The Dummies’ Guide to Whiplash in Amarillo.
Read what expert and Amarillo chiropractor, Dr. Jeff Williams, says on the matter after over a decade treating car wreck injuries
Don’t we all feel a little bit like a dummy after a car wreck because we aren’t entirely sure exactly what we should do next?
It can be frustrating but it’s absolutely understandable. We don’t all excel in car wreck protocol. In fact, very few people would have any reason to know exactly what to do next.
That’s why we are here. We can help you and give you some responsible and reasonable advice on what you should do.
The first thing to understand is that we are not attorneys and cannot give you legal advice. We are a healthcare clinic that has worked with personal injury patients and whiplash injury patients for well over a decade and have seen the “in’s and out’s” of how it works from our aspect.
Here we go:
- If you feel your condition is an emergency, go to the ER immediately and get evaluated. While this one may seem obvious, it is not. Many times, worried about the expense of the ER and an ambulance ride, people don’t see this as the first option. It should be for emergencies. There is typically more than enough insurance coverage in car wrecks that the expense is usually zero to the patient so just go if you need to go.
- Call the police. If the wreck is serious enough, the police report may end up being valuable to you and it’s important to have them there.
- Get the other driver’s insurance information and contact information.
- Assuming it was not an emergency and you are on the scene for a while, take pictures of both cars, license plates, and any damage from up close as well as at a distance. Also take pictures of the inside of the car including airbags, contents that have been thrown around, and of the seatbelts themselves. Sometimes, seatbelts show signs of stretch and strain in a wreck. If you can, do all of this at the scene so you can prove vehicle positioning later. In addition, sometimes access to the vehicle may be difficult at a later time.
- If it was the other person’s fault, call their insurance company and place a claim. Their adjuster will contact you. In fact, they’ll send you a letter trying to get your permission to have access to your health history. Our opinion is that they are only looking for a previous complaint to deny your current complaint and, in the end, it’s none of their business. While we are not attorneys, our opinion is that we wouldn’t sign it if it were us.
- Check with your own car insurance to see if you have Personal Injury Protection coverage (also known as PIP). Do this regardless of whether or not the wreck was your fault. You have paid for it and you never know, you might need it.
- If it is not an emergency, or you were already cleared by the ER, and you still hurt, you should visit an expert in spinal and musculoskeletal injury and you should be evaluated further. Remember, in car wrecks and whiplash injury, there is typically no cost to the patient personally for care.
- It may be a good idea to get your vehicle estimated at a dealership. Dealerships typically have a protocol they must go through to give you an estimate and you will usually get a more robust estimate if you visit a certified dealership. Make sure they are taking the bumper apart and evaluating all of the contents within for signs of crush. Not all damage from a car wreck is obvious on the outside of the vehicle. In fact, bumpers are made to bounce back as much as possible and show less damage. The people doing the estimate MUST look inside to fully assess the damage.
- If you have taken the correct steps and are having more pain or difficulty than expected or the insurance companies are being difficult to deal with, through over a decade of experience in treating car wrecks and whiplash injury in Amarillo, we are uniquely able to help you choose a good, responsible attorney willing to give you the time and energy you need. Many times, the attorneys you see on the TV so often with billboards everywhere are not the best ones you should call. They are simply the ones spending the most money to market you. If it comes down to this, do not get fooled. Get some good advice and leadership before choosing and do your homework.
Now that we covered the initial steps after a car wreck, what makes us an authority on the topic and why should you be considering Creek Stone and Dr. Jeff Williams for your treatment?
We’re so glad you asked.
- Dr. Williams achieved Advanced Certification in Whiplash Biomechanics & Traumatology from the SPINE Institute in San Diego, CA.
- Dr. Williams has been recognized in District Court as an expert in Whiplash Injury and has proven an effective witness in court when called upon.
- Creek Stone has worked with attorneys for well over a decade and is very well-versed in treating personal injury and whiplash injury patients. Not to mention the experience we have gained dealing with all kinds of insurance coverages that are typically involved in car wrecks.
- Dr. Williams completed his Fellowship in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (FIANM). Dr. Williams the only FIANM in all of Texas west of the I-35 corridor from DFW down to San Antonio, including all of New Mexico. Dr. Williams is one of only 13 FIANMs in the state of Texas. That’s a big deal. There is no better place in our area to be evaluated for your non-complicated whiplash injury or car wreck injury.
- The best reason to visit Creek Stone BEFORE calling an attorney or doing anything of that nature is that we are patient-centered and are here to get you treated and back to your normal level of health and daily activities as quickly as possible. All of that other stuff may come later and we can help guide you along that path if needed. But the NUMBER ONE thing that should be the MOST IMPORTANT thing is getting you out of pain and we are uniquely situated to do just that.
If you’ve been in a car wreck in Amarillo or the surrounding region and have a whiplash injury, assuming it’s not an emergency, there’s only one call you should be making, and that to us here at Creek Stone where we will help you with all of the rest of it. No stress and no worries. We got your back.
Call 806-355-3000 and let’s get you a time set up.
___________________________________________________________________
Dr. Jeff Williams, DC, FIANM is a Fellowship-trained Neuromusculoskeletal specialist and chiropractor in Amarillo, TX. As an Amarillo chiropractor, Dr. Williams treats chronic pain, disc pain, low back pain, neck pain, whiplash injuries, and more. Dr. Williams is also the host of The Chiropractic Forward Podcast. Through the podcast, Dr. Williams teaches fellow chiropractors and advocates weekly for evidence-based, patient-centered practice through current and relevant research. If you have any questions for Dr. Williams, feel free to email at [email protected]
Learn more about Dr. Williams and his practice at https://www.amarillochiropractor.com. Dr. Williams's full-time Amarillo chiropractic practice is Creek Stone Integrated Care at 3501 SW 45th St., Ste. T, Amarillo, TX 79109
