Injuries commonly occur as a result of motor
vehicle accidents. If not properly assessed and treated, some of these
injuries can have long lasting effects on the health and well being of the
injured parties and their families if they are unable to return to
pre-accident work and family-related activities. Symptoms may present
immediately, but it is very common for them to progress over the next few
days after the accident. Regardless of the severity of the accident it
is imperative that you get it assessed as soon as you are able. The
earlier we are able to assess your condition, the sooner we can get you on
the path to recovery.At the Queen Spadina Medical Centre (QSMC) -
Chiropractic Clinic we take pride in assessing, treating and educating our
patients to offer their best chance at a positive outcome. A
customized treatment plan will be developed for you and in most cases we are
able to bill your auto insurer directly for the entire cost of treatment.
What to do following a motor vehicle
accident:
- Exchange insurance information with the driver of any other vehicles
involved in the accident. If you are a pedestrian, or riding a bike
at the time of the accident, then the insurance of the operator of the
vehicle that struck you is the company that you should be contacting.
If you are involved in a hit and run, do your best to collect the make and
model as well as the license plate of the other vehicle so that you may
report it to the police and your insurance company.
- If you were operating a vehicle involved in the accident and no police
present at the scene of the accident, you must go to your local Collision
Reporting Centre with your vehicle to place a report. If there are
police at the accident site, ask for their advice on how to proceed.
- Contact your insurance carrier and inform them that you have been
involved in a motor vehicle accident. Make sure to inform them if
you have any associated injuries even if they are minor.
- Go to your primary health care provider to be assessed. If you
had to go to the emergency department immediately after the accident, then
following your discharge you should still follow up with your primary
health care provider afterward. Be sure to request a referral for
chiropractic care and massage therapy. You do not need these
referrals to see your chiropractor, but it never hurts to be
over-prepared.
- Book an appointment with Dr Mueller and be sure to tell them that you
have been injured in a motor vehicle accident. Bring with you to the
appointment any claims information that you may have (e.g. insurance
company name, adjustor, claim number, information for other extended
health coverage that you may have) since all of that information will
accelerate the initiation of your care.
For more information, please consult the Financial Services Commission of
Ontario.
http://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/english/insurance/auto/
Our treatment approach:
At the QSMC - Chiropractic Clinic we are sure to combine passive care and
active care with education to offer you the best chance at a positive
outcome.
Passive care is the treatment that we provide for you. Care may
involve soft tissue therapy, mobilization or joint adjustments, acupuncture
and/or other pain control modalities (e.g. TENS) that are deemed appropriate
for your care. These treatments are designed to help control your pain
and increase your mobility so that you can return to your normal daily
activities as soon as possible. You may also need supportive devices
such as orthopedic pillows, back rests hot/cold packs etc and those can be
approved through your insurer when appropriate as well.
Active care involves the things that you do for yourself. They
involve exercise and stretching instruction, education on how to go about
your daily activities in a safe way so that you can have your independence
back as soon as possible.
The combination of active care with passive care and educating you on
your injuries so that you understand what to expect and how to proceed has
been shown to improve outcomes and accelerate recovery so that you can get
your life back as soon as possible.
Forms:
Your insurer will send you some forms to open your
personal injury claim. You can find some of those forms here and by
completing them early you may be able to accelerate the processing of your
claim. Please ask Dr Mueller if you require any aid in the completion
of these forms.
OCF 1 - Application for accident benefits. Required in all cases.
OCF 3 - Disability Certificate - Your chiropractor will have to complete
part of this form for you
OCF 5 - Permission to Disclose Personal Information - Required in all
cases.
