A car accident can cause a lot of damage to your musculoskeletal and nervous systems. You may not realize it until a few hours later because of the adrenaline rush. Your body prepares you for the worst and shuts off the pain receptors until you are out of danger. Most people experience pain a day after the accident and that’s when it’s best to see a chiropractor. The more you delay your treatment, the more permanent the damage becomes, so it’s important you see a chiropractor as soon as possible after the accident.
The doctor will perform a complete evaluation of your musculoskeletal system and identify the damage caused by the accident muscles and develop a non-invasive treatment protocol for you. Chiropractic care kicks off your body’s natural healing process and helps in a faster recovery, without any pain killers. If the accident wasn’t your fault, the chiropractor’s report will come in handy when you have to claim compensation from the defendant’s insurance company.
Important expenses considered the insurance company
If you are injured in an accident that isn’t your fault, you should be rightly compensated by the defendant or their insurance company. Here are some common expenses that are considered during the settlement compensation:
- Medical treatment
- Doctor fees
- Prescription medicine
- Car damage
- Lost wages
- Emotional damage
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Pain
- Property damage
Having a chiropractor by your side will prove instrumental as they can materialize the amount of pain and suffering you experienced due to the car accident.
How is the settlement calculated?
The first thing your personal injury attorney and the defendant’s insurance company will look at is the documented expenses, which include medical bills and property damage as they are the easiest to calculate. It is more difficult to calculate subjective expenses including emotional damage, suffering, or pain. There are two systems that are used to calculate this type of compensation — per diem system and pain multiplier system. Chiropractors play a crucial role in deciding the amount.
1. Per Diem
In the Per Diem system, the attorney and insurance company set a value for the pain you suffer every day. A chiropractor will determine your level of pain and then it will be multiplied by the number of days you experienced the pain.
2. Pain Multiplier
In this method, the cost of medical bills, doctor fees, chiropractic care, and other objective expenses are multiplied by a number anywhere between 1.5 and 5. A chiropractor will measure the pain you suffered.
Another factor considered when determining the compensation amount is the defendant’s insurance policy limit. The insurance company only pays the maximum amount according to its liability coverage and the remaining money is paid by the driver responsible for the accident.
How a chiropractor can increase your compensation amount
Getting the right help is necessary for your recovery process and our chiropractors will ensure that you receive exceptional care. If the accident was some negligent driver’s mistake, you shouldn’t be paying for chiropractic care and medical bills along with the trauma you went through.
When you visit a chiropractor, they will analyze your injuries and pain symptoms and develop a recovery plan to tackle them. If you have extensive injuries and visited a hospital or ER after your accident,you need to continue your treatment at a chiropractor’s office to treat your musculoskeletal injuries and prevent long-term pain. Both the chiropractor and the physician will estimate your pain and add the cost to your medical bills and treatment.
Benefits of getting chiropractic care after a car accident
Taking prescription medicine offers only temporary relief and there are chances you will get addicted to them. Painkillers and steroids also come with a variety of side effects that make you lethargic and cloud your judgement. However, that’s not the case with chiropractic care because it is a non-invasive therapy that offers long-term benefits.
Apart from maximizing your settlement, here are the top five health benefits of getting chiropractic care after a car accident:
1. Reduces inflammation
Even if you didn’t suffer any visible injuries during the car accident, you will experience micro-tears in your muscles and ligaments. They cause inflammation and turn the affected area red and sore. An X-ray won’t catch them but a chiropractor will. Our chiropractors will use spinal manipulations to release anti-inflammatory substances in your blood that travel to the inflamed area and reduce inflammation.
2. Decreases scar tissue
When you suffer from an injury, your muscles develop scar tissues that are a combination of damaged cells and blood. The bigger the scar tissue, the more sensitivity issues you will face. There’s also loss of flexibility as the nearby muscles and nerves get damaged by the scar-tissue. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive therapy that targets your damaged muscles and breaks up scar tissues to induce a self-healing process. You may experience slight pain when the treatment is administered but will experience immediate relief afterward and the recovery will be faster as well.
3. Improves blood flow
Chiropractic care uses techniques that induce a natural healing process, which is done by manipulating your spinal cord to improve blood flow to the damaged parts of your body. It will gradually help you to regain normal body movement as there will no longer be substances that block nutrients from reaching the body parts that require them the most.
4. Avoids chances of long-term pain
Some car injuries start as minor injuries but can become serious if let unattended. For example, failure to get the proper treatment for a jerk to your head during an accident can cause chronic headaches and emotional anguish that may appear months or even years after the accident. One of biggest mistakes we see is people choosing not to get treated because they think they don’t have significant damage – remember, symptoms are the last things to appear after an accident are indicative of a larger underlying problem.
5. Relieves pain without using drugs
As we mentioned earlier, pain medication only offers temporary relief and can become addictive. After the course is over, people find tend to continue the medication and experience withdrawal symptoms if they miss a dose. The medication stimulates your brain and spine to reduce pain sensitivity, whereas chiropractors target the area of injury and remove the pain from its source.
Why choose Iceberg Health?
At Iceberg Health, we believe that you shouldn’t be responsible for someone else’s fault and will work our best to help you get the best compensation deal. We have worked on thousands of accident cases and have perfected our notes and medical records system so the insurance company gives the largest settlement possible. If you find yourself in an accident that isn’t your fault, call us at (678) 505-0000 and book a free 15-minutes auto accident consultation with our highly-rated chiropractors. We will work closely with your personal injury attorney and fight hard so you can get the compensation you deserve.
One of our expert chiropractors will analyze your condition and develop a plan of treatment. You may not have to pay any money as all of it will be covered by the insurance company. We have dealt with thousands of similar cases in the past and will get you the highest possible settlement amount.
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