug-free method targets the root cause of pain by enhancing your body’s nerve function without any surgical interventions or prescription medications.
Not only does it provide pain relief, but chiropractic treatments can accelerate the recovery process by triggering your body’s healing response.
Some of the most common techniques that can alleviate back and neck pain by relieving pressure and reducing inflammation include:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Spinal manipulation
- Cervical manipulation
- Traction
- Massage
- Physical therapy
A chiropractor uses gentle touch to realign torn muscles or joints that have shifted out of their original position due to the blunt force, helping improve your limited mobility while reducing pain.
Embark On Your Road to Recovery with Logan Osland Chiropractic
The physical pain coupled with the stress and frustration of medical expenses following a car accident can be extremely overwhelming.
As a car accident victim, your priority should be your health and well-being. And the first and most crucial aspect of that is visiting a chiropractor for a thorough health assessment.
At Logan Osland Chiropractic, we specialize in treating auto accident injuries and have been doing so for three decades. Our friendly and helpful staff at our Ventura office looks forward to taking your case on a priority basis and providing high-quality, personalized care.
We also have a large network of car accident attorneys, and are happy to provide our patients a referral. So, you have the best chance of protecting your legal rights while focusing on your recovery.
Rest assured, working with a qualified chiropractor with experience treating car accident victims and a trusted personal injury attorney is the best you can do to solidify your claim while regaining your health and preventing further pain.
Click here to request an appointment!