Is Therapy Required After a Car Accident?

If you’ve suffered serious injuries in a car accident, you may need different forms of therapy as part of your medical treatment. Therapy can be expensive and may be required for many months.

You may need physical therapy to help you become more mobile again. In some cases, occupational therapy is required to help you learn how to live with the changes that the accident has caused your body. Psychological therapy may be necessary even when injuries aren’t extreme.

Your doctors will decide the need for therapy in any form after your accident. While it isn’t required after every car accident, it may be a factor in yours.

Types of Therapy Car Accident Victims May Need

Injury victims in car accidents will often need different kinds of therapy to help them heal.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy helps accident victims improve their range of motion and flexibility. It can help restore strength and function back to the injured parts of your body. Doctors will make a referral for physical therapy for those who have sustained back or neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or nerve damage.

Occupational Therapy

In extreme cases, your car accident injury may have upended your daily life. An occupational therapist can help you regain the skills you lost because of your injuries to help you return to work or take care of your daily needs. This may be required for those who have suffered paralysis, amputation, or severe traumatic brain injuries.

Psychological Therapy

The mental trauma from a car accident can last for years. Mental health professionals may be recommended to help you work through post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and other psychological conditions to help you feel like yourself again.

Who Pays for the Therapy You Need After a Car Crash?

Since Florida is a no-fault insurance state, you must first seek coverage through your auto insurer. The required insurance for personal injury protection (PIP) is set at a $10,000 minimum. It will pay damages to you no matter who was at fault.

However, if you have the minimum coverage, it may not be enough to cover your medical expenses. You could additionally rely on your own healthcare coverage, but that hardly seems fair if you weren’t the one to cause the accident.

Even though the state uses a no-fault insurance model, you can still hold the at-fault driver liable to pay for your required therapy after an accident. This would require you to file a claim with their insurer. If it is rejected, you must file a lawsuit and prepare to present evidence proving they were negligent and liable for your injuries.

If you’re seriously injured, it can add more stress as you try to heal. This is why it’s wise to work with a car accident attorney who can help pursue compensation for your therapy and other financial losses. They’ll gather the evidence needed and negotiate with the insurance company to make sure you don’t get stuck with these bills.