Auto Accident Injury Care
Car accidents are a leading cause of soft tissue injuries. Estimates indicate that as many as eighty percent of people involved in car accidents suffer from soft tissue injuries.
A soft tissue injury is any damage or injury to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Soft tissue injuries may be sudden (acute) or get worse gradually (chronic). Sometimes these injuries aren’t detected right away because they don’t show up on X-rays and often don’t cause discomfort until some time after the accident occurs.
Soft tissue injuries can take between two and twelve weeks to heal, depending on the injury, initial and ongoing treatment, and the age and general health of the person. It is wise to seek medical treatment at the first sign of pain or numbness to avoid damage and chronic pain.
One of the most common soft tissue injuries to occur during a car accident is whiplash. Usually caused by a rear-end collision, whiplash is caused by the rapid jolting of the head forward and then back. Severe soft tissue damage can result, including strains or tears to the ligaments and tendons of the neck or even damage to the discs between the vertebrae that can cause long-term pain. Up to a third of whiplash victims report continuing neck pain as long as three years later.
Symptoms of Soft Tissue Injuries
Symptoms of soft tissue injuries can manifest some time after an accident occurs. It can take as long as several days or a few weeks after. Even if you’ve been treated and released by paramedics or from an emergency room, you should still keep an eye out for any unusual discomfort or pain. Symptoms to be aware of include:
- Headaches
- Neck pain
- Sore muscles or spasms in the back
- Tingling or numbness in the extremities
- Dizziness or nausea
If you experience any of these symptoms, or any discomfort or pain after a car accident, call Fischer Health & Rehab Center right away to determine if the symptoms might be due to soft tissue injury suffered during the accident. If they are, a treatment plan to relieve the pain and increase healing will see you through the disruptive pain in your life. Our goal is to get you back to optimal wellness and doing all the things that you love to do.
Who will pay for my medical bills?
In New Jersey, personal injury protection (PIP) coverage is mandatory for nearly all auto insurance policies. With PIP coverage in place, you and all the passengers in the car are insured regardless of who is at fault for the accident. Insurance coverage, in most cases, can range from $15,000 up to $250,000 depending on the policy you purchased for your vehicle prior to the accident. It also covers you if you become injured while on a bicycle or as a pedestrian. PIP insurance benefits covers medical expenses and lost wages and will pay for your medical bills for the injuries associated with the car accident, including costs and co-pays for chiropractic care, out-of-pocket prescription costs, or other similar costs with other specialty physicians or diagnostic services.
Fischer Health & Rehab Center accepts most insurance plans at our office. We accept auto accident, workers compensation, personal injury and most major medical health insurance plans, including Medicare. Since there are so many insurance plans, coverage can vary widely. Please call us to find out if your plan covers care in our office. Our staff will verify and be more than happy to explain your medical benefits to you, at no charge, before you begin treatment.
