11 car accident injuries, and the hours or days before each one shows up.

Car accident injuries treated at this office are the musculoskeletal and nerve injuries a collision causes: whiplash, disc and back injuries, neck, shoulder, knee and joint trauma, soft-tissue strain, seat belt and airbag injuries, and nerve irritation. Head injuries and concussion are screened here and referred. Each page below covers the mechanism, the examination, the treatments used and what is documented for the claim.

Why onset matters more than the crash

Most people leave a collision on Federal Highway or I-95 feeling shaken but intact. Adrenaline and the body's own inflammatory delay mean that whiplash, soft-tissue strain and disc irritation usually declare themselves between 24 and 72 hours later, and nerve symptoms can take days or weeks. Two things run on that delay. Clinically, an injury treated in the first week responds faster than one that has had a month to guard and stiffen. Procedurally, Florida PIP requires initial treatment within 14 days of the crash, so the days spent waiting to see are days taken out of the window. The onset figures beside each injury are there so you know what you are waiting for and how long you can afford to wait.

How each injury is examined

Every injury page describes the same first step, because it is the same first step: an examination by Dr. Carol McNamara-Krauss, DC, with orthopedic and neurological testing, range-of-motion measurements and palpation, and an imaging referral when the findings call for one. The differences are in what the examination is looking for, which treatments follow, and when the emergency room or a specialist comes first. Head injury and concussion, for example, are screened here and referred; whiplash is treated here the same day. The what to do after a car accident page covers the first 14 days in order.