Dangers of Highway Work Zones
Posted in: Car Accidents
KNR Legal Blog
Car accidents can derail lives in seconds, but the road to recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. The medical care journey often extends beyond the emergency room, leading many to physical therapy’s critical yet costly realm.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, you probably have a lot of questions. Here’s more about paying for physical therapy after an auto accident and some things to remember.
The party responsible for your car crash and the resulting damages should be held liable to fully compensate you. This includes paying you for any physical therapy costs related to your injuries.
However, proving another driver is at fault is not always straightforward. You probably need a personal injury lawyer to help you with pursuing compensation.
Physical therapy after a car crash could be a crucial step on your road to recovery. For many auto accident injury victims, the journey back to full health is marked by the rehab they undergo with skilled physical therapists. This therapy not only aids in healing physical injuries—such as whiplash, fractures, or soft tissue damage—but also helps mitigate chronic pain and improve mobility.
Also, engaging in a prescribed physical therapy program can expedite the return to daily activities and work, which is essential for mental health and financial stability.
Essentially, physical therapy can represent a bridge to reclaiming your pre-accident quality of life, acts as a therapeutic measure to ensure the best possible physical recovery, and is a necessary step to get the documentation required when seeking maximum legal compensation for the injuries you sustained.
Imagine your life has been turned upside down due to a distracted driver’s mistake. With a fractured leg and a long road to mobility ahead, you’re faced with all sorts of medical expenses. While costs are apparent, like expenses for treatment and medications, you may be surprised by the need and bill for your rehabilitation.
Navigating the aftermath of a car accident can be overwhelming, especially when faced with the prospect of ongoing physical therapy costs. From understanding liability to filing a claim within deadlines, here’s what you’ll need to do.
Your first step towards compensation is probably by filing a personal injury insurance claim. This isn’t just about current bills—it’s about securing your future. When insurance only covers a fraction, you may need to be proactive so the at-fault party’s insurance shoulders the full burden.
Time is of the essence. With Ohio’s two-year statute of limitations, it’s crucial to act swiftly. Delay reduces the chances of a successful claim and may compromise the quality of evidence.
Prompt action can be the difference in preserving vital evidence and highlighting your legitimate need for physical therapy.
Accepting an insurance settlement offer might seem the easiest, but is it right? You should always weigh any offers an insurance adjuster makes against your long-term needs. If it’s insufficient to cover future rehabilitation costs, you likely can’t go back for more.
Sometimes, the journey to fair and full compensation for your PT costs ends requires a lawsuit. This can feel like a drastic route for some, but filing a lawsuit can be a strategic move to push for a fair settlement. With an experienced lawyer, you can ensure each legal step is calculated and executed with precision.
To get compensation for physical therapy after a car accident, you must prove several key elements crucial to establishing your entitlement to damages. Here’s what you need to demonstrate:
You must establish that another party was at fault for the accident. This involves showing that their negligence or wrongful action caused the crash. Evidence such as police reports, witness statements, traffic camera footage, and accident reconstruction can support your claim.
It’s essential to prove that the injuries for which you are seeking physical therapy were directly caused by the accident. This means the responsible party’s actions led to the crash, which resulted in your injuries. Medical records, doctor’s testimony, and documentation of your injuries right after the accident can be pivotal.
You must demonstrate the extent of your injuries and the necessity of physical therapy for your recovery. This typically involves medical assessments, treatment plans, and expert opinions on the nature of your injuries and the expected benefits of therapy.
An accurate and comprehensive account of the costs associated with your physical therapy is necessary. This includes past, present, and estimated future expenses. Detailed billing statements from your healthcare providers and an expert prognosis can help establish these costs.
In Ohio, you have the right to seek treatment from any licensed medical professional you choose. While an insurance adjuster might suggest a specific network to save them money, it is often better to choose a therapist who has experience documenting car accident injuries. A therapist who understands “medico-legal” documentation will be more effective at recording your functional limitations, which is vital for your case.
Insurance companies often hire their own doctors for an “Independent Medical Examination” (IME). These doctors frequently claim that a patient has reached “Maximum Medical Improvement” (MMI) to stop paying for therapy. If this happens, do not stop your treatment. Your attorney can use your actual treating therapist’s notes and progress reports to dispute the IME’s findings and prove that continued care is medically necessary.
Yes, significantly. Insurance adjusters look for any reason to claim you aren’t actually hurt. If you skip appointments or have a two-week gap in treatment, they will argue that your injuries have healed or weren’t serious to begin with. If you must miss a session due to work or family, document the reason and reschedule immediately to maintain a consistent “medical narrative” of your recovery.
Physical therapy often involves more than just office visits; it may include home exercise equipment, specialized braces, or electrical stimulation devices. These are considered “Durable Medical Equipment” (DME). Ensure your therapist writes a formal prescription for these items. Without a prescription, an insurance company may categorize them as “convenience items” and refuse to reimburse the cost.
This is a common tactic called “prior infirmity.” The insurance company will try to blame your current pain on an old injury. However, under the “Eggshell Skull Rule,” a negligent driver is responsible for aggravating a pre-existing condition. Your physical therapist plays a key role here by documenting how your range of motion or pain levels have specifically worsened since the accident compared to your baseline before the crash.
Yes. In many personal injury claims, you can seek reimbursement for “incidental expenses,” which includes mileage to and from your rehabilitation center. Over months of therapy, these costs add up. Keep a detailed log of your appointment dates and round-trip mileage; your attorney can add this to your total demand for damages.
Do not sign a general medical release without consulting your lawyer. These forms often give the insurance company access to your entire medical history, including records from a decade ago that have nothing to do with your accident. Your attorney will provide the insurer with relevant records specifically related to the accident to protect your privacy while proving your claim.
Car accidents cause a variety of injuries, and physical therapy can help your recovery or help you manage the pain. Common injuries that can be addressed through physical therapy include:
Physical therapy helps people like you walk again, gain fuller mobility, and otherwise get back to the lives they knew before being hit by a negligent driver. At KNR, our lawyers have decades of experience serving car accident victims across Ohio, and we know how to recover the damages you are entitled to under the law. Let us help gather the required evidence and present a compelling case to the insurance companies or in court.
If you’re facing a long recovery after a car accident and a mountain of physical therapy bills, KNR is ready. Contact Kisling, Nestico & Redick for a free, no-risk case evaluation. We’ll discuss what happened, what you need, and how to get you everything you deserve.
Call 1-800-HURT-NOWor contact us for a 100% free consultation. There’s no cost unless you recover compensation.