Car Accident Insurance; Are You Covered?

Most states require drivers to carry various types of insurance to protect themselves as well as others who may be involved in an unfortunate accident. Drivers, and the banks that may carry the car's loan, generally think of the vehicle first when deciding on appropriate coverage. While it's difficult to think about, you need to also consider injuries to you and your passengers, and potentially other drivers and passengers, should you be determined to be at fault. Some drivers also carry medical insurance (med pay), which can be accessed for care in the event of an accident.

Some items to consider are that vehicle repairs can be quite costly, as can health care. If you are the cause of a multi vehicle accident, minimal amounts of insurance may not cover the costs of repairs for expensive new vehicles. In terms of health care, an ambulance ride with minimal interventions could cost $1000-$1,500 dollars. If you spend a few hours or a day in an emergency room, this could run into the thousands, especially if advanced imaging such as MRI or CT scans are needed. This is just the beginning of your evaluation in a severe accident. Then, there are the costs of care over perhaps months, disability from being able to work and other costs. If a few passengers are involved, the costs can soar.

It's important to discuss these issues with your insurance agent. Is your med pay adequate? Sometimes med pay premiums are a cost-effective way to get some additional piece of mind. A $1,000.00 med pay allowance will not last long in today's health care environment. Chiropractic care, while very cost effective compared to medicine or surgery, can still run into the thousands if severe injuries have resulted from the accident. You may also need to consider uninsured and underinsured coverage should another driver be at fault and not adequately insured.

If you've been involved in an accident, our clinic can assist you in getting well. Most patients have a lot of questions about how chiropractic care works and the treatment techniques used in our office. It's important to get evaluated right after an injury to get you feeling well as soon as possible. Doing self-care when the trauma is substantial can lead to more problems if a serious injury is not discovered.