Car Accident Chiropractic Treatment at Live Long and Prosper
What should I do after I have been in an accident?
Car accidents suck. They cause a lot of grief, harm, pain and damage. Car accidents cause a lot of inconvenience and can be a part of your life for a good long while. It is surprising how far-reaching the impact of a car accident can be in your life. The average American is involved in an accident once every 18 years. That means most people can expect to be involved in three to four accidents in their lifetime. As such, there are decent odds that every single one of us at some point in our lives will be caught up in an accident whether through our fault or through the fault of another.
This blog will talk about what to do when you do get in an accident.
So your car got hit. First and foremost, you want to make sure that you and anyone involved are in a safe place. If the car is drivable and in good condition, especially on a busy road, you want to get off to the side of the road in a safe place. If someone is seriously hurt, call 911 as soon as possible.
What should I do immediately after I am safe?
As soon as safety has been established it is time to get as much information as you can quickly. It’s generally a good idea to check on the other driver to make sure they’re alright as well as to get their name and contact information. At this time I would use your camera on your phone to take some pictures and video of the other vehicle(s) and scene quickly as well as your own to document the damage as soon as you can after the accident, safely of course.
What should I get from the other driver involved in my collision?
If you have their name or if you have a picture of their license plate they’re not really going to be able to get away if they do choose to do a hit-and-run scenario. If you check on them and make sure they’re alright while staying calm they’re a lot less likely to get spooked, freak out and flee the scene. After checking on them, call the police. Police will come to the scene and be able to provide a report that has the insurance information of all parties as well as a description of what happened. Overall, the information you want and need before you leave the scene is the contact information of the other parties, and their insurance information, license plates and pictures of all damage. If anyone was hurt with bruises or cuts it’s not a bad idea to take pictures at this time as well. It’s important to document as much of the harm and damage as possible to reduce any drama or difficulties in the future that insurance companies may provide. Another thing to do during this time, perhaps while waiting for the police officer to arrive because it can sometimes take a while, is to notify your insurance company of the accident. They’ll ask for a lot of the same information and will have a claim number for you at the end of the conversation.
In my recent car accident I probably had to tell the story five or six times. So you’ve notified the insurance company, we’ve called the police, they’ve come and provided a report of the accident as well as you’ve obtained the information of the other parties and taken pictures of any damages.
When should I get car wreck treatment to start healing ?
If your car was totaled, the insurance company will arrange for a tow truck to come pick it up and take it to a place where they will then be evaluated and damage assessed. If your vehicle is considered drivable by the police officer, and your destination, go to urgent care or give us a call at Live Long and Prosper Chiropractic LLC, and we can get something scheduled. When it comes to seeking care after an auto accident it is important to get an assessment quickly. You don’t want to wait too long. If you try to put it off or hope it goes away it can sometimes look bad in your case in the event that you do develop pain and more importantly the odds of the issues becoming a long term issue increases. Some people instantly feel some pain, others may be running on adrenaline for a while and the pain won’t be felt until they calm down later. Symptoms can develop weeks or months after.
That has to do with how the body heals and as it stabilizes after an injury it may not necessarily heal in the most ideal or proper alignment, as a result it can cause abnormal stress or strain on various joints, muscles or ligaments causing pain to develop later on.
If I have waited a while to seek treatment from my auto collision, can I still get help and get better?
Whether you come and see us the next day or a month or two later we can still help you. We just have to be able to explain what’s going on and why there is a gap between injury and seeking treatment in a timely manner. It’s just generally better to avoid that. When you come to Live Long & Prosper Chiropractic for care related to a car accident there’ll be a lot of questions, but the questions will help us help you and your attorney. With the information you provide we will be able to paint an appropriate picture of what happened, how you were hurt, does it make sense anatomically and mechanically as well as what needs to happen for you to recover. We’ll do a comprehensive evaluation where we’ll document any findings related to the car collision and have an objective starting point for your treatment. This frequently includes X-rays as well as seeing structurally what’s going on and excluding some of the more serious conditions. We will then schedule a follow-up appointment where we will go over those X-rays and the results of the exam. In this visit we will give you our recommendation in regard to frequency of visit, additional things we need to do, the treatment you’ll be able to receive here, as well as the home care that will help further accelerate your recovery. We can tell you what to expect so that there are no surprises both regarding your pain relief and the treatment plan.
What should I bring to my first treatment visit for my car accident?
Good things to bring to your first visit are: the accident report, proof of insurance and any pictures or videos that you may have obtained at the time of the accident. If you have your insurance adjuster’s information and a claim number is fantastic as it allows us to get to work right away communicating with them and sending off any information that they need so that your care can go smoothly. If you have an attorney which we highly suggest we’ll need their information at this point in time as well, and you’ll also need to notify them that you are seeking care at our office so that they can send a letter of representation that allows us to talk to them regarding your care and progress. The team at Live Long & Prosper Chiropractic is committed to making this process as easy as possible. There’s enough going on as a result of an accident that will create complications in your life in the short term. Our job is to make sure any pain complications or injuries you sustained as a result of this accident do not become a long-term problem that affects you for the rest of your life. If you are ready for relief, give us a call at (253) 850-2225. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and get you scheduled for your first visit.
