Car accidents can cause a variety of neck and back injuries that could be treated by a chiropractor. The problem is that chiropractic care is often seen as a type of alternative medicine. This raises the question of whether you can include chiropractic care in your claim for compensation.
Galloway Jefcoat has been helping car crash victims recover compensation for decades. We know what can be included in a claim for compensation and have the resources and legal knowledge to build a robust case.
If you were injured in a crash and need medical care, call our Lafayette auto accident lawyers. An initial legal consultation is free and there are no upfront costs.
Going to a Chiropractor After a Car Crash
Many injured victims do not feel the need to go to the emergency room following a motor vehicle crash. The next day they may feel stiff or even struggle to move. When these victims call our office, we often refer them to a chiropractor for assessment and treatment.
You should be able to recover compensation for the cost of seeing a chiropractor in your auto accident claim. However, insurance companies are not going to cover treatment that is seen as unreasonable or unnecessary. That is why victims should act quickly to link their need for treatment to the accident. Typically, if you see a chiropractor within 72 hours of the accident, it is hard for the insurance company to dispute that your injury occurred in the crash.
When you see the chiropractor, make sure to report all your symptoms. If new symptoms arise at subsequent appointments, disclose those as well. This helps connect all your symptoms to the injuries you suffered in the crash.
One of the benefits of seeing a chiropractor is he or she is trained to look for symptoms of injuries that need to be treated by another doctor, like a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon. For example, chiropractors know to look for radicular symptoms that might be coming from a disc injury. Chiropractors often contact our office to advise that a client should go get an MRI.
"I have used Galloway Jefcoat a few times and have always been very satisfied. Furthermore, all of the people who work there are very professional, nice, and courteous."
How Can a Chiropractor Help Crash Victims Recover?
There can be many benefits to getting treatment from a chiropractor for a car crash injury. For example, adjusting your spine could help relieve pain from a back or neck injury like whiplash.
Chiropractors may also be able to help reduce inflammation, helping to promote healing and increase range of motion. When they adjust your spine back to its correct position, your body can once again move as it should.
Chiropractors have specific methods for breaking up scar tissue that naturally develops after injuries that damage muscles or tendons. This is important because scar tissue can cause pain and muscle stiffness that can be significantly uncomfortable.
Another benefit to treatment by a chiropractor is it is non-invasive. Chiropractic treatments might reduce your risk of needing surgery for your car crash injury.
Car Accident Injuries Chiropractors May Be Able to Treat
Chiropractors may be able to treat a variety of injuries to your back and neck, such as whiplash. This injury can occur during the collision, as your head and neck get whipped forward by the force of impact before being suddenly stopped by the seat belt and airbag.
By working on the soft tissues in your neck, chiropractors may be able to relieve some of the symptoms of whiplash, such as:
- Recurring headaches
- Pain in your shoulder, back or arms
- Blurred vision
- Feeling dizzy
- Tingling or numbness
- Nausea
Relief from these symptoms can also help mitigate the psychological toll of a car crash injury, such as depression and increased stress.
While chiropractors are often treating soft-tissue damage, it is important not to downplay these kinds of injuries. Sometimes soft-tissue damage can affect people for just as long if not longer than a broken bone injury.
"As a client of Galloway Jefcoat for over two years I want to take a minute to say how much I appreciate the team handling my case."
Types of Chiropractors
Chiropractors can be divided into two categories: wellness chiropractors and musculoskeletal chiropractors. If you got to a chiropractor after a crash, you are likely to see a musculoskeletal one. Their goals are to relieve pain and other symptoms of an injury. They typically treat pain in your neck, joints and back.
Wellness chiropractors have a different focus: addressing problems with your nerves that may affect your spinal cord.
"Great experience, from day 1 I felt like I finally had someone on my side and that feeling didn't leave me for 1 single moment."
Treatments and Therapies Chiropractors Can Provide
There are numerous treatments chiropractors can provide beyond spinal adjustments:
- Stimulating your muscles
- Flexion distraction
- Therapy with ice or heat
- Stretching and other exercises
- Correcting your posture
- Myofascial release
- Therapy for your soft tissues
- Electric nerve stimulation
- Spinal mobilization
- And much more
Often, the first appointment with a chiropractor only involves diagnostic tests. They are unlikely to do any adjustments or other treatments during that first appointment.
Crash victims may attend several appointments with a chiropractor to provide relief. However, the more appointments you attend with a chiropractor, the more suspicious they may get about the necessity of this treatment. It is important to stay in touch with your lawyer about your treatment, as he or she can help ensure you should be able to get compensation for all your medical costs.
Call Galloway Jefcoat to Discuss Legal Options Following a Car Crash
If you have questions about compensation for a car crash injury or anything else about the legal process, Galloway Jefcoat is here to help. We have secured millions in compensation for medical care and other car crash damages and there are no upfront costs to hire our attorneys.
We help crash victims get the compensation they need to treat their injuries and help put their lives back together. Our firm has more than 25 years of experience helping crash victims throughout the state of Louisiana.
"Galloway Jefcoat helped me at a time when I felt lost and taken advantage of by my employer."