“It Won’t Happen To
Me…”
…are the words we all have said or thought at some point in
our life. Often, we are wrong. Though “it” may not happen to us, it still
could. We are all susceptible to chance, luck of the draw, and so many
circumstances just out of our control.
Life is not like the reality show, “Survivor”…none of us hold special
immunity protecting us differently than that of another person.
One example of “it won’t happen to me thinking” are
ACCIDENTS, in particular, vehicular accidents.
I know you don’t think it applies to you, perhaps not at this moment and
hopefully never, but then again you just don’t know. So don’t let this message be like other times
in your life when you’ve thrown something away, and then found you could have
used it after it’s been discarded.
Intellectually, you know all the reasons that during your
driving lifetime, you may be involved in a motor vehicle collision. Such as you are at risk the more hours you
spend on the road. Traffic conditions
and weather play a part, inexperienced, and inattentive drivers, eating in the
car, putting on makeup, using cell phones, road hazards, construction and much,
much more. You get it. Driving is like walking in a mine field. We spend a huge amount of time driving or
being driven. You need to be prepared
should the unexpected happen.
I’d like to share some tips should you or a loved one should
ever be involved in a motor vehicle collision. Obviously, I’m not an attorney,
so I’m not doling out legal advice only some tips from experience. I have an attorney in my family, a good
friend who is an attorney and several patients who are attorneys. I also have patients who are in law
enforcement. I have patients who are
insurance adjusters and you know I’ve treated thousands of patients over twenty
plus years who have been in accidents.
People forget this sometimes because I have a wellness practice, but I
do treat trauma. Therefore, I want you
to learn from this collective body of knowledge. I’m an old Eagle Scout (getting older every
second). I believe in being
prepared. You may not need this
information now, but you might in the future or it may benefit a friend or
loved one. Or even you in the
future. (I pray not.)
I am about to share some secrets that your well-meaning
medical doctor may not know and insurance companies definitely don’t want you
to know and could possible hide from you.
These secrets are important even if you’ve just been in a “fender bender”. Also, I’ve created a special card for you to
keep in your vehicle with some facts and steps to take should you have an
accident.
It’s FREE for you!
Just come by my office and pick up a few. I have plenty. A sample can be viewed at the end of this
report.
I have found most people to be God loving, family oriented,
work like crazy to feed and care for their family folk, who don’t want to take
advantage of anyone (including insurance companies). All they want is their vehicle fixed or
replaced, their injuries healed and to get back to their lives after an
accident!
Unfortunately, it’s usually not that simple. There’s more involved and the last thing you
need or want is to have residual health problems down the road. You can always buy a new car, but you are
living in your body forever. So you
better repair it the best way possible, as fast as possible! While it may be inconvenient to undertake
treatment because it takes time out of your busy schedule…your future depends
on it. Do you want to set aside time now
or be robbed of it in the future?
I urge you to seek help with any symptoms you may
have, however minor they may seem. Don’t
have obvious symptoms? Still get
checked! Many symptoms can “show up”
further down the road after you’ve closed the case with the insurance
company. During a thorough examination,
signs or symptoms can be elicited by the doctor that you may not have
noticed. Remember the doctor will look
for less than obvious problems and will likely want to take x-rays to check for
internal spinal problems.
Thinking you’ll get better on your own or with some pain
medications can be a big mistake and won’t heal the biomechanical
(musculoskeletal) and neurological damage that occurs to our bodies when
they’ve been traumatized. I’m sure your
medical doctor is caring and proficient however, he or she is ill prepared to
treat you through a soft tissue recovery process. They can give you meds and send you on your
way, but they can’t actively treat you.
You need a doctor trained in these types of traumas to care for the body
and layers of damage sustained by the spinal nerves, muscle, tendons, ligaments
and joints. Frankly, you need a
chiropractor. One that can co-manage
your recovery (healing) with other medical professionals who specialize in
trauma when or if needed. Some people do
need additional testing such as MRIs or nerve tests. Others may even need pain management
injections in conjunction with receiving chiropractic and physical therapy
treatment.
Obviously, if you live locally, I’ll be happy to help should
the unexpected happen to you. But if
not, please find a chiropractor to assist in your recovery.
Some facts to
consider:
1) Although
the “rear-ender” type of accident represents only 20% of motor vehicle
accidents, it causes over 80% of injuries giving long-term and persistent
symptoms. [i] [ii]
2) A
surprised accident victim does not have a chance to brace for impact which can
result in more serious injury to the spine and nervous system. [iii]
3) An
older accident victim will generally suffer a more serious injury because of decreased
elasticity, dramatic loss of flexibility and strength, and slowing of the
natural healing rate. [iv]
4) In
general, a woman’s lighter musculature means that she will have a higher
incident of injury. [v]
5) In
a typical collision, having the head turned to one side such as when talking to
another passenger, can dramatically increase the amount of neck injury. [vi]
Several myths
associated with whiplash injuries are:
1) If
you’re hit from behind at low speed, you won’t be injured.
2) The
more damage to your vehicle, the more severe your injuries.
3) If
you’re injured, the injuries will completely heal within one to three months.
Here’s an exercise for you:
Make a list of all those things you enjoy, want to do now
and in the future. Maybe it’s… play
golf, lift the kids and grandkids, ride bikes, play sports, boat, fishing, or simply sit comfortably
watching movies, tennis matches, or at a concert.
Now envision your life without these things or trying to do
them with neck or back pain, headaches, weakness, numbness and tingling in the
limbs…that’s not much fun is it? In
fact, it’s miserable.
Here is one critical tip worth its weight in gold that you
must act on now. Yes, even if you have
not had an accident. Please call your
insurance agent and verify that you have personal injury protection (aka, PIP)
on your policy. If you don’t have it,
have your agent add it immediately. PIP
in Texas is voluntary and has three coverage amounts—$2,500, $5,000 and
$10,000. This pays for your medical
bills, so you don’t have to pull money out of your pocket for doctor’s
visits. There’s all kinds of scenarios
where this is important such as being hit by an uninsured motorist (in Texas,
this is real likely), or being in a hit and run.
Suppose you needed diagnostic testing such as an MRI? That could cost $1500. So you can see that medical bills can
escalate quickly. It’s better to be
prepared with adequate coverage.
Just a short note on attorneys; this is a hot topic for many
people and I don’t want to offend anyone, hurt feelings or be
disrespectful. Like anything else in
life, there are good and bad in all professions. There are good attorneys and not so good
attorneys. I’ve seen patients use
attorneys that have done great jobs for them, effectively handling their case
to the satisfaction of all. But, I’ve
also seen cases where my patient really gets jammed up financially thinking
they were being taken care of only to have the attorney dump them, or foul up
their case in court. I was once involved
in a case for my patient where I was called as an expert witness. During the trial, the judge reprimanded the
attorney (of my patient) multiple times in court for things he did or didn’t do
that was harming his client’s case!
A good attorney can be very helpful, worth having, and
likely you’ll never have to go to court.
A bad attorney can really ruin your case and create unnecessary stress
in your life.
Interestingly, the insurance companies know who they can
push around and who they can’t. They
have lists!
Just recently one of my patients of many years had an
accident on the loop 610. She was shaken
up, but she remembered the bright red postcard I had given her and used the
information on the card. She was happy
she had it. Fortunately, she didn’t need
any care other than a couple of days of treatment with me, nor did she need an
attorney. All worked out well for her.
Remember:
It can happen to you.
Be prepared.
Know what to do.
Be
informed.
See your
chiropractor.
Seek good
legal counsel.
(A good
attorney will tell when you don’t need legal representation.)
Have
adequate personal injury protection.
Please don’t
sign up for a life of chronic pain and diminishing health simply because you
“thought you’d be fine”, there was minimal car damage, or you didn’t want to
take the time up front to treat your body.
I am at your
service and hope to be the chiropractor you wish you had in your family.
Blessings,
Dr. Rick
Barrett
[i]
Incidence and Duration of Neck Pain Among
Patients Injured in a Car Accident, Deans GT (16986), Br. Medical Journal,
292:94-95
[ii] The Whiplash Syndrome, Mcnab, I, (1971)
Orthopedic Clin North Am 2 (389-403).
[iii]
Controlled Automobile Rear-End
Collisions, An Investigation of Related Engineering and Mechanical Phenomena. Severy, DM, Mathewson, JH, Bechtol, CO,
Canadian Services Medical Journal, 11:727-758.
Neck Strain in Car Occupants: Injury Status After Six Months and Crash
Related Factors,
Emol and Horeguchi, Ryan, G.A., et al, Sept., 1994 pages 533-537.
[iv]
Effect of Age and Loading Rate on Human
Cervical Spine Injury Threshold, Pintar, F.A., Yoganandan, N., Voo, L.,
Spine, Sept. 1998, Vol.23 (18), pp 1957-62.
[v]
Ibid.
[vi]
Turek Orthopedics Principles and their
Applications, Lippincott, 1977, p. 740, Stuzenegger, et al., 1977, p 740.
