After a car accident, prioritizing your recovery is just as important for restoring your ability to work, engage in daily activities, and live without chronic pain. Many injuries—such as whiplash, back pain, and soft tissue damage—require ongoing medical care, and one of the most effective treatments is physical therapy.
Physical therapy plays a crucial role in helping accident victims regain strength, mobility, and overall function. However, the cost of physical therapy can add up quickly, and insurance companies often try to minimize or deny coverage. That’s why understanding your legal rights and compensation options is essential. If you’ve been injured in a car accident and are in need of proper medical treatment, an experienced car accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Kenneth Berger can help. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation at (803) 790-2800 in Columbia, SC, or (843) 427-2800 in Myrtle Beach.
Who Pays for Physical Therapy After a Car Accident?
- At-fault Driver’s Insurance:
- In South Carolina, you may be entitled to compensation for physical therapy and other medical expenses through the at-fault driver’s liability insurance. However, proving fault isn’t always straightforward—insurance companies may dispute liability or attempt to minimize payouts.
- Your Own Auto Insurance:
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or MedPay may cover physical therapy costs, regardless of fault. This coverage is beneficial to have if the at-fault driver is uninsured, underinsured, or if there is a dispute over liability.
- Health Insurance:
- No matter what they tell you while getting treatment, you should always give the medical provider your health insurance card after a car accident and request they file all bills with your provider. This typically helps reduce your overall medical costs. If you pay any co-pays or other out-of-pocket costs throughout treatment, an injury attorney can help you seek compensation from the at fault driver’s insurance provider to cover your costs.
Insurance companies often try to minimize or deny claims, so working with a skilled personal injury attorney can help strengthen your case, gather the necessary evidence, and work to help you secure the full compensation necessary for your recovery.
Can I Get Compensation for Physical Therapy in My Car Accident Settlement?
Physical therapy costs can be included in your car accident settlement. If your injuries require ongoing rehabilitation, you may be able to receive compensation for both current and future physical therapy expenses as part of your personal injury claim. Some of the expenses that may be covered by a settlement include:
- Medical bills including physical therapy
- Future rehabilitation needs
- Lost wages
It is important to follow your doctor’s recommendations, attend all therapy sessions, and keep detailed records of your treatment and its impact on your recovery.
Why Is Physical Therapy Important After a Car Accident?
- Pain management: Through targeted exercises, hands-on techniques, and specialized treatments, physical therapy helps reduce pain and improve overall comfort during recovery. By focusing on movement patterns, muscle strengthening, and joint flexibility, physical therapists work to alleviate tension, decrease inflammation, and restore function.
- Restoring strength, mobility and function: After an injury, even the simplest tasks can become challenging. However, through targeted exercises and specialized techniques, physical therapy helps restore strength, improve mobility, and enhance overall function, allowing you to regain independence and return to daily activities with greater ease.
- Preventing long-term pain: If left untreated, injuries from a car accident can lead to chronic pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Early intervention through physical therapy helps prevent long-term complications by strengthening muscles, improving joint function, and promoting proper healing, reducing the risk of lingering pain and future mobility issues.
- Documents your injury: After a car accident, securing fair compensation from the insurance company requires clear evidence of your injuries and their impact on your daily life. Physical therapy records serve as valuable documentation, detailing the severity of your injury, the treatment required, and your progress over time. These records help demonstrate the extent of your pain, mobility limitations, and ongoing medical needs, strengthening your personal injury claim.
Common Types of Injuries That Require Physical Therapy
- Whiplash & Neck Injuries – A common injury that occurs when the head is forcefully jerked back and forth, often during a car accident. Physical therapy helps strengthen the muscles and tendons in the neck, reducing stiffness, improving range of motion, and promoting proper healing to prevent long-term discomfort.
- Back & Spine Injuries – Physical therapy helps with herniated discs, soft tissue damage, and nerve pain by focusing on gentle stretching, strengthening exercises, and posture correction. These targeted treatments reduce inflammation, improve spinal alignment, and restore mobility, helping accident victims regain function and prevent chronic pain.
- Fractures & Joint Injuries – Car accidents often result in broken bones, fractures, or ligament damage, which can significantly limit mobility and cause ongoing pain and stiffness. Physical therapy plays a crucial role in rebuilding strength, improving flexibility, and restoring joint function through controlled exercises and rehabilitation techniques. This helps prevent muscle atrophy, enhances range of motion, and ensures a smoother recovery process.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) – If brain injury occurs after a car accident, physical therapy can address some of the symptoms of TBI including balance issues, coordination difficulties, and motor skill impairments caused by brain trauma. Physical therapists use specialized exercises to retrain the brain and body, improving strength, stability, and movement control.
Get Legal Help After a Car Accident in South Carolina
At the Law Office of Kenneth E. Berger, we understand the critical role physical therapy plays in your recovery and work to help you obtain a full, fair recovery in your personal injury claim. While you focus on healing, our team will handle everything else.
Our offices are conveniently located in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, serving clients across Sumter, Florence, and throughout South Carolina. Call us today at (803) 790-2800 (Columbia) or (843) 427-2800 (Myrtle Beach). Let us help you get the care you need—without the stress of dealing with insurance alone.
