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A car accident is a traumatic experience that could cause serious and painful physical and mental health injuries. It’s important to find a qualified personal injury doctor and begin treatment right away. If you’re wondering how to find a San Antonio pain and injury center, here’s what you need to do.
Ask the Right Questions
To determine if a doctor can treat your car accident injuries, ask them the following questions:
- Do you accept third party billing?
- Do you regularly treat patients with injuries similar to mine?
- Do you provide detailed medical documentation for car accident injuries?
- Do you offer pick up and drop off services? (You’ll need this if you’re unable to walk or don’t have reliable transportation.)
- Do you provide referrals to specialists?
Know the Documentation Requirements
When searching for a San Antonio pain and injury center, it’s important to find out if the center’s team of doctors know how to properly document your injuries and treatment. A primary care physician does not typically create detailed records of your injuries, which is something an insurance company needs to see before they can make a settlement offer. The more detailed your medical records, the stronger your claim will be. This means a potentially higher settlement offer.
A personal injury doctor will document the following information:
- How and where the accident occurred
- Patient’s pre-existing injuries or conditions
- List of diagnostic tests performed
- Recommendations for physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational rehabilitation, and etc.
- Referrals to other specialists for surgery or pain management
- Direct causes of injuries
- Severity of injuries — whether they are permanent or temporary
- Patient’s long-term healthcare needs
- Impairment ratings — the extent to which the patient’s injuries impact their ability to work, perform daily activities, and enjoy life
Experience Billing Insurance Companies
The personal injury doctor you choose should have experience billing auto insurance companies. This means they need to use accurate CPT coding and authorization of appropriate medical procedures. When looking for a personal injury doctor, be sure to ask how long they’ve worked on car accident cases.
Mental and Physical Health Treatment
A car accident may also cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that commonly develops as a result of a dangerous and surprising experience.
Individuals with PTSD may experience the following symptoms:
- Intrusive memories
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Recurrent, unwanted, and distressing memories of the accident
- Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to reminders of the car accident
- Avoidance
- Avoiding the location of the car accident
- Avoiding thinking or talking about the accident
- Negative changes in thoughts and mood
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Difficulty with memory
- Difficulty maintaining close relationships
- Difficulty connecting with family and friends
- Becoming disinterested in activities you once enjoyed
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Changes in physical and emotional reactions
- Difficulty concentrating
- Hypervigilance
- Difficulty sleeping
- Self-destructive behavior
- Irritability, angry outbursts, or aggressive behavior
- Overwhelming feelings of guilt or shame
