Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is insurance that covers your medical expenses and the costs associated with lost productivity when you get in a car accident. This coverage is an add-on to your standard auto insurance policy and adds very little to the cost. PIP is mandatory in Oregon and optional in Washington.

PIP coverage is important protection when you’ve been injured in a car accident. Accidents can cause severe and lasting damage that worsens over time and may result in extensive ongoing health problems. A PIP chiropractor can help identify any physical damage you’ve sustained following the accident and put together a custom treatment plan so you can avoid chronic illnesses without being left out of pocket, especially if you’re concerned about chiropractor cost without insurance.

General Wellness Check

After being involved in a car accident, the most important step you can take is to be checked over by a professional. Visiting a PIP chiropractor specializing in car accident injuries can help identify damage quickly and begin treatment for sore muscles, stiffness, or headaches.

Spinal Injuries

Spinal injuries are a common result of car accidents, even for people who were wearing their seatbelts. Having back pain after an accident can simply result from tension and stress, but it can also indicate bigger problems. Back pain that is left untreated can morph into partial or full disability over time.

Neck Injuries

Neck injuries manifest in multiple ways. Some of the symptoms seem unrelated to the neck, so you may not associate the problems with your car accident. Signs to look for include:

• Migraine headaches
• Soreness between the shoulders
• Sharp pains at the base of your skull
• Arm or jaw pain
• Stiffness of your neck
• Vision changes

One or more of these symptoms can occur from whiplash and related neck injuries. Leaving these issues untreated can result in extensive pain in the future. A PIP chiropractor can help you get to the root of the problem and put together a proper treatment plan to help you recover from the injuries you sustained during your car accident, all while considering factors such as chiropractor cost without insurance.

Muscle Injuries

General muscle aches and soreness are the most common complaint following a car crash. Most people simply shrug them off and neglect to get a full physical exam to ensure there is no lasting damage. 

But PIP coverage will often pay for your chiropractic exam and related treatment needs so that you don’t have to suffer. Professional PIP chiropractor treatment can help to reduce inflammation and improve your range of motion when you’re stiff and sore.

Supporting Your Personal Injury Claim

Seeing a PIP chiropractor after your car accident isn’t just a smart move for your physical health. It’s also a wise step to take if you plan on seeking a settlement for your injuries, especially if you’re concerned about chiropractor cost without insurance.

The process of obtaining a settlement for the injuries you sustain in a car crash can be exhausting and difficult to navigate. And sometimes it’s simply not feasible to wait to see a chiropractor after your car accident settlement. The longer you wait to be seen, the worse your injuries could become. Paying a visit to your chiropractor as soon after the accident as possible can make certain aspects of that process easier to manage.

Personal injury can be a harrowing experience. Whether you’re involved in a car accident, an accident in the workplace, or some other injurious event, it’s best if you can focus your efforts on healing rather than on the details involved with a personal injury claim.

It’s easy to see the value in leaving as much of the minutia as possible in the hands of your attorney. What many people don’t realize, though, is that proper chiropractic care can actually work to support your personal injury claim.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

The insurance aspect of medical treatment is rarely an enjoyable one. Your chiropractor can help limit the hassle when dealing with your insurance company. Instead of being a middleman between your PIP chiropractor and the insurance company, you can leave a lot of the paperwork and tiny details to your chiropractor. They can communicate directly with the insurance company to help validate a claim and make sure that payment is quick and straightforward.

Like the court, insurance companies will want to know the medical reasoning behind each procedure performed. They’ll also want to know the specific costs involved and the dates of your treatments. Your chiropractor’s records will help with this.

Do your best to avoid potential pitfalls in the time immediately after an injury. It’s best to get someone in the medical field on your side by seeking the aid of a PIP chiropractor who can support your claim.

If you’d like to discuss the connection between chiropractic care and your personal injury claim or if you have questions about chiropractic care in general, please contact Veeva Chiropractic Clinic at ((503) 782-6108.

How PIP works

PIP insurance is coverage through your auto insurance that covers your medical expenses after an accident.

To begin using PIP benefits, you need to file a claim with your insurance carrier after an accident. When you do this, you’ll typically pay $0 out of pocket for medical treatment, making it accessible to everyone, regardless of your financial situation. It also helps cover lost wages and other monetary losses as a result of the accident. Throughout your case, PIP will become your primary insurance for any injury sustained during the accident. 

After an auto accident, PIP coverage can be used to pay for:

• Chiropractic care for whiplash
• Additional chiropractic services
• Massage therapy
• Nutritional counseling
• Corrective exercises
• Wages lost
• Other accident-related expenses

If you have been in an accident, your medical expenses can add up fast. You should not have to pay for that needed medical care out of pocket. You have paid your insurance premiums, so use the benefits and focus on following the advice of your PIP chiropractor and recovering from your injuries.

Who pays for a PIP chiropractor after a car accident settlement?

If you accept a settlement after your car accident, it’s your responsibility to pay for all your medical treatment, including your chiropractic care. This is why it’s so important to really do the maths and calculate how much money to negotiate so you can cover your expenses.

By going about things the right way, getting evaluated by a proper chiropractor, and keeping all the essential paperwork, you should easily be able to prove the chiropractic treatment was necessary and increase your settlement. 

A chiropractor visit doesn’t have to be overly complicated. But if you have questions you’d like to have answered beforehand, keep reading. We will tell you everything you need to know about visiting a chiropractor after a car accident settlement, from who is expected to foot the bill to what is most likely to happen in each session. 

How much does a PIP chiropractor visit cost?

Just like a standard doctor’s visit, a chiropractor’s visit can vary in expense. This is true whether you visit the chiropractor after a car accident settlement or before your case has gone to trial. Whether or not you’ve got insurance also changes how much you can expect to pay.

This is because the total cost will depend on the specific services you need. If your treatment requires specialized equipment and multiple visits, you can expect the expense to be on the higher end of the spectrum. 

Who pays for the visit after an accident?

Typically, the person with an injury or their insurance provider will pay for the visit, although you may be able to seek reimbursement from the other driver if they are really at fault for the accident.

Our chiropractic team will help you to work through your insurance claim, providing the paperwork that you need to file with your provider. With this paperwork on hand, you should be able to prove that the visits were medically necessary.

Providing the Proof of Injury and the Necessity of Treatment

The most important service a PIP chiropractor can provide for you in this regard is the validation of your injuries, especially if you’re concerned about expenses. Wondering how much does chiropractor cost without insurance? The court isn’t going to take it on faith that you have a medical need for chiropractic services.

Additionally, not all injuries are as obvious as a broken bone. Instead, a well-qualified chiropractor will be required so that detailed records can be kept concerning which injuries were discovered, how they were treated, and what the treatment costs were for you.

All of this substantiation will serve as a connection between your injury and the treatment that followed. Your attorney will then be better prepared to come up with a plan for handling your court case and reaching an acceptable settlement. Whether or not court proceedings happen, you’ll need documentation to bolster your case, particularly if you’re worried about chiropractor cost without insurance. That’s what a chiropractor can provide, along with their usual medical services.

Your chiropractor issues medical charts that outline the overall extent and severity of your injuries and symptoms which establish that they were a direct result of your accident. They outline every bit of treatment you’ll receive. They also provide specific billing information, with accurate and detailed line items about every step of your treatment.

Oregon PIP

Oregon PIP policies are mandatory and have a minimum of $15,000 and 2 years from the date of the accident. You may purchase higher coverage.

Washington PIP

Washington PIP policies have a minimum of $10,000 but provide coverage 3 years from the date of the accident. NOTE: Washington PIP can be rejected and may not be a part of your policy. You should check your policy to see if you have coverage and may have purchased higher coverage.