Question 1

What doctor should I see after a car accident?

Accepted Answer

A chiropractic physician who treats crash injuries every day is the right doctor for neck, back, shoulder, and soft tissue pain after a collision. Dr. Carol McNamara-Krauss, DC has been in practice for 30 years and this office treats accident injuries only. The first visit includes orthopedic and neurological testing and range-of-motion measurements, documented the same day. If the examination finds something outside chiropractic care, such as a fracture or a head injury, we refer you for imaging or to a specialist and keep treating what we are able to.

Question 2

How soon after a car accident should I see a doctor?

Accepted Answer

Florida's PIP law requires initial treatment within 14 days of the crash for your medical benefits to apply at all. Sooner is better than later, for two reasons. Whiplash and disc injuries often feel worse on day two or three, and an examination in the first days records the baseline that later findings get compared against. We hold same-day appointments for crash patients. Call (754) 342-6479 at any hour and we book you into the next opening at the Lighthouse Point office.

Question 3

What if I feel fine at the scene?

Accepted Answer

Feeling fine at the scene is common, and it is not proof that you are uninjured. Adrenaline masks pain for hours, and whiplash symptoms often appear 2 to 3 days after the impact. The 14-day PIP clock started at the crash, not when the pain started. Get examined within the first few days even if you have no symptoms yet. The exam is short, the findings are documented the same day, and if everything tests normal, that is recorded too.

Question 4

What should I bring to the first visit?

Accepted Answer

Bring your driver's license, your auto insurance card, and the crash report or the exchange-of-information slip if you have one. If you went to an emergency room or urgent care first, bring the discharge papers and any imaging reports. Bring your attorney's name and phone number if you have retained one, so Janelle Deal opens the file with their office on day one. If you have none of this, come anyway; we complete the paperwork at the front desk.

Question 5

What should I say to the doctor after a car accident?

Accepted Answer

Tell Dr. McNamara-Krauss exactly what happened and exactly what hurts, leaving nothing out and adding nothing. Describe the impact: which direction it came from, whether you were belted, whether the airbag deployed, and where your head went. List every symptom, including ones that seem minor, such as headaches, tingling, or trouble sleeping. Mention prior injuries to the same area; hiding them hurts your credibility later. The examination records what you report alongside what the testing finds.

Question 6

Should I go to the ER, urgent care, or a chiropractor?

Accepted Answer

The emergency room comes first for any injury that threatens life or limb: loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding, chest pain, numbness that spreads, a suspected fracture, or a blow to the head. Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach and Broward Health Imperial Point in Fort Lauderdale are the closest to our office. Once you are cleared, we take over the injuries an ER does not treat: whiplash, disc injuries, strains, and joint sprains. Urgent care is a reasonable middle stop for a same-day check, but it does not replace an examination built to document your claim.

Question 7

What is the Florida 14-day rule?

Accepted Answer

The 14-day rule is the requirement in Florida's PIP statute that you receive initial medical treatment within 14 days of the crash to qualify for benefits. Miss the window and PIP medical benefits are not payable, no matter how real the injury is. The 14 days count from the date of the collision, not from the day the pain started. An examination with a chiropractic physician counts as initial treatment. We hold same-day openings for crash patients so nobody at this office loses benefits over the calendar.

Question 8

Does PIP cover chiropractic care?

Accepted Answer

Yes, chiropractic care is covered by Florida PIP. Your examination and treatment with Dr. McNamara-Krauss bill to your own PIP policy at 80% of reasonable charges, up to $10,000 with an EMC determination or $2,500 without one, as long as your initial treatment happened within 14 days of the crash. Janelle Deal verifies your coverage before treatment starts and tells you what your policy pays and what it does not. Bring your insurance card to the first visit and she handles the rest.

Question 9

Who pays for the chiropractor after an accident?

Accepted Answer

Your own PIP coverage pays for chiropractic treatment after a Florida car accident, regardless of who caused the crash. PIP covers 80% of reasonable medical expenses up to your limit. The remaining 20%, and anything above the limit, is a question for your attorney and your other coverage. We bill PIP directly. Janelle Deal has handled Florida PIP claims for 30 years and coordinates with the insurer and your attorney, so the billing is not your problem while you recover.

Question 10

What if the accident was my fault?

Accepted Answer

Fault does not change your PIP medical coverage in Florida. Because Florida is a no-fault state, your own policy pays 80% of reasonable medical expenses up to your limit no matter who caused the crash. The 14-day window and the EMC threshold apply exactly the same way. Get examined, get treated, and let the fault question play out separately. What we document is your injury and your recovery, not who was to blame, and the record reads the same either way.

Question 11

How long after a car accident can you claim an injury in Florida?

Accepted Answer

PIP medical benefits require initial treatment within 14 days of the crash; that is the deadline that matters most for getting care paid for. The separate deadline for filing a lawsuit against an at-fault driver is a legal question, and it belongs to your attorney, not to us. What we control is the medical record. An injury documented on day two carries different weight than one first reported months later, so do not wait to be examined while you sort out the legal side.

Question 12

What is an emergency medical condition, and why does $2,500 versus $10,000 matter?

Accepted Answer

An emergency medical condition (EMC) is a determination that your crash injury is serious enough to unlock the full $10,000 PIP medical benefit instead of the $2,500 limit. Under Florida law, an EMC can only be determined by an MD, DO, PA or APRN, not by a chiropractor. This office does not make EMC determinations. When the examination findings warrant it, we refer you to a provider who does, and Janelle Deal tracks the referral so the determination lands in your file. Without it, your PIP medical coverage stops at $2,500.

Question 13

What is the difference between a chiropractic physician and a doctor who prescribes drugs or does surgery?

Accepted Answer

A chiropractic physician (DC) diagnoses and treats injuries to the spine, joints, muscles, and nerves without drugs or surgery. Dr. McNamara-Krauss holds Florida chiropractic license CH5281 and has practiced for 30 years. A DC performs orthopedic and neurological testing, refers for imaging, and refers out when a case needs medication, surgery, or an emergency medical condition determination, which a chiropractor is not permitted to make under Florida law. For the injuries most crashes cause, whiplash, disc problems, strains, and sprains, chiropractic care is the primary treatment, and PIP covers it.

Question 14

How long does whiplash take to heal?

Accepted Answer

Most whiplash injuries improve over a period of weeks with treatment, and a smaller share take months. The timeline depends on the force of the impact, whether the head was turned, prior neck problems, and how soon treatment began. We do not quote a fixed number of visits before the examination. What we do is measure range of motion at the first visit, re-measure as care progresses, and adjust the plan on those numbers. Every visit is documented, so the recovery curve is visible in the record.

Question 15

Is whiplash dangerous?

Accepted Answer

Whiplash is a real injury to the ligaments, muscles, and discs of the neck, and untreated it leaves a share of patients with chronic pain, headaches, and stiffness. The larger danger is what gets missed alongside it: a concussion, a disc herniation pressing on a nerve, or a fracture. That is why the first visit includes neurological testing, and why anything with numbness, weakness, severe headache, or confusion goes to the emergency room or a specialist before it comes back to us for care.

Question 16

Do you treat concussions?

Accepted Answer

Concussions and head injuries are screened at this office and referred out, not treated here. Every crash examination includes neurological testing, and if the findings point to a concussion, Dr. McNamara-Krauss refers you for imaging or to a specialist and documents the referral in your file. Broward Health North and Broward Health Imperial Point are the closest hospitals for a same-day head injury workup. We continue treating the neck and back injuries that usually travel with a concussion, and we coordinate timing with the treating specialist.

Question 17

Do you work with my attorney?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we work directly with your personal injury attorney from the first visit. Janelle Deal, our Attorney-Patient Case Coordinator, opens the file with your attorney's office, confirms PIP coverage, and keeps them updated as treatment progresses. Records go to the attorney as one PDF on request. If you do not have an attorney yet, that does not change your care; the examination and the documentation are the same either way. Attorneys who want to send a client use the refer-a-client form on this site.

Question 18

What records do you provide?

Accepted Answer

We provide the initial examination report, treatment notes from every visit, and narrative reports on request, sent as a single PDF. The initial examination includes orthopedic and neurological testing and range-of-motion measurements, all documented the same day as the visit. Treatment notes record what was done, on which area, with which equipment, and how the patient responded. Narrative reports summarize the mechanism of injury, findings, treatment, and current status. Imaging and specialist referrals are recorded in the same file.

Question 19

Who is the case coordinator?

Accepted Answer

Janelle Deal is the Attorney-Patient Case Coordinator at Car Accident Doctors Group. She has 30 years of experience handling Florida PIP claims, and she speaks Spanish. Janelle is the person who verifies your coverage, opens communication with your attorney's office, tracks EMC referrals, and sends records when they are requested. For attorneys and case managers, she is the single point of contact for status on any patient we share. Reach her through the main line, (754) 342-6479.

Question 20

Can I get a doctor's note for work?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Dr. McNamara-Krauss provides work notes based on the examination findings. The note states the restrictions the injury requires, such as no lifting or limited sitting, and the period they apply to. Ask at the front desk on the day of your visit. Notes are updated at follow-up visits as your condition changes. The same restrictions go into the treatment record, which your attorney will want if lost work time is part of your claim.

Question 21

Can you tell me what my case is worth or give legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No, this office does not give legal advice and does not estimate what any claim is worth. Dr. McNamara-Krauss documents the injury, the treatment, and the recovery; what those facts mean for a settlement or a lawsuit is your attorney's job. Janelle Deal explains how PIP billing works and what your policy covers, which is insurance information, not legal advice. Questions about liability, deadlines to sue, or settlement value belong with a Florida personal injury attorney.

Question 22

Do you speak Spanish?

Accepted Answer

Yes, se habla español. Janelle Deal, the case coordinator, and Elizabeth Celestin, APRN, both speak Spanish, so the paperwork, the insurance questions, and the clinical conversation are all available in Spanish. Tell the person who answers the phone that you prefer Spanish and we schedule you with that in mind. Forms and records are handled the same way regardless of language. Ask for Janelle or Elizabeth when you call (754) 342-6479.

Question 23

Where do you park?

Accepted Answer

Parking is at the building, 3320 N Federal Hwy #107, on US-1 between Copans Road and Sample Road in Lighthouse Point. Look for Suite 107. Coming from I-95, exit at Copans Road or Sample Road and head east to Federal Highway; the office sits between the two. If you are sore and unsure about the walk from the car, call (754) 342-6479 when you pull in and the front desk will help you get inside.

Question 24

Is the phone really answered 24/7?

Accepted Answer

Yes, (754) 342-6479 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, nights and weekends included. After hours, a call center takes the call, records your information, and starts the scheduling, so a crash at 11pm on a Saturday gets handled that night, not Monday morning. The front desk itself is staffed Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. You can also send the form on the contact page at any hour, which is step one of The Same-Day Evaluation.

Question 25

Who is Dr. McNamara-Krauss?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Carol McNamara-Krauss, DC is the chiropractic physician who examines and treats every patient at Car Accident Doctors Group. She graduated from Life Chiropractic College, holds Florida chiropractic license CH5281, and has been in practice for 30 years. This practice is limited to the injuries a collision causes: whiplash, disc injuries, shoulder and knee injuries, nerve symptoms, and soft tissue damage. She is supported by Elizabeth Celestin, APRN, Dawn Marie Teufel, LMT, and case coordinator Janelle Deal. Her full biography is on this site.

Question 26

Are Saturday appointments available?

Accepted Answer

Saturday appointments are available by request only; they are not standing office hours. Regular appointment hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm, and Tuesday 2pm to 6pm. If those hours do not work because of your job or your injury, call (754) 342-6479 and ask for a Saturday slot; the answer depends on the schedule that week. Do not let a scheduling problem push you past the 14-day PIP window; a weekday afternoon exam beats waiting for a Saturday that may not open up.

26 questions people ask after a car accident in Broward and Palm Beach, answered.

After the Crash