Who to See After a Car Accident?
After a car accident in Orange County you may be tempted to visit your HMOs primary care physician. A car accident medical expert explains why that is not a good idea.
You Should See a Doctor Within 3 Days (72 hours) of the Accident
Just Not Your Primary Care Doctor and Here are Reasons Why:
1. You need to be seen ASAP after an accident, your PCP may take days or weeks to see
2. Your PCP is very poorly trained in car accident whiplash trauma
3. Because of #2 above, your PCP really doesn’t want to see you after an accident
4. Your PCP also does not want to see you because of the documentation headaches of a car accident; dealing with lawyers, potential depositions, courtroom appearances, etc
5. Your PCP treats according to a set of guidelines given to them by the HMO. The guidelines are designed for minimal treatment at minimal cost, therefore you will not receive ALL the treatment you need.
6. Your PCP is likely to omit important facts and include things that are not helpful into your records that will be a problem later.
7. More, much more
You Should Be Taken to the Emergency Room Immediately If…
1. You lose consciousness
2. You are bleeding
3. You have seat belt bruises around your abdomen
4. You have a severe headache
5. You feel very nauseous and dizzy
6. You have difficulty speaking
7. You cannot move any part of your body
8. If your gut tells you, you are not okay and you feel it’s more than a minor injury
For Non-Emergencies See a Doctor ASAP
1. Urgent care and request x-rays of all areas you have pain in
2. Chiropractor who is a car accident injury specialist
Why These Doctors in This Order?
Reasons an Urgent Care is a Good Choice for a FIRST Visit.
- You want to be seen ASAP, which means, NOW. Urgent cares do not require appointments and are often open later hours
- They usually have x-ray facilities onsite
- Services are covered by your health insurance
- They are staffed by personnel under an MD’s license (insurance companies and lawyers like this)
- They will prescribe medications (insurance companies and lawyers really like this)
- They don’t mind seeing car accident cases
- Be sure to ask for a copy of your x-rays (usually on a disk) and a print out of your visit including diagnosis and treatments recommended.
Next Stop is a Car Accident Chiropractor, Here’s Why:
- This is the doctor with the best training in car accident whiplash trauma and most capable of fully diagnosing and actually treating your injuries
- Any conditions missed by the urgent care will be found by the chiropractor
- The specialist chiro will know if further testing is required based on listening to your symptoms, your exam and the x-rays taken at the urgent care
- The chiropractor may also refer you out for second opinions from other medical specialists depending on your exam and x-ray results
- The car accident chiropractor primarily sees personal injury car accident cases so they are eager to see you, know how to properly document your injuries, will coordinate with your lawyer when needed and is an expert at depositions and courtroom testimony should that be necessary.
