Accidents and Injuries

Getting workers’ compensation for a back/spinal injury can be a daunting and overwhelming task. There are plenty of questions, and we have answers from both medical and legal professionals. Anyone can be affected by back pain at work.

• Truck drivers
• Manual laborers
• Construction workers
• Hairstylists
• Automotive technicians
• Teachers
• Healthcare workers
• Foodservice workers
• Hospitality workers
• Office workers

Work-related back injuries can be prevented by paying attention to posture, taking standing/moving breaks, stretching out, and lifting properly. However, if back pain at work stems from a work injury individuals could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.

Workers’ Compensation

Workers' compensation is an insurance program that helps with and provides benefits and medical care for workers that have been injured or fallen ill resulting directly from their job. This means if an individual is injured at work, employers have negotiated to free themselves of a majority of the liability by paying for the treatment and recovery.

Companies that employ five-hundred or more are able to manage their own workers’ compensation program. However, most workers’ compensation programs are managed by state governments. Every state has its own workers’ compensation program that employers pay into. The federal government handles the federal workers’ compensation program for federal employees. The program is funded by the employer with the cost not affecting an individual's paycheck.

Workers’ Compensation Coverage

Compensation programs are different throughout the country. Typically workers’ compensation pays for:

• Initial emergency department
• Urgent care visit
• Diagnostic testing recommended by the emergency department
• Follow-up physician
• Surgical intervention
• Rehabilitation

Under workers’ comp back injury treatment/s are completely covered, meaning an individual does not have to meet a deductible or pay premiums, copayments, or coinsurance. Individuals continue to receive regular health insurance benefits from the employer. This could require a deductible, premiums, copays, and coinsurance. This is for the treatment of other health issues while receiving workers’ compensation care.

If an individual is unable to work because of a workers' comp back injury, a worker can expect to be paid a base salary after taxes while being treated. Those whose salary is dependent on overtime creates a disadvantage. Workers’ compensation can mean a pay cut for these individuals. Workers’ comp pay depends on the state. Usually, there is a wage rate set by the state.

High Risk for Back Injury on the Job

Employees that are involved in physical labor like construction, factory work, and healthcare work have a higher risk of getting a back injury on the job. These injuries are often the result of:

• Improper lifting techniques
• Repetitively turning
• Twisting while lifting
• Holding something heavy
• Lifting heavy objects above the head
• Using the back muscles instead of the hips and legs when lifting bending of the knees and bringing heavy objects close to the core

Truck drivers also have a higher risk of back injuries. Sitting for long periods and reduced physical activity contributes to the back muscles losing their strength, endurance, and cardiovascular ability. Then when unloading the cargo the stress on the spine is doubled.

Injury Report

A back injury should be reported to the supervisor or the company’s human resources department. Depending on the state, there is a statute of limitations to file an injury claim. For example, an individual has one year from the date of injury to file a workers’ compensation claim with the supervisor or human resources department. However, it is best to report the injury and seek medical attention as soon as possible after being injured at work. The longer the wait, the more the employer could dispute the legal validity of a workers’ compensation claim.

Injury Qualification

If injured at work, assume the injury will be covered by workers’ compensation. However, it is not always completely clear. An individual could be injured at a work-related cookout or working from home and trip down the stairs. These are gray areas and are very new as more people working from home. These kinds of workers’ comp claims are now starting to be seen. Whatever the event, report injury/s to the employer. If the situation is untraditional, there could be some back and forth with the employer.

Spine Specialist Referal

To receive work comp treatment patients with back injuries will be referred to an occupational therapy clinic. An occupational therapist or clinic will set up the treatment. This could include:

• Chiropractic
• Medication
• Physical therapy
• Hydrotherapy
• MRI
• CT scan
• X-rays

For many that could be enough to get them back to work. If the initial treatments fail an individual could be referred to a spine specialist to set up an optimal treatment plan. A spine specialist could recommend additional therapy, medication, diagnostic imaging, spinal injections, or surgery.

Occupational therapy usually goes on for four to six weeks before the individual is referred to a spine specialist. This all depends on the situation. Individuals can be referred immediately for specific spinal treatment or be told to wait for a specific time. It all depends on the medical situation.

Employer and the Spine Specialist

In most states, employers will request a copy of the treatment plan and spine surgeon’s clinical notes written about the case during office or telemedicine appointments. Doctors have to provide clinic notes and treatment plans to the human resources departments along with the workers’ compensation insurance carrier.

Consistent, active communication goes on between the primary doctor, the company’s human resources department, and the insurance carrier. Note that workers’ compensation is exempt from HIPAA privacy regulations. Employers and the workers’ compensation insurance carrier have access to medical records related to the back injury. But medical information unrelated to the injury is restricted.

Obtaining Workers’ Compensation From a Doctor

Generally, no. Obtaining Workers’ comp is between the individual and their employer, not the doctor. Sometimes doctors are asked to determine if an individual's injury/s are work-related. This involves going through medical records but these requests are rare.

Benefits Duration

It depends on the case and where an individual lives. Every state is its own system. In some states, treatment can be ongoing for as long as treatment is needed and is consistent. What is highly recommended is meeting with a workers’ compensation attorney in your state when beginning the process to learn your rights and the process. This can help in preventing issues from popping up like an employer pressuring a worker to come back before a doctor has cleared them to return.

Making Most of Workers’ Comp

Keep appointments and be compliant with the doctor's treatment plan and recommendations. Be transparent with the doctor. Not telling them exactly what is happening will not help in their recovery. If there is an improvement from the treatment/s fantastic, but if there are minimal to no improvements be as descriptive as possible about what is happening and what does work. The goal is to work with a clinical team that can get an individual better back to work and normal activities.

Chiropractic Care Lower Back Pain

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Chiropractor 79936: Truide Torres, office manager at Injury Medical Clinic, discusses several common questions regarding what type of insurance Dr. Alex Jimenez's chiropractic care office accepts, what is the process that the staff must go through when patients are involved in an automobile accident or a work accident. Finally, Truide Torres describes what is the best route to take if the patient's personal insurance is able to cover the damages and injuries to the individual. Truide Torres encourages patients to contact Dr. Alex Jimenez's chiropractic office to discuss any matter involving their insurance and she recommends Dr. Jimenez as the non-surgical choice for neck and back pain..

Chiropractor 79936 

It is important to comprehend the expenses involved in chiropractic care, exactly what your insurance policy covers, and also what your fiscal responsibilities may be. Insurance coverage for chiropractic care may depend on a variety of factors. Most plans cover the cost of chiropractic care for severe (short-term) conditions. But many patients frequently have a co-pay in the time of the visit. When longer-term care is required for conditions that are chronic, severe, or occur together with another health problem, make sure you talk to your insurance company to find out your benefits. Overall prices for patients receiving treatment for back pain have been reported lower for people who receive treatment from a chiropractor.

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Our services are specialized and focused on injuries and the complete recovery process. Our areas of practice include: Wellness & Nutrition, Chronic Pain, Personal Injury, Auto Accident Care, Work Injuries, Back Injury, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, Migraine Headaches, Sport Injuries, Severe Sciatica, Scoliosis, Complex Herniated Discs, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Stress Management, and Complex Injuries.

As El Paso’s Chiropractic Rehabilitation Clinic & Integrated Medicine Center, we passionately are focused treating patients after frustrating injuries and chronic pain syndromes. We focus on improving your ability through flexibility, mobility and agility programs tailored for all age groups and disabilities.

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Fender benders/automobile accidents are the number one cause of spinal cord injuries. Auto accidents have accounted for more than a third of all reported cases of spine injuries. On average, individuals drive 30-40 miles every day. We love our cars, and we love to drive. Nothing throws us out of our normal world faster than a fender bender.

Auto accidents also account for other injuries like:

• Whiplash
• Spinal fractures
• Herniated discs

A crash causes bodily injury, stress, and, in some cases, ongoing legal matters. However, these injuries don't present symptoms until weeks or even months after the accident. With the vast number of automobiles on the road, as well as drivers being distracted, increases an individual's chances of being involved in an accident. If a fender bender happens to you, it is important to recognize and understand what has happened to keep you safe and your injuries to a minimum.

Understand the Situation

The way you react seconds after a crash can impact the situation tremendously. Determine where you are injured, and if you are in any immediate danger. If for example there is a fire get out fast. Otherwise, stay inside.

Analyze Injuries

How bad are the injuries? Even if you feel fine, your head, neck, and back could still have been impacted. Identify where you hurt, and the intensity of the pain.

Wait for the Ambulance/Police

Try to stay as calm as possible inside your car/truck and wait for the police and ambulance. If your vehicle has flipped and you are stuck from the seatbelt, stay put and wait for someone that knows what to do and can see what is happening. A good portion of head and neck injuries happen when the occupant/s release their seat belts after a crash, not realizing that it can exacerbate an injury or create new ones.

Inform EMT's

Once paramedics arrive, explain if you can, the areas of pain and injury. If you've previously suffered from injury or medical condition to the neck, back, or spine, let them know, as there is increased risk to individuals who already deal with medical conditions or bodily injuries.

This information helps formulate how they will take the individual out of the vehicle and what type of emergency treatment to utilize. Be specific when telling the paramedics, use simple language and the 1-10 pain scale to describe the level of pain and discomfort.

Chiropractor

If the injuries are minimal and you are released, be thankful. Still make an appointment with a chiropractor/physical therapist that specializes in fender bender treatment/therapy. Since some of these injuries can take a few days to show up, the fender bender could have impacted:

• Bones
• Joints
• Ligaments
• Nerves

This could have gone undiscovered at the initial post-crash examination. Therefore, ask for a complete examination, and talk with the chiropractor no matter how strange or insignificant the question may be. The chiropractor will understand what you are trying to explain. Your chiropractor may use a combination of spinal manipulation, manual therapy, and other techniques as part of a customized treatment program. 

Minimize the chances

While we cannot control when a fender bender takes place we can take measures to guard against the occurrence, and give ourselves a higher chance of avoiding injury.

• Always wear a seatbelt
• Get out of the habit of distracted driving
• Maintain your vehicle's brakes and tires
• Pay attention to traffic signs
• Plan ahead if you know of construction closures so you can avoid those highly congested areas

Drive the speed limit depending on the traffic and weather conditions. Be courteous and think about all the drivers and people all around you. Maintaining a clear head and following this little bit of advice, you can minimize the chance of being in an auto accident or being seriously injured. We all have to be somewhere, if we cooperate we can get there on time, safely, and efficiently.

Fender Bender Injury Chiropractic Care