Car Crash Injury With vs Without Seatbelts.

Even low impact car crashes can cause injury.                                                                                                         But if your a dummy and not wearing a seat belt, not only are you breaking the law, you are more likely to suffer a serious injury.                                                                                                      Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50%.  

As a Chiropractor, our office helps hundreds of people that have suffered whiplash as a result of car crashes. Our  Chiropractic  Doctors have spent hours researching and studying the effects of whiplash type injuries. Seatbelts save lives and reduce injuries!

Who doesn't wear seatbelts?

 Adults age 18-34 are less likely to wear seat belts than adults 35 or older. (CDC, 2010, unpublished data)  Men are 10% less likely to wear seat belts than women. (CDC, 2010, unpublished data)

What does the law say?      

V C Section 27315 Mandatory Seat Belt Law

          

27315.  (a) The Legislature finds that a mandatory seatbelt law will contribute to reducing highway deaths and injuries by encouraging greater usage of existing manual seatbelts, that automatic crash protection systems that require no action by vehicle occupants offer the best hope of reducing deaths and injuries, and that encouraging the use of manual safety belts is only a partial remedy for addressing this major cause of death and injury. The Legislature declares that the enactment of this section is intended to be compatible with support for federal motor vehicle safety standards requiring automatic crash protection systems and should not be used in any manner to rescind federal requirements for installation of automatic restraints in new cars.

Who is effected?

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among those age 5-34 in the U.S.1 More than 2.3 million adult drivers and passengers were treated in emergency departments as the result of being injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2009.2 Adult seat belt use is the most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries in crashes.3 Yet millions of adults do not wear their seat belts on every trip.

 For more information, check out our website at Whiplash Specialist , or call to schedule a free consultation at 925 685-2002.

Car Accident Emergency List

Take Photos of:

• Name , Address, Phone Number, Email address
• Make, model and year of the car, License plate number
• Insurance carrier, Insurance policy number
• Damage to your vehicle
Accident location
People involved with the accident

Get information from the police officer if one is on the scene:

• Name, Badge or ID number, Phone number, Police report number

Call Barton Chiropractic in Concord at 925 685-2002 .

What To Do After a Car Accident

As a Chiropractor in Concord, we help many people that have been involved in car accidents.

1) Be prepared

The first thing really is what to do before an accident.  Keep a copy of your insurance information and a pen and paper in your car; it will make the post-accident process much easier. You are required by law to have proof of your insurance with you, and insurers provide cards that carry all of your relevant insurance information.

2) Stay Calm

Things can get a little crazy after a collision. Tempers can flare. People get scared. Just remember to stay clam.

3) Safety first

Step away from the accident. Before you start gathering information from the other driver after a crash, it's important to get to safety as quickly as possible. Once you and the other driver have gotten to safety you can assess the situation.  If you had a minor fender bender, you don't have to leave the cars where they are. You can move them off the road.

4) Before you move anything.....

Get the other drivers information. Take a pictures of:
-  the license plate of the other car
-  the accident
-  their drivers license
-  registration

Do not forget their contact info. Phone number, email.
You also should get names and contact info of any witnesses.

4)  Get information from the police officer if one is on the scene:

• Name
• Badge or ID number
• Phone number
• Police report number

Ask the police for a copy of the accident report. It may take up to a couple of days before it is filed. The officer's opinion of the accident will be useful if the drivers have a dispute about who was to blame. The police report will also have the officer's information on it in case the officer is needed to testify.

5) Contact your insurance company as well as dmv.

6) Do not admit guilt. This is for the experts to decide.

7) Pain or no pain see a chiropractic doctor as soon as possible.

Many times symptoms do not show up right away. Left untreated whiplash type injuries can lead to permanent damage. Chiropractors specialize in early detection as well as correction of these type of problems.

For more information, you can visit our website at www.BartonChiro.com or call 925 685-2002.

10 Car Accident Claim Tips

Barton Chiropractic in Concord has  these tips to try to help you have the smoothest and least stressful experience you can have with your car accident claim. These tips are based on years of experience treating patients and working with the insurance companies for those patients.

This is not intended to be legal advise. If you think that you need legal advise, you should contact an attorney.

1. Do not record a statement with either insurance company.  If at all possible. If you are reading this after already recording a statement, then don't worry. If there is a problem from your recording an attorney will be able to help you out.
2. Have the adjuster put the questions in writing instead of a phone statement. Now you have a record of what was asked as well as what was said. and, you have time to think about it.
3. DO NOT sign anything without reading very carefully, the insurance adjusters want you to close this car accident claim as fast as possible. Be careful, the insurance company will try to offer you cash up front for your signature to close the claim. If you do this you are not entitled to receive any medical treatment, and you are not allowed to sue them for more money if you end up having a more serious injury.
4. Document everything!  Get a small notebook and write down how you are feeling, what you can't do because of the accident, any issues the accident caused. Try to update this at minimum weekly. This will help you a lot when you are ready to settle.
5. Be consistent with your medical care, gaps in treatment can harm claims and can make it more likely the adjuster will close your claim early.
6. See a doctor that specializes in whiplash injuries, like Barton Chiropractic in Concord, as soon as possible. This is not the emergency room doctor, or your general practitioner.  Your medical will strengthen your claim with the insurance companies.
7. Don't over treat. What does this mean you ask? Well, it can be hard to define this, but what I try to explain, is that your treatments must be related to your accident, the adjusters are looking for reasons to close all car accident claims by paying out the smallest amount possible. Most patients have preexisting conditions prior to a car accident. This must be differentiated from your new injury. If anyone on your team suggests you treat more to raise your insurance claim, FIRE THEM. You will risk losing your whole claim. Plus this is insurance fraud and not worth going to jail for.
8. Don't under treat. I know - sounds strange. But it's rare that one type of treatment will solve all your problems. Auto accident injuries affect the muscles, the bones and the nerves. Make sure you take care of each problem before closing your car accident insurance claim.
9. Your insurance adjuster is not your friend. I know it seems like he works for you, you pay your insurance every year, and you pay a lot. But your adjuster works for the insurance company, and the insurance company does not want you to spend their money.
   Your adjuster can close down your claim if they feel you don't need treatment. 
10. Be nice, polite and professional even if the adjuster is not. Your behavior can influence how your adjuster handles your personal case.

If you have been involved in a car accident, you most likely suffered a Whiplash type injury. Research shows that left untreated, you most likely will end up with some type of permanent damage.

Click Whiplash Specialist or call our office at 925 685-2002 to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at absolutely no charge. If you would like to find out more about our office click Concord Chiropractor.

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Car Crashes and Vehicle Speed

Car Crashes and Vehicle Speed

It has been said that knowlege is power. The Doctors at Barton Chiropractic in Concord truly believe that. That is one of the reasons we constantly are doing research that will help us not only be the best Chiropractic Doctors wwe can be, but also so that we can educate our patients. Hopefully our efforts will help you to make better choices about your health. 
  
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration review research on traffic speed in 1998.^[18] The summary states:

• That the evidence shows that the risk of having a crash is increased both for vehicles traveling slower than the average speed, and for those traveling above the average speed.
• That the risk of being injured increases exponentially with speeds much faster than the median speed.
• That the severity/lethality of a crash depends on the vehicle speed change at impact.
• That there is limited evidence that suggests that lower speed limits result in less injuries on a system wide basis.
• That most crashes related to speed involve speed too fast for the conditions.

Basicaly the article said that driving faster or slower than surrounding traffic is bad. Someone driving too slow can be just as dangerous.


If you have been involved in a car accident, you most likely suffered a Whiplash type injury. Research shows that left untreated, you most likely will end up with some type of permanent damage.

Whiplash Symptoms Can Include

Neck pain and stiffness (often in the front of your neck too) ,Headaches, often at the base of the skull
Dizziness, Blurred vision, Fatigue, Difficulty concentrating, Ringing in the ears, Sleep disturbances
Irritability, Emotional upset- from fear, to crying to anger, unexpectedly, Speech changes, Difficulty Swallowing , Memory problems, Concussion

Click Whiplash Specialist or call our office at 925 685-2002 to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at absolutely no charge. If you would like to find out more about our office click Concord Chiropractor.

Motor Vehicle Accidents—Number and Deaths: 1990 to 2009

 

At Barton Chiropractic in Concord we are constantly striving to provide you with the best possible health care. Our doctors are actively doing research so that we can serve you better. If you have been involved in a car crash, chances are you suffered some sort of injury to your body. The vast majority are what in known as soft tissue injury. These injuries vary greatly in severity.

 

 Symptoms resulting from a car crash can range from: 

• Neck pain and stiffness (often in the front of your neck too)
• Headaches, often at the base of the skull
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Ringing in the ears
• Sleep disturbances
• Irritability
• Emotional upset- from fear, to crying to anger, unexpectedly
• Speech changes
• Difficulty Swallowing
• Memory problems
• Concussion

 

 

 

If you have been involved in a car accident, you most likely suffered a Whiplash type injury. Research shows that left untreated, you most likely will end up with some type of permanent damage. Click Whiplash Specialist or call our office at 925 685-2002 to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at absolutely no charge. If you would like to find out more about our office click Concord Chiropractor. 

How Long Will Whiplash Symptoms Last?

How Long Will Whiplash Symptoms Last?

If you have never had an auto accident injury, I am sure you are currently a bit shocked by how much everything actually hurts, and how difficult it is to do normal daily activities. Well I have some good news for you and some bad news.

First the bad news; you are probably going to feel more pain, before you feel better. The good news, there are things that you can do to help decrease the time that you are in pain. The sooner you see a specialist the better your chances are for a full recovery, and the faster you will heal. How long will it take? That depends.

The problem with whiplash

The problem with whiplash is that very few doctors truly understand it. Well meaning emergency room physicians, general medical doctors, and physical therapist do not appreciate the extent of the pain and injuries whiplash injury victims suffer. The end result is these people often provide inadequate treatment to care for the injuries. Do Not Let This Happen To You!

At Barton Chiropractic in Concord, we truly understand the pain you are going through.

Your soft tissues, ligaments, tendons, fascia, and muscles were stretched, strained and sprained 
maybe even torn during this trauma. And strangely, these soft tissue injuries often will take longer to heal than if you had broken bones. To make matters worst, they often heal with scar tissue, and often in the wrong place.

Minor Car Accident

Even minor accidents can cause serious whiplash symptoms. Your car is slightly damaged or in some cases shows no noticeable damage, and you have pain that may arrive 10 days - too two weeks after your accident. With this type of accident, you can expect up to 3 months to heal with proper care.

Medium Accident

This is an accident where there is significant damage to your car, sometimes even totaled. You may have been taken to the emergency room, and your pain may be immediate or up to show up 10 days to 2 weeks after your accident. Expect 3 to 6 months to heal and even with the correct care you may end up with some permanent damage.

Serious Accident

In this type of accident your car is heavily damaged, often totaled, and you are always injured, you may have lost consciousness, or suffered a concussion. Expect 6 months to a year to heal. You will most likely have some permanent damage with even the best care. Without care the prognosis is poor.

Severe Car  Accident

In this accident you usually need surgery, you leave the accident site in an ambulance, and unfortunately there are often fatalities in this level of accident. The healing of this accident for your medical care, may take a year or more. This accident can also leave very serious emotional scars, you may find that psychological counseling eases some of your pain and trauma. It goes without saying, if you were involved in an accident of this nature, extended care is going to be indicated.


The following is a guide that shows approximate care indicated for different levels of injury. This is just a guideline, but it will give you an idea of what you can expect.

Guidelines for Frequency and Duration of Care in Cervical Acceleration/Deceleration Trauma 1
	Daily	3x/wk	2x/wk	1x/wk	1x/mo	TD 2	TN 2
Grade I	1 wk	1-2 wk	2-3 wk	<4wks font="" nbsp="">	<3 font="" mo="">	<11 font="" wks="">	<21 font="">
Grade II	1 wk	<4 font="" wks="">	<4 font="" wks="">	<4 wks="">	<4 font="" mo="">	<29 font="" nbsp="" wks="">	<33 font="">
Grade III	1-2 wk	<10wks font="">	<10wks font="">	<10wks font="">	<6 font="" mo="">	<56 font="" wks="">	<76 font="">
Grade IV	2-3 wk	<16 font="" wks="">	<12 font="" wks="">	<20wks font="">	<6mo font="">	....4	....4
Grade V	Surgical stabilization necessary--chiropractic care is post-surgical

Brain Injury and Whiplash

Before we go any further, please know that some of the whiplash symptoms are more serious than others. If you or someone you love has been in a serious car accident and has these or other odd or worrisome symptoms:

• difficulty concentrating
• memory problems
• speech disturbances (stuttering, forgetting words, misplacing words)
• or severe personality changes

...it's very important for you or your loved one to call us immediately. Sometimes during a car accident, the whipping motion to the head can also cause mild and occasionally severe brain injury. You do not need to be diagnosed with a concussion to have brain injury symptoms. The brain can become injured when it hits the inside of the skull during a car accident. Real and lasting damage can happen without a person hitting their head.

It is important that you do not ignore any symptoms that may indicate an injury to the brain. Do not accept that you are depressed. If the first doctor does not take you seriously, make sure you continue to search for a doctor who will exam your brain injuries and help you find a solution.

If you have been involved in a car accident, you most likely suffered a Whiplash type injury. Research shows that left untreated, you most likely will end up with some type of permanent damage.

Click Whiplash Specialist or call our office at 925 685-2002 to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at absolutely no charge. If you would like to find out more about our office click Concord Chiropractor.