Will My Car Accident Settlement Cover My Chiropractic Treatment?

Car accidents often cause injuries to the soft tissues of the body, such as the muscles and ligaments in the neck and back. Even a minor accident can cause painful injuries such as whiplash. As a victim who is injured in a car accident, you may require chiropractic treatment to recover from an injury and manage chronic pain. Although each case is unique, most car accident settlements in Texas will cover chiropractic care.

Do You Need Chiropractic Treatment After a Car Accident?

Being diagnosed with a neck or back injury after a car accident may lead to you seeking chiropractic treatment to help with healing, mobility and pain management. Chiropractic care is a type of medical treatment where a chiropractor performs adjustments within the body to catalyze healing and relieve pain. It can be an important part of a crash victim’s physical recovery – especially if the victim suffered an injury to the neck, back or spinal cord.

Unfortunately, in car accident law, chiropractic treatment is often viewed as a nonstandard type of medical care. This can make it difficult to obtain a settlement to cover chiropractic care. A car insurance company may try to deny your claim by arguing that the chiropractic treatment was not necessary or a covered type of medical care under the terms of the policy. This does not necessarily mean, however, that you are not entitled to financial compensation for chiropractic care.

What to Expect During the Claims Process

If you are not at fault for your car accident in Texas, you will most likely be eligible for an insurance settlement that covers chiropractic treatment. Texas law considers chiropractic treatment – along with other necessary and reasonable medical expenses – economic damages. As an injured car accident victim, the driver or party at fault for causing your car accident may be financially responsible for all of your economic damages, including chiropractic care.

It is not uncommon, however, for an insurance company to try to protect its profits by denying a claim for chiropractic care reimbursement. An insurance company is not on your side. The denial could be wrongful, however, if the terms of the policy make you eligible for this type of coverage. If so, a lawyer can help you file an appeal or take your case to court.

Tips for Obtaining Insurance Coverage for Chiropractic Treatment

You may need to prove to a car insurance company that you are entitled to benefits by showing that the chiropractic treatment was medically necessary. You can take the following actions in the aftermath of a car accident in Houston to increase your odds of a successful insurance settlement for chiropractic care:

1. Ask your primary care physician for a referral for a chiropractor.
2. Make sure your doctor lists chiropractic care in your medical records as part of your treatment plan.
3. Start your chiropractic treatment as soon as possible.
4. Document your care thoroughly and accurately.
5. Keep all doctor’s notes and ask for copies of your medical records.
6. Adhere to your doctor’s recommendations and treatment plan exactly.
7. Read the language of your insurance policy carefully.
8. File your insurance claim without delay.
9. Have an attorney review your claims paperwork for mistakes before submitting the claim.
10. Work with a lawyer for the best possible results.

If a car insurance company rejects your claim for a reason related to your chiropractic treatment, consult with a personal injury lawyer in Houston right away. A lawyer will know how to go up against insurance corporations and their powerful legal teams. Your lawyer can negotiate for full financial compensation on your behalf using in-depth knowledge of the law, while you focus on medical care and healing. If the insurance company still refuses to treat your case fairly, your lawyer can go to trial.