What Your Insurance Company Does Not Want You To Know

If you have been in an auto accident there’s some critical information you need to know. Information your insurance company doesn’t want you to know. Even if a medical doctor has examined you, you need to be checked by a spinal expert – a Doctor of Chiropractic. Why? Only Chiropractors can detect subtle injuries to the spine, so call our office today.

 Here’s what you need to know:

• Many injuries sustained in auto accidents are hidden injuries to the ligaments and muscles of the spine.  When they don’t heal properly they form scar tissue, predisposing you to degenerative disc disease later on in life.

•  The insurance company will tell you if there is no damage to the car, you could not possibly be hurt. Numerous studies have shown you cannot correlate the amount of damage to the vehicle to a person’s injury. There are over 3 million new whiplash injuries each year, and in low speed rear impact crashes, the risk of injury is 30 to 60%. Of these people, 30 to 50% never fully recover and 14% become disabled.

• Contrary to what you may have been told, whiplash type injuries do not typically resolve in 6 to 12 weeks. Numerous studies show a significantly longer recovery time. Many injuries can take up to a year to resolve.

•  A change in velocity between 2 vehicles in an accident of as little as 5 mph is enough of an impact to cause significant damage to your body. Most modern vehicles have bumpers that don’t sustain damage until 8 to 12 mph, far above the speed that can cause an injury. When this difference in speed becomes about 15 mph, spinal cord injuries can occur.

•  Symptoms such as pain and stiffness, pain between the shoulder blades, headaches, numbness and tingling in the arms or hands, dizziness, and irritability often don’t begin until days, weeks, or even months after an auto accident. The insurance companies know this, and that’s why they try to get you to settle your claim quickly.  Don’t do it!

• Although up to one in four people that sustain whiplash injuries have symptoms that become chronic, there is hope.  A recent study in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine showed 85% of people with chronic symptoms improved after just 4 weeks of chiropractic care and 31% were completely relieved of all symptoms.

• If you are not at fault in an auto accident, it is illegal for your insurance company to raise your rates because you have put in a claim for medical treatment. Furthermore, an insurance company cannot dictate what type of care you get.  Beware! Some insurance adjusters will try to intimidate you into settling your claim to early. Don’t be bullied!