The Value of a Chiropractor and Personal Injury Lawyer After a Car Accident
If you are involved in a car accident, your priorities should be to receive medical treatment and ensure your bills are paid. Many car accidents result in serious injuries such as back pain, whiplash, musculoskeletal injuries, and soft tissue damage.
According to statistics by the American Chiropractic Association, up to 31 million Americans experience low back pain after a personal injury. This means that after a car accident, you may benefit from treatment by a chiropractor. You may also need a lawyer to ensure you are compensated for the accident by the party who caused it. Let us highlight some of the benefits of having a chiropractor and a personal injury lawyer by your side after a serious car accident.
Documentation of Chiropractic Treatment Helps Determine the Value of Your Case
Personal injury claims cannot include costs for any medical care, including from a chiropractor, unless you can prove it was a necessary expense for treatment of your car accident injury. A chiropractor can provide the following documentation to help in the valuation of your case:
- Detailed charts that list the severity of your symptoms: This is important because symptoms of serious injuries may not be immediately apparent. If you were feeling fine after a car accident but later start experiencing pain, proper documentation can trace your injuries to the accident.
- All treatment provided to you: Insurance companies are only satisfied after they see detailed records showing why and how you were treated for your injury.
- Accurate billing information: This includes office visits, dates, and the cost of every treatment: Many personal injury claims need to be filed within two years of an injury. Billing information helps prove that your treatment was related to the accident and that the period for filing your claim has not expired.
The documentation provided by a chiropractor can help your lawyer prove your injuries were related to the car accident. The information regarding the treatment provided to you and the related billing information can help justify the amount of money your lawyer will pursue for your medical expenses and other damages.
Chiropractic Expertise Can Help With Allocating Liability
After a car accident, investigations need to be carried out before anyone is held liable for the incident. Even if you are injured and the other driver does not sustain injuries, this does not automatically make them liable for your damages. Many accidents that result in soft tissue injuries; whiplash, a herniated disc, or head trauma, are caused by rear-end collisions. These are the types of injuries that a chiropractor often specializes in treating.
In rear end accidents, the at-fault driver may try to claim that the accident was not their fault. A chiropractor can explain to your lawyer the extent of your injuries and the possible ways you may have sustained such injuries. Your lawyer can then make a compelling argument that proves the liability of the other driver for your injuries.
Chiropractors Can Help Justify Special Damages
In a personal injury case following a car accident, your lawyer may argue for the at-fault party to pay special damages. These include pain and suffering, loss of earning capacity, and temporary disability. A chiropractor can go a long way in helping your lawyer justify these special awards. When making demands for special damages, your lawyer can rely on the expert opinion of your chiropractor regarding how long your injuries will take to heal, or the extent of damage that has been caused, and also the pain and suffering you have endured during treatment.
If you have sustained a serious personal injury after a car accident, you should seek the assistance of a qualified chiropractor and a seasoned personal injury attorney people can trust. Both of these professionals can help strengthen your claim and increase the likelihood you receive fair compensation.
