7 Tips You Need to Know After A Car Accident

If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident there are a million things racing through your head. We have listed seven helpful tips you need to know if/when that time comes.

1. Preventative: Make sure you have "med-pay" coverage on your insurance that will cover your care should the other parties involved not have coverage. This is the single-best course of action to avoid larger problems should an accident occur. Consider it insurance for the insurance. If you're not sure of your exact coverage right now, call your local insurance agent and review your policy. It's usually a few dollars more a month for this coverage, but it's the best line of defense.

2. Get all the parties information who were involved in the accident. Witnesses help too.

3. Contact your insurance to inform them of the accident as soon as possible.

4. Take pictures of the vehicles and yourself as soon as possible.

5. Call the police and request a full report be made if the accident damages and/or personal injuries have occurred.

6. Make a doctor's appointment (we recommend a chiropractor) for a brief, but thorough, examination.

7. Contact a personal injury attorney to represent you if insurance companies and involved parties aren't quickly coming to reasonable settlement.

More things you may not know about auto accidents.

Often, individuals involved in motor vehicle accidents experience minimal or no symptoms for the first few weeks and even months. It's important to not only receive immediate and appropriate treatment for any injuries sustained, but also to document the extent of the injuries, if present.

Failure to obtain a timely evaluation or appropriate treatment for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident may negate your ability to receive monetary compensation for any future medical bills resulting from the accident, negate your ability to receive pain and suffering settlements, and negate compensation for work loss.

What chiropractors can determine:

- the extent of the injury or injuries
- the number of estimated treatments required to treat your injuries
- if referral to another medical specialist is required
- if special tests are required (i.e. MRI, CT Scan, etc.)
- if you need to take "injury time off" from work (and provide you with a note to present to your employer)
- whether obtaining legal representation may be in your best interests (and recommend some excellent attorneys)

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident, call (or have them call) our office immediately. The quicker you receive the care you need, the quicker your injuries will heal and the faster you can get on with your life.