Auto accidents

Tulare Accident & Injury Center

Expertise and experience with automobile related injuries. Since 1994.

685-9391

We accept auto insurance (Med-Pay or PIP), or attorney liens (from approved attorneys). In most cases you will have no out of pocket expenses. Simply call our office and give our billing specialist your insurance information. We will check to see how your coverage works, and what may be the best way to get coverage for your injury.

To order our FREE information booklet on auto injuries and treatment, simply fill out the form below and make your request. The information will be sent right away.

What causes Whiplash?
A whiplash injury occurs when the head and neck are thrown very quickly in one direction and then rebounds in the opposite direction. Because the second snapping motion happens faster than the spinal strucure can recover, the muscles, ligaments, and bones in the neck are damaged.

WIll my auto insurance pay for chiropractic care?
Yes, if you have coverage that includes medical payment (med pay) or PIP. The only way to know for sure is to check with your insurance company. We can even call for you, as many times calling insurance companies can be very confusing.

What if I don't have auto insurance?
If you don't have auto insurance, there are many options to explore. We are experts at helping you to find a solution for payment of your claim. Our office can look at all that is available to you and help you to decide which route is best for you.

Does your office deal with attorney liens?
Yes, but only with some attorney offices. We will only deal with attorneys that we know and trust to do a good honest job. We only deal with the best.

What kind of training does Dr. Mitchell have for auto injuries?
Beyond Dr. Mitchell's high qualifications as a family oriented chiropractor (click here for more info) Dr. Mitchell has completed 2 masters whiplash courses through the San Diego Spine Institute, and has real life experience dealing with treatment of auto accident related injuries since 1992.

I hurt alot, but my car is fine...why is that?
Studies indicate that injury can occur at impact speeds of 8 mph where there is little or even no damage to the car. Even in these types of accidents, the head can receive up to 2.5 times more force than the car itself. When the head is rotated (as in talking to someone) or inclined, (as it may be looking up through the rear-view mirror), the severity of the injury increases substantially.

I felt OK directly after the accident, but I started to have alot of pain several days later. Is that normal?
That is very common. Many times whiplash can be detected directly after an accident. However, a whiplash injury may take hours, weeks, months, or even years before symptoms are noticed. This is due in part to the bleeding and scar tissue formation that occurs in the deep soft tissues that surround the injured area.

What are the symptoms of whiplash?
The most obvious symptoms are neck and should pain. But beware of symptoms you may not relate to the whiplash such as headaches, dizziness, stiffness, nausea, numbness and tingling in the arms or hands, weakness, swelling, back and chest pain, and blurred vision.

I went to the emergency room after the accident, and the Dr. said I would be fine in a couple of days. Why didn't the Dr. discover my injury?
Injuries to the soft tissues of the neck are not apparent in standard x-rays or medical exams. MRI's often show extensive traumas that were missed on x-ray. In order to effectively diagnose a whiplash injury you need to seek the help of professionals specifically trained in soft tissue damage as it relates to the neck and back. Doctors of Chiropractic have been trained to successfully diagnose and treat these types of injuries.