In a Motor Vehicle Accident? What You Need to Know!
OH NO! You’ve been in a motor vehicle accident (MVA). This is something we hope happens to NO ONE, but the unfortunate reality is that it happens all too frequently. With that being said, we want to make sure you have a trusted physiotherapy clinic that can provide you with the treatment you need to get started on the road to recovery. We know the process that takes place after you have been part of an MVA is not an easy one, but we are here to make it as smooth as possible when it comes to the services you receive from our clinic. Continue below to become familiar with the MVA process here at Kneaded Care.
Once you have been in a MVA, you’ll want to confirm that if a police report was taken you have the details because you will need this when completing paperwork if the accident required police attendance, while also collecting any vehicle insurance information needed, either your own or of the person who’s vehicle you were occupying when the accident occurred. Step one is letting your auto insurance company know that an accident has occurred and you have been injured as a result. It's important that an Accident Benefit claim be started in addition to a claim for getting your vehicle fixed. Once your claim has been filed your auto insurance company will be in contact to provide you with a claim number and should have an adjuster assigned to your claim. A claim number is required before treatment can begin under a MVA claim. If all of these details have been collected, you're ready to give us a call to get booked in for your initial assessment with a Registered Physiotherapist.
During your first phone call with us, after gathering the above stated details, the Client Care Coordinators (CCC’s) will need to ask quite a few questions to ensure they are collecting all of the relevant information. You should be prepared with:
claim details, including auto insurance company through which the claim is filed, claim number and date of accident
insurance details, both extended health care and auto insurance
and a summary of any injuries sustained as a result of the accident
After receiving this information the CCC’s will set you up with an appointment that will be one hour in length.
You may receive a package of paperwork from your insurance company; they typically send many more forms than are regularly required, and it's normal to be overwhelmed with the mountain of paperwork that's in front of you, but don’t fret, we're here to help guide you through. The most important form at this point in time is titled “OCF-1: Application for Accident Benefits". If you have not received a copy of this form from your insurance company by the time your appointment with us occurs, we can print one off for you to be taken home and returned completed to the clinic. We can make sure it gets faxed to your insurance company and into the hands of your adjuster. Sections 1 through 12 must be completed by you (if necessary). By the completion and submission of this form to your insurance company, the insurance will have the proof and details that an accident has occurred and be able to be billed for treatment costs that start to accrue for the therapy you will be receiving from Kneaded Care. This form is mandatory so you do not have to worry about treatment costs and are able to put your focus into your treatment.
Once you arrive for your initial assessment the CCC’s will confirm all of the standard intake forms have been completed and your Physiotherapist will come out to greet you. Your assessment with the Physiotherapist will consist of more conversation than one might expect, but it's important that the Physiotherapist collect the relevant details for your treatment plan. The hands-on portion of the assessment is when they will complete a thorough hands-on assessment. This may include testing range of motion, strength differentials, reflexes, and more. During this hour with the Physiotherapist, your funding stream will be determined based on the injuries sustained in the accident, which will dictate how your follow up treatments are booked.
If your injuries are limited to soft tissue damage, such as muscle soreness, bruising and/or whiplash, it's likely that we can begin booking your follow up sessions straight away. Clients receiving care for minor injuries under the Minor Injury Guideline (MIG) are able to receive care over a 12 week time period within the MIG funding allowances. You will be required to sign an OCF-23 to confirm this treatment plan. Your Physiotherapist will discuss with you whether a treatment plan that includes massage therapy or not is most beneficial (please note our massage therapists are extremely busy at this time, so if you choose to include massage in your treatment plan, you may be waiting quite a few weeks to receive that treatment). Either treatment plan you choose under the MIG, whether including massage or not, will be booked based upon the amount of funding we have access to.
Depending on the Physiotherapist's opinion of your injuries after the assessment you may be placed into the Major Injury Guidelines, which means we would have to wait to book your follow up sessions. Injuries considered to be major, including broken bones and/or surgical repairs as a result of an accident, need to have treatment limits approved by your auto insurance company before treatment can begin. Upon this being approved, we will call you to book your follow up appointments and when you come back to the clinic you will need to sign an OCF-18; this is the approved treatment plan and will list exactly what has been approved thus far.
Ok, now I know your eyes may be starting to cross, but we are almost there! The other forms that may come in the package sent from your auto insurance company are all forms that only have to be completed by you if necessary. For example, if you are requesting income supplementation because you have to take time off of work and your workplace does not offer you that supplementation, if you want to claim other expenses that are not covered under your treatment plan with our clinic, etc. For any of these forms your Physiotherapist is more than happy to review and discuss, as well as, our Office Manager Carolyn.
That’s it! The information that has been provided throughout this blog will set you up for a successful and smooth MVA process and allow you to put your energy into your treatment. We are here for you and are committed to you and #YourHealthYourStory.