A car accident can be a very stressful situation, your adrenalin is going and your body is in a fight or flight mode. It’s important to remain calm and work through these steps to deal with the auto accident in the best possible manner.
First, you need to check yourself and others in your car for any injuries if you’re ok check on the other driver. If anyone is injured call 911. Even if the accident is minor and everyone is ok consider calling the police, this is legally required in some states. The police will fill out an accident injury report to have an official document for the insurance company.
Make sure your car is in a safe place and if not move it off the main road into a safe location. Turn on your hazard lights and turn the car off and wait for assistance to arrive.
Exchange your name and insurance information with the other driver. Limit your interaction with the other driver, other than to gather basic information on the driver try not to give any extra details. Document details of the crash and take pictures with your phone.
Name and insurance information of the other driver.
The other driver’s telephone number, if they are willing to provide it.
Witness contact information.
Photos of any damage.
Police report number.
Police officer’s name and telephone number.
Personal notes on what happened during the incident.
Call your insurance company and notify them to start the claims process. It is important to mention that if you have any injuries or even feel a little soreness, you should get checked out by a Chiropractor for any issues that may contribute to an acceleration of degeneration and pain in your future. DON’T WAIT, get treated right away.
Many times you will not even notice pain right away because your adrenalin is high and you’re in shock from the accident, many times the pain will start to occur days after the accident. When you call your car insurance tell them you are going to get checked out by an auto accident doctor and they will help open a “medical claim” for you so your treatment will be covered under your car insurance.
An important fact to mention is that you only have 14 days from the date of your accident to seek medical treatment in order for your treatment to be fully covered through your car insurance.
At our office, Health in Motion Chiropractic your first appointment with us will include a thorough exam and treatment to facilitate recovery right away. We understand there can be a lot of soft tissue damage that is not visible on an X-ray. If you experienced a whiplash injury our treatment methods include gentle chiropractic manipulations to address joint dysfunction, soft tissue and manual therapy to address the muscle spasms and damage to the fascia, traction to treat disc pathology and pinched nerves as well as rehabilitation exercises to fully treat all your injuries.
After your initial visit, we decide if further imaging is needed and may send you out for an MRI to look at the soft tissue damage that may have occurred during your car accident. After receiving results from the MRI we are able to modify treatment in order to best address the injured areas. We also work with other health care providers, such as Orthopedists, Neurosurgeons, and Pain Management doctors. Together we co-manage your injuries to make sure nothing is left untreated or not fully recovered at the end of your treatment plan.
Our office also works with personal injury attorneys who help a great deal in handling the correspondence between the insurance companies to make sure you receive the treatment you need for a full recovery and compensation for any persistent injuries.
An auto accident can be overwhelming at times, leaving you with pain, injuries and not knowing what to do. We can help you through the whole process. If you have any questions about your accident or what to do next don’t hesitate to call our office, we could be happy to walk you through step by step what you need to do in order to make sure you receive the best care and full recovery of your injuries. Call us today 386-320-0325.
Call us today at (386)-320-0325 for relief of your whiplash symptoms or for assistance in reaching optimal health.
