Car Accident Injury Treatment
If you have been in a car accident, get evaluated within the first week — even if you feel mostly fine. Whiplash and other soft-tissue injuries often do not reach their worst symptoms until two to three days after the collision, and a gap between the crash and your first medical visit is the most common reason an injury claim gets reduced.
Mountain View Pain Center treats car accident injuries at 22 clinics across Colorado and Arizona. Board-certified pain management providers and licensed chiropractors work in the same building, so your exam, imaging referral and first treatment happen together — instead of moving between three offices over three weeks.
Request an appointment · Call (720) 749-5599
What to do in the first 72 hours after a car accident
- Get evaluated even without obvious pain. Adrenaline masks injury for the first 24 to 72 hours. What feels like stiffness on day one is frequently a cervical strain by day three.
- Say yes to documentation. A dated clinical record from the first week is the strongest evidence your claim will have.
- Do not sign a release from the other driver's insurer before you know the full extent of your injuries.
- Keep every appointment. Treatment gaps longer than two weeks are routinely used to argue an injury was minor.
- Bring your claim number and adjuster contact to the first visit, so billing can go through auto medical payments coverage rather than your health plan deductible.
Injuries we treat after a collision
- Whiplash and cervical strain — the most common crash injury, and the most commonly under-treated
- Disc injuries — herniation and bulging discs caused by the forward-and-back mechanism of impact
- Low back and lumbar strain
- Shoulder injuries from seatbelt and steering wheel impact
- Concussion-related headaches and neck pain
- Nerve pain, numbness and tingling radiating into the arms or legs
- Knee and hip injuries from dashboard contact
How treatment works
Evaluation
A physician exam, orthopaedic and neurological testing, and an imaging referral where the exam warrants one. You leave the first visit with a diagnosis and a written plan — not a follow-up appointment to get one.
Treatment
Chiropractic care and manual therapy for soft-tissue and joint injuries. Interventional pain management — targeted injections and nerve blocks — when pain is severe or is not responding to conservative care. Rehabilitation to restore range of motion. All under one roof, coordinated by one team working from one plan.
Documentation
Your records are prepared to the standard attorneys and adjusters expect: mechanism of injury, objective exam findings, imaging correlation, a specific diagnosis, the treatment plan and the reasoning behind it, and progress notes at every visit.
Should I see a chiropractor or a doctor after a car accident?
Both — and ideally in the same place. A physician diagnoses the injury and orders imaging. A chiropractor treats the soft-tissue and joint injuries that make up the majority of crash cases. Splitting the two across separate practices delays care and fragments the records your claim depends on.
At Mountain View Pain Center, pain management and chiropractic care sit in the same building and work from a single treatment plan.
Whiplash after a car accident
Whiplash is a rapid forward-and-back movement of the neck that strains the muscles, ligaments and discs of the cervical spine. It is the most frequent injury in rear-end collisions and can occur at impact speeds well under 15 mph.
Symptoms usually appear one to three days after the collision rather than immediately: neck stiffness and pain, headaches beginning at the base of the skull, shoulder and upper back pain, reduced range of motion, dizziness, and sometimes tingling into the arms.
Most whiplash cases resolve within six to twelve weeks with a combination of chiropractic care, manual therapy and rehabilitation. Cases involving disc injury or ongoing nerve symptoms may need interventional pain management and take longer.
Do I need a lawyer first?
No. You do not need an attorney to be seen, and you should not delay care while you decide. Getting evaluated early protects both your recovery and your claim. If you do retain counsel later, complete records from the first week are what they will want most.
How billing works after a car accident
Most car accident treatment in Colorado and Arizona is billed to auto medical payments coverage — commonly called med-pay — rather than to your health insurance. In practice that usually means treatment does not touch your health plan deductible.
Both Colorado and Arizona are at-fault states, and med-pay is optional coverage in each, so the specifics depend on your policy. We bill auto med-pay directly, and can work on a lien basis in cases where an attorney is involved. Bring your claim number and adjuster details to your first visit and our team will confirm your coverage.
Find car accident treatment near you
Colorado
Aurora · Littleton · Denver · Northglenn · Lakewood · Lone Tree · Highlands Ranch · Lafayette · Greeley · Fort Collins · Colorado Springs
Arizona
Phoenix · Glendale · Peoria · Chandler · Mesa
Frequently asked questions
How soon after a car accident should I see a doctor?
Within the first week, and ideally within 72 hours. Whiplash and soft-tissue injuries frequently do not reach peak symptoms until two to three days after the collision, so waiting until you feel bad often means waiting too long.
Should I see a chiropractor or a doctor after a car accident?
Both. A physician can diagnose your injury and order imaging; a chiropractor treats the soft-tissue and joint injuries that make up most crash cases. Seeing them in the same practice keeps your care coordinated and your records complete.
Will treatment cost me anything up front?
Usually not. Car accident care is generally billed to auto medical payments coverage rather than your health insurance, which means it typically does not affect your health plan deductible.
What if I already feel fine?
Get evaluated anyway. A normal exam documented in week one is valuable in itself. Symptoms that first appear in week three with no earlier record are considerably harder to connect to the accident.
Do you work with personal injury attorneys?
Yes. We provide the documentation attorneys need and can work on a lien basis where appropriate. You do not need an attorney to be treated.
How long does treatment take?
Most soft-tissue cases resolve within six to twelve weeks. Disc injuries and cases requiring interventional pain management take longer, and your plan is reassessed as you progress.
Can I be treated if the accident was my fault?
Yes. Med-pay coverage applies regardless of fault in both Colorado and Arizona, and you can be treated either way.