I just got in a car accident! What do I do?
Hi Health Fam!
Today I want to talk about one of the most common traumatic injuries that walks into my office. I spend most of my time here talking about wellness care, but all this rain has me thinking! I have seen a lot of car accidents, and I wanted to let you know that I can help with more traumatic injuries too! As some of you may know, I have worked in another office while I have grown my own clinic. That office is dedicated to treating personal injury patients. It is one of the oldest and largest chiropractic clinics of that kind in the city of Atlanta, and as a result, I have had the great fortune to learn how to provide that style of care for my patients as well!
Let’s talk about some quick Do’s and Dont’s
Do these THREE things immediately!
Get out of traffic! If possible, move your car out of traffic or to some spot where you and your vehicle will not be at risk of additional injury. Sometimes in bad accidents, your car’s engine won’t work. If that’s the case, exit your vehicle and move out of traffic.
Assess your injuries! If you are bleeding, or if you hit your head, it’s generally best to go straight to an urgent care or to the hospital. They will be able to rule-out any major injury.
Call 9-1-1! It is very important to call the police any time you’re in an accident. Most of the time police officers will not issue tickets if the accident occurred on private property, (i.e. a parking lot), but they can still write a report. Police reports are essential for insurance coverage of accidents.
Do NOT do these three things under any circumstances!
Do NOT post on social media! The insurance industry is very savvy and can use things that you post on social media about an accident against you. For instance, if you get in an accident and post photos but say, “I’m fine,” that statement could be used against you in a settlement or in court.
Do NOT admit fault! Do not admit fault to the police or to the other driver in the accident, even if you’re unsure of who caused the accident. By admitting fault, you could lose access to critical health benefits.
Do NOT leave without exchanging important information! Generally police officers will ensure that both parties exchange license and insurance information. However, it is your responsibility to get that information from the other driver and to share yours with the other driver, regardless of fault.
Now that we have talked about what to do immediately after an accident, let’s talk about how I can help you navigate this challenging time.
I will assess you for injuries sustained in the accident! Generally hospital ERs and Urgent Cares are only interested and only focus on life-threatening injuries. The vast majority of car accidents will not require treatment at one of these advanced facilities. Fortunately, as a chiropractor, I am highly qualified and certified to assess all of your injuries.
I will create an appropriate treatment plan for your musculoskeletal injuries! Chiropractors are the most common practitioners that treat injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents. I am also a portal of entry physician that can treat most musculoskeletal conditions. In the rare event that you have injuries outside my scope of practice or if you require co-management with a specialist, I will refer you to the appropriate provider.
Get you back to 100% with as few lingering impairments as possible! Studies have proven that patients who see a chiropractor first after a major accident are far less likely to require surgery than those who only seek care from medical doctors. That is because we work to heal the source of the problem, and we don’t simply cover up your symptoms with pain pills and pharmaceuticals.
Yours in health,
Dr. William