FAQ for Texarkana Residents Injured In A Car Accident

Why do I need an Accident Doctor?

You need to see someone after a Texarkana accident if you were injured or if you would like to be evaluated to make sure everything is ok.

What type of doctor should you see in Texarkana?

Do you go to your primary care physician? Do you go to an Urgent Care facility? An accident doctor?

If you have an emergency condition, obviously go to the ER.

After this or if it’s not a life threatening condition, it’s a great idea to see a health care practitioner that has experience in evaluating and treating people injured in collisions.

These types of doctors know how to determine what is wrong and how to best get you better as quickly as possible.

There is nothing wrong with going to a primary care physician.

There are 2 issues with relying solely upon a family doctor though. 

1. They can prescribe medication, but do not use the types of treatments necessary to improve soft tissue healing and minimize the risk of long term problems.
2. It’s also exceptionally likely that they will not see you for a car accident. I couldn’t even begin to know how many people we’ve seen at Hagebusch Chiropractic that attempted to see their primary care doctor first only to be told they don’t see accident victims.

Accidents are a different kind of injury.

When you have a heart problem or a kidney condition,who do you go see?

You go see a specialist, someone who specializes in what they do. These people tend to be the best in that particular area of health care, especially for emergency management.

An accident doctor is a generic term that refers to a doctor that sees crash injuries like whiplash.

Auto injuries primarily tend to be what is called ‘soft tissue‘ injuries.

That means a bone isn’t broken, but you are still in pain because of torn and compressed tissues primarily of the joints and ligaments.

This pain is caused by torn muscles, torn ligaments, damaged joints and/or discs.

These are the types of injuries that we really excel at evaluating and treating as Chiropractors.

What type of doctor would see an accident victim?

A medical doctor, chiropractor, pain management, orthopedist, neurosurgeon, or neurologist.

As mentioned above a Chiropractor experienced in treating car accident injuries is ideally suited for managing your injuries and helping you get better.

Using Insurance For Your Treatment

Health Insurance

Unfortunately, many policies will not cover injuries from a car accident.

Med Pay (Medical Payments)

Med Pay covers your medical costs after a collision. Med pay coverage covers you and anyone in your car.

It does not matter if the accident was your fault or not, you are still covered for medical cost.

We accept Med Pay at Hagebusch Chiropractic.

PIP (Personal Injury Protection)

PIP stands for personal injury protection. PIP covers health care expenses from an accident. In some cases it may cover lost wages and other associated expenses.

It also covers others in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Another benefit is that it also covers people on foot (pedestrians) struck by the covered vehicle.

We take PIP insurance at Hagebusch Chiropractic.

PIP and med pay covers your medical expenses no matter who was at fault for the accident, you or another party.

This means you can go get medical care for your injury without having to worry about who is going to pay the bill.

As mentioned, we take both types of coverage at our Texarkana Clinic. Not all clinics will take this type of special insurance coverage.

Other types of arrangements can be made depending upon the circumstances that might involve an attorney.

What should I do after an accident?

 

Call the police if you have been injured in a crash with another vehicle. If you are seriously injured, call 911.

If you’re injured, it might be best to go to the E.R. If you feel ok, then use your own judgment.

Keep in mind that it’s very common to begin feeling pain and other symptoms over the next week or two.

If you are in pain the next day, we suggest calling our Texarkana Office so we can set up a time to check you out and determine what is injured and causing your symptoms.

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash is a term used to describe injuries from an accident that often includes torn muscles, ligaments, joints, and discs in the neck and upper back.

Whiplash symptoms sometimes has a delayed onset. This means you may not feel any pain right away.

Its important to go see an accident doctor after you have been hurt in an auto accident. This will speed up your healing time, reduce your symptoms, and help you heal better.