Vehicle Override/Underride During Baltimore Auto Accidents

Vehicle Override/Underride During Baltimore Auto Accidents

The theme of the majority of my blog posts generally involves Baltimore auto accidents and Baltimore car accident injuries. I spend the majority of my time treating headaches, neck pain, back pain, and radicular complaints associated with auto accident injuries in Baltimore. One of the themes that keeps coming up is whether or not an insurance company wants to accept liability for injured claimants. Typically these adverse insurance companies state that their insured(s) could not have injured the claimants (my patients) due to how little property damage was sustained by the claimant’s vehicle. In past blog posts we discussed that there is no scientific link between property damage and occupant (claimant) injury. Rather, we determined that occupant kinematics and personal medical history (age, prior injuries, health status, seated position, preparedness for impact, etc.) are better predictive indicators for injury. With that said, I have treated several injured patients that have had severe injuries and some that even required surgical intervention where property damage to their vehicle was minimal.

The phenomenon that can help explain some of these cases where there are very serious injuries with very minimal property damage to a vehicle is called overriding and underriding.

Simply put, cars have front and rear-bumpers. These exist to help absorb an impact if two cars collide, and to help the occupant to “ride down” the crash. The bumpers absorb the tremendous forces that would otherwise be transferred to the vehicle’s occupants and cause serious injury. Generally speaking, bumpers work well. However, for them to work optimally, there needs to be a direct interaction between one vehicles bumper and the other bumper. If the bumpers are offset laterally, or if one bumper is higher than an another, then they will not function optimally to absorb forces.

I’ve treated patients who were in small sedans (for example, a honda civic). The civic might be stopped at a red light and rear-ended by a large Ford F350 truck. In the instance where the F350 truck’s bumper sits up off the road higher than the civic, it is entirely possible that the front bumper of the truck might override the civic’s bumper. (Please keep in mind I do not know the road clearance measurements of these vehicle’s bumpers, but instead, this is just a relative example). In this case, all of the force that would have been dissipated by the Civic’s bumper gets transferred into the vehicle’s frame, and carried through to the occupant. In this instance, the bumper damage to the civic may be minimal or non-existent, but the forces and injury to the occupant are real and severe. The trouble with this scenario is getting a claims adjustor, insurance company, or eventually a judge or jury to understand that due to the overriding of the bumpers, the occupant was injured.

It bears repeating that there is no clinical correlation between vehicular property damage and bodily injury. Sadly, most adverse insurance carriers are not concerned with an occupants injury, but rather, they are concerned with saving money and not paying out for legitimate injury claims. Unfortunately this often harms claimants whose vehicles were over or underridden, as their property damage may be lower than expected. As a result, their legitimate claims are often devalued or denied altogether.

Overriding and underriding of bumpers occurs very commonly in Baltimore auto accidents. It is imperative that the injured claimant should take their vehicle to a trusted body shop to search for other forms or property damage (frame damage, etc) that might otherwise have been missed. Only then, unfortunately, will an insurance company take their claim for injury seriously. It is also important that these injured claimants find a practice that understands these injuries and how to best treat them for maximal physical recovery.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a Baltimore auto accident, and require treatment for injuries sustained in a Baltimore auto accident, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz

How Do I Pay for My Medical and Chiropractic Care Following a Baltimore Auto Accident?

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends a lot of my time treating patients involved in Baltimore auto accidents and provides treatment to patients with whiplash, headaches, neck pain and back pain I get asked about how patients can have their medical and chiropractic bills paid. Although this is not a clinical discussion, but rather a financial one, I think it comes up in conversation enough that it warrants a small discussion. The three main ways to pay for care following a Baltimore auto accident include PIP, health insurance, and attorney/third party liens.

1. Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

In the State of Maryland it is mandatory that all drivers carry auto insurance. A component of the auto insurance that drivers carry is called PIP, or Personal Injury Protection. PIP is designed to pay for medical care (including x-rays, chiropractic care, and physical therapy) and up to 85% of lost wages for injured people in automobile accidents in Maryland. PIP is a no-fault benefit, meaning that it is available regardless of whether or not the driver caused the crash or was the victim of another driver’s negligence.

PIP is written in different amounts depending on the auto insurance policy. It is usually written in amounts of $2,500, $5,000 or $10,000 and can be waived in writing at the time of purchasing of auto insurance.

Maryland law dictates that medical bills and lost wages that are reasonable, customary, usual, and causally related to the automobile accident will be paid by PIP up to the policy limits.

In cases of non-faulted auto accidents, your auto insurer will not raise your auto insurance premiums even if you file a PIP claim with your own auto insurance company. That is, you can access PIP and use the benefits to pay for your treatment and lost wages without any negative financial consequences to yourself if you were the victim of an accident. If accessed during your treatment, PIP does not need to be repaid upon the conclusion of your treatment.

How do I apply for PIP ?

If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident contact your auto insurance company’s claims hotline to let them know you were injured.

Speak to your claims representative and confirm that you have PIP on your auto insurance policy.

Ask your claim’s representative to mail you an application for PIP benefits.  Typically these forms are about a page long and take less than ten minutes to complete.

Ask the claims adjuster to mail you an Attending Physician’s Report and Salary Verification Form. Hand these to your treating chiropractor and your supervisor at work to be completed.

Upon receipt, complete the applications and mail the PIP application, Attending Physician’s Report and Salary Verification Form back to your claims adjustor.

Provide your claim number, adjuster name, claim office address, and phone number to all of your health care providers. This will allow your providers to be paid for your care while you are still in treatment. This also lowers, or in some cases, eliminates any money owed to your providers for treatment rendered upon conclusion of your care.

What If I don’t have PIP?

Injured patients that do not have access to PIP do have other means to get their bills paid.

If there is no PIP coverage available on your auto insurance you can use your health insurance to pay for your medical care. Health insurance will pay your providers for their services rendered once PIP has been exhausted. The trouble with health insurance following a Baltimore auto accident is that the health insurance company will want to be paid back anything they pay out. That is, after you receive a settlement for your personal injury claim, the injured patient will have to repay any monies paid out by the health insurance company, effectively decreasing the amount of your settlement. To reiterate, PIP monies do not need to be repaid once they’ve been paid to your providers on your behalf.

Patients that do not have PIP or Health insurance (which sadly occurs more than you might think) are not necessarily out of options. That is, providers such as myself and Dr. Kevin Carr of Carr Medical Specialties will agree to treat you on a third party lien or on an attorney lien. This means that we agree to treat you with no cost out of your pocket and that we agree to wait to get paid until your case settles.  This type of arrangement is a delayed payment arrangement, sort of like a credit card for your care. In these instances if the responsible third party denies liability and does not pay your medical bills you will have to arrange a financial payment schedule with my office. Many patients do not want to deal with the hassles of the paperwork involved in third party liens and instead ask that we refer them directly to a qualified personal injury attorney.

Automobile accidents are stressful but recovery from your injury does not need to be.

If you have questions please speak to the office manager La Keesha Arrington-Vega by phone at (443) 842-5500 or by email at [email protected]. The team at Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic would be happy to help you recover from your Baltimore auto accident injuries.

Dr. Gulitz

Baltimore Auto Accidents Due to Distracted Driving

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the vast majority of my time caring for patients involved in auto accidents, it is becoming clear that auto accidents and whiplash injuries that result in headaches, neck pain, and back pain are becoming an epidemic. There are more cars on the road than ever before and there are more distractions behind the wheel than ever before. Years ago we only had to worry about DUI/DWI and perhaps some loud music behind the wheel.  With the addition of smart devices that buzz, tweet, and update in real time drivers are distracted at the greatest rate in recent history. Not surprisingly, this has lead to increased crashes, increased auto accident injuries, and in some cases, more deaths that could have otherwise been avoided had the driver focused on driving.

Distracted driving is defined as any activity that can distract a person’s attention away from driving a vehicle. Types of distractions that contribute to distracted driving include:

• Texting
• Speaking on a cell phone/smart phone
• Eating and drinking
• Grooming/applying make up
• Reading
• Using navigation systems
• Watching a video
• Adjusting radio/CD player/MP3 player
• Drinking or being under the influence of any substance that impacts reaction time (illicit drugs, prescription drugs)

Fortunately law makers in Maryland realize the importance of making sure that drivers are focused on the road. They have enacted laws that prohibit the use of a handheld phone for either texting or driving. Police are legally allowed to issue a ticket if they see a driver using their cell phone in the car. The fees are $83 for a first offense, $140 for a second offense, and $160 per offense thereafter.

Maryland lawmakers also enacted Jake’s Law. It states that a driver that causes serious injury or death while walking or texting on a cell phone may receive a prison sentence of up to 3 years and a fine of up to $5,000.

So it begs the question: what can we do to focus on driving rather than being distracted?

• Put your phone away- Out of sight is out of mind. Put it out of reach, in the glove box, or in the back seat.
• Have a designated communicator- Pass the phone to another occupant of the vehicle. Have them text or call on your behalf so that you can keep your eyes on the road.
• Hold each other accountable – If you are a passenger in a vehicle and you see a driver being distracted, volunteer to drive or to take over communications.
• Pull over- We all know emergencies happen and sometimes we just need to get to our phones. Where it is safe, pull over and put your car in park. And no, texting at a red light is not a good use of this.
• Don’t forget to fasten your safety belt. If you are involved in a crash, having your seat belt buckled is still single handedly the best choice for saving your life and preventing ejection and death if you are unfortunately involved in a Baltimore auto accident.

As they say, “accidents happen.” But that doesn’t mean that we have to accept them as inevitable. We all need to do our part to keep the roads safe and to focus on arriving safely. Once we arrive at our destination, we are free to call, text, and tweet until our heart’s content. For now, if you, or someone you know has been injured in a Baltimore auto accident as a result of distracted driving please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz

Beliefs Influence Outcomes in Baltimore Whiplash Treatment

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating patients with Baltimore whiplash injuries that require Baltimore whiplash treatment, I have seen a lot of fear and concerning injuries following Baltimore car accidents. Patient’s reactions to injuries vary greatly- some think that their injuries are not a big deal while others think that it is the most tragic thing to have ever happened in the history of the world. Interestingly enough, research has found that beliefs help by patients have been shown to influence outcomes in acute whiplash cases. That is, if a patient is conditioned to believe that they will make a speedy recovery they usually do and if they are condition to believe that their treatment will be protracted and painful, it can be.

Twenty participants were enrolled in a large pragmatic randomized control trial of physical therapy for acute whiplash injuries. They were interviewed at the beginning of their injury and following their treatment.

The authors concluded that people with whiplash injuries such as headaches, neck pain, mid back pain, and lower back pain following Baltimore auto accidents tend to have pre-existing beliefs regarding recovery from auto accidents. Interestingly, health professionals can have a major influence on these beliefs and can either help support patient’s expectations or can help to hold a patient’s recovery back.

Communication and setting expectations for patients involved in Baltimore auto accidents can influence the outcome for these patients. I tell all of my patients that the vast majority of patients will make complete recoveries. That is, they will reach maximum medical improvement by way of reaching pre-injury status. Interestingly, just telling patients that they will recover will help them recover. If you want to check out this article feel free to check out the link here.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of a Baltimore auto accident and require Baltimore whiplash treatment, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz

Chiropractic Care Offers Faster Back Pain Recovery Than Medical Care

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of my clinical hours treating patient with back pain, it is not uncommon for patients to see me after they have seen their family medical provider. Typically these patients present for care to their PCPs office with a complaint of back pain. These patients are usually prescribed some combination of rest, activity modification (i.e. no lifting, bending, twisting), pain relievers such as ibuprofen, and maybe some muscle relaxers. When these remedies fail to bring about resolution of the lower back pain, these clients usually present to my office for evaluation and treatment recommendations. In some other instances patients with lower back pain in Baltimore either do not have a primary care doctor to see, or are in so much pain that they do not want to wait several weeks to get into their doctor to see them, so they just come to my office in pain.

Regardless of how a client gets to my office, the vast majority suffer from back pain. Regardless of how they go about feeling better, one thing is true: patients want to feel better quickly and they want to feel better now!

Recent research out of the journal Spine in December 2014 seems to indicate that patients that undergo spinal manipulation therapy had the best outcome compared to patients who either underwent “mechanical assisted manipulation” or “usual medical care.”

This study was a randomized control trial that set to compare to approach of manual-thrust manipulation vs. mechanical assisted manipulation vs. usual medical care to see what impact these approaches had on patient’s pain and disability levels.

Each of the first two groups underwent a series of 8 total treatments (2 visits per week for four weeks) and the medical care group saw their provider a series of 3 times. The study followed participants’ self reported levels of pain and disability at the beginning of the study, immediately after their fourth week of treatment, and then again at three and six months following the termination of their treatment.

While research was quick to point out that all three groups saw improvement in pain an disability levels, it was found that the first group, the manual-thrust manipulation group (aka the chiropractic manipulation group) saw the greatest reduction in pain and disability levels at the end of care.

This study is important to me for two main reasons. First, it backs up what I tell my patients, which is that for mechanical lower back pain chiropractic spinal manipulation is incredibly successful. Secondly, and most importantly, it confirms that healing is a process that takes time. Even though spinal manipulation beat the other methods of back pain relief, notice that it still took 4 weeks of treatment to reach the outcome. Often I see patients who discontinue treatment after 2 or 3 treatments because “it isn’t working” and I assure them that healing is a process that takes time. This study also seems to suggest that patients should expect to see results within about 3-4 weeks. After that period any patient that is not improving may want to consider referrals to other specialists for second opinions and future treatment recommendations.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from lower back pain, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz