Who Pays for Physical Therapy After a Car Accident?

Car accident injuries can have long lasting impacts on your daily life. Physical therapy may be necessary to help you recover fully, but the costs involved can grow quickly. There are many details involved in personal injury cases, and proving liability and reaching a fair settlement can be a long and complicated process. Contact a lawyer at Marks Law Group to help you manage all the issues you might face in the process of reaching a settlement for your car accident injuries.

Does My Injury Need Physical Therapy?

You may require physical therapy after a car accident to support your recovery process. Following a car accident you might find yourself dealing with pain & suffering, stiffness, headaches, or a loss of range of motion that may impact your ability to manage your daily activities. Adding physical therapy to your recovery plan can help you bounce back from your injury more quickly. It can also help you prevent long-term damage from an injury. Like most injury treatments, the sooner you start physical therapy following your car accident, the better it is for your long-term prospects. 

Consulting with a physical therapist will help you determine whether a treatment course is necessary for your particular situation. A professional therapist will build a personalized treatment plan to help rehabilitate your injury. This will include different exercises and stretches aimed at helping you recover mobility and function to the levels you had before your injury, or as close as possible. Physical therapy may also help you avoid surgery following your car accident. If therapy alone is not enough for your injury and surgery is required, it will still play an important role in your post-operative recovery.

Learn More: What to Do After a Car Accident

Physical therapy can take on many different forms, each playing a different role in your recovery. While the usual treatments include particular exercises and stretches, your treatment plan may also involve massage, ice and cold therapy, ultrasound, and aquatic therapy. Physical therapy can be an invaluable part of your approach to healing after being in a car accident.

How Do I Pay for Physical Therapy While My Insurance Claim Processes?

Submit your medical expenses to your insurance provider if you have health insurance.  Be sure to save any receipts for your deductibles or co-pays. While it will be up to you to pay these expenses initially, the out-of-pocket costs may be covered in your car accident settlement. You can be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses you paid for after your case is settled.

Many car insurance policies have medical payment coverage included. If your automobile insurance policy has a medical payment coverage option, this can help you with your medical expenses while your case is being settled. Common coverage amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000, but may run as high as $100,000. Your medical payments coverage can be used to pay for out-of-pocket expenses not covered by your health insurance. Check the details of your policy with your automobile insurance carrier to see what amount of coverage you have. 

Who Pays for Physical Therapy Costs Following a Car Accident?

You may require medical attention and expensive follow-up treatment after a car accident. Even with seemingly minor injuries, you might need to visit several doctors. The at-fault party who caused your car accident should be responsible for your medical costs, including any physical therapy you might need.

FAQ: What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

Physical Therapy bills can quickly add up, and you may need to visit the therapist for months or years after your car accident. Remember that your have the right to seek damages for injuries sustained in your accident, and hiring a talented car accident attorney can make all the difference in getting the settlement you deserve. 

Holding the Other Party Liable for Physical Therapy Costs

Injuries sustained in serious car accidents can often require physical therapy for a complete recovery.  You may have your ability to walk, speak, or move hampered or lost entirely. It should fall on the person responsible for your accident to pay for your recovery. Some injuries can have a lasting impact on your life, even with your physical therapy treatment.  A personal injury claim may be necessary to help you recover compensation for the damages you suffered.

Your claim will have to prove the following in order to recover your physical therapy damages: 

• Who was responsible for the accident? You must be able to show that the negligence of the other party caused your car accident. You can prove this through police reports, witness statements, and accident reconstruction reports. 
• You suffered an injury in the car accident. You must show that your injuries were sustained in the accident and not before. The other party will not be required to pay for conditions that existed before the accident they caused. 
• Your accident costs. Your lawyer will use medical and physical therapy bills to show the amount of compensation you will need for your treatments. Future medical expenses can be included in this figure, including ongoing physical therapy treatments.

Long Term Physical Therapy

Many people injured in car accidents miss time at work and have trouble with day-to-day tasks and expenses. An experienced Decatur car accident lawyer will understand the best way to get compensation for your current medical bills as well as expenses you will face in the future. 

Examples of long term therapy you may need include:

• Orthopedic therapy will focus on your bones and any joints that may have been injured in your accident. Whiplash is one of the most common injuries sustained in a car accident, and often worsens with time without proper physical therapy.
• Neurological therapy addresses damage to your nervous system. These types of injuries can be particularly harmful and long lasting, as nerve tissue does not heal easily.  
• Cardiovascular therapy will help to make sure your heart and lungs bounce back after your car accident. Torso damage can result in majorly impaired lung function without professional medical care.

How Do I Settle My Insurance Claim?

Always work with an experienced car accident attorney before settling your claim against the at-fault driver's insurance company. There are number of steps most cases have in common. 

Your lawyer will begin the process by setting up your bodily injury claim. Most attorneys will wait until after your initial medical treatment to submit proof of injury and medical expenses along with estimated costs for future expenses. The value of your claim will depend on how severe your injuries are and the costs of the medical treatment you have received.

Work with an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents can result in serious injuries to joints, organs, and the nervous system that can impact your life for years to come. Physical therapy is a tool used to help reduce the repercussions of these injuries and can even help you return to normal. It is important for therapy to begin as soon as possible after a car accident, and treatment can last for years. 

The negligent party in your accident can be held liable for your medical costs, including physical therapy expenses. Negotiating settlements with insurance companies can be a long and complicated prospect, and in order to get the best possible settlement you will want the services of a talented car accident attorney. At Marks Law Group Injury Firm we have the dedication and experience to navigate your settlement case and get the best possible outcome for you.  Contact us today for a free case consultation.