You just got into a car accident.......Now what?

Getting into a car accident or more accurately described (by my personal injury colleagues and friends) as a car collision can literally be one of the most NERVE RACKING and inconvenient experiences in life.

First, there's the safety of YOU and YOUR passengers (i.e. are you or any of your passengers visibly hurt? Or will aches and pains come up later?)..............,   and then there's your vehicle...... depending on the extent of the damage to your vehicle it may have to be towed to a shop or it may have underlying damage........ ........... 

If YOU were the person causing the accident......... then what about the people in the vehicle you collided with, Are They HURT?.  If  YOU GOT HIT, are the people in the other vehicle still around or did THEY JUST DRIVE OFF????

WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE????????.... (more on this later)

In all this mass confusion here are some general guidelines that are helpful.         I call them the DO'S and DON'TS after a car collision.

After dealing with the shock of it all as well as the little annoying inconveniences that MUST be dealt with and if you've come away from the accident not VISIBLY HURT....., you SHOULD definitely get evaluated as soon as possible!!!!!!

For an in depth look at what happens to your body during a car collision...........

WATCH THIS VIDEO → Click here to watch video

You see, even if you haven't suffered a cut, broken bone or a head injury....... there are insidious little pains called SOFT TISSUE INJURIES that can manifest WELL AFTER your collision.  Sometimes as long as a few weeks after!!

Here are some COMMON SYMPTOMS of soft tissue injuries which we see daily in our office:

• Neck pain, headaches, sore muscles in the neck and upper back
• Confusion, dizziness, nausea, visual  & auditory disturbances, vertigo/balance issues
• Numbness/tingling in the arm/wrist/hands/fingers
• Mid/low back pain
• Other extremity (shoulder, knee, elbow, wrists, jaw pain, etc.)

Soft tissue injuries are injuries to your MUSCLES, JOINTS, LIGAMENTS & TENDONS.  Unfortunately, the traditional way to deal with these injuries, is to cover the ache or pain up with DRUGS and if that doesn't work...... maybe try physical therapy.  Both of which are often SHORT-TERM fixes to your injuries.              Which don't allow your body to heal properly.

Here are some recent sobering facts regarding car collision injuries from research literature:

• 71% of patients have had symptoms 7.5 years after being injured. Injury 2005

• 7% of people injured in whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) who become symptom free within 3 months have their symptoms return and remain symptomatic after 2 years. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. 2004

• 85% of people who are symptomatic 3 months after a whiplash injury will still have symptoms 2 years later. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. 2004

• Review of many studies show that there is a 35% prevalence of persistent whiplash symptoms at 6 months following a rear-end vehicle collision.  Spine 2005

That's why some folks can have CHRONIC issues YEARS after their CAR COLLISIONS!!!

This is where CHIROPRACTIC excels.  By treating your spine and the rest of the joints in your body through gentle adjustments, your soft tissues are able to HEAL PROPERLY.

So........ DON"T HESITATE!!!  The longer you wait, the chances of your injuries of becoming chronic or PERMANENT can be significant after JUST 2-3 WEEKS!!

CALL US NOW FOR AN NO-OBLIGATION EXAM & CONSULTATION!!

206-525-2811

What about dealing with

INSURANCE COMPANIES???????...........................

Despite what most people think......, even if you did not cause the accident your insurance company is NOT ON YOUR SIDE!!!!!!!

"But, I've paid my premium religiously for years".......... "How could they not be on my side?"

The Sad Truth Of The Matter Is This:  YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY IS A VERY LARGE BUSINESS that cares more about THEIR BOTTOM LINE then they do YOUR CAR OR YOUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING!

The TRUTH is after you're in an auto collision and you make a claim to repair your car and receive treatment for your injuries, your claim is assigned to an insurance adjustor who's job and mandate is to pay out the MINIMUM amount of $$$$$ in the QUICKEST amount of time.

It doesn't matter if you were hit up-side the head with your steering wheel and you're now having to be wheeled around in a wheel-chair and you can't work and you're having a hard time getting your kids to school in the morning.  THEY have NO-SYMPATHY.  Insurance adjustors even...... GET BONUSED based on the number of claims they keep below a certain dollar amount. 

Wanna hear another sick  secret???: 

The insurance industry norm when dealing with car collision claims is to place your claim into a giant software program named COLLOSSUS and based on a few criteria (like damage to your vehicle, etc.) it spits out a number that your claim (including your vehicle and your health, recovery from you injuries) is worth!!  It does not allow for varying circumstances that may be unique to your case and this is IRREGARDLESS of how much pain you're in, how much STRESS it's caused you and how much of an inconvenience it's been, etc.!!!!!!!

I don't want to sound negative and this won't happen in every single circumstance BUT, take it from someone who's seen many, many car collision injuries and played the INSURANCE GAME.  What I just revealed is the general rule and NOT the exception.

This really quickly turns into a NIGHTMARE!!!  Not only for you the AUTO COLLISION VICTIM but also, everyone that deals with your claim!

So what should you do?..................... I CAN'T STRESS this ENOUGH!    CONSULT WITH A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY!!!!!!!!!!

Some folks that I treat are really resistant to the idea but, you know what????  An personal injury attorney can be an incredible ASSET and ADVOCATE for you when dealing with insurance companies.  They can free up your time (from having to make a million calls to insurance adjustors to explain your claim, etc.) and they can be PITBULL for you when they try and pull some wool over your eyes!

Not everyone NEEDS to hire an ATTORNEY in the case of a car collision but, EVERYONE should CONSULT with one!

MOST OF THEM WILL GIVE YOU A FREE CONSULTATION!

For a list of great personal injury attorneys that we work with in the King County area, please call our office at 206-525-2811.