If you’ve recently suffered a whiplash injury, you may require treatment in order to heal. But how much does physical therapy cost, and who is expected to pay for it?
Depending on the provider you choose and your insurance, physical therapy sessions can vary substantially in cost. Your co-pay may be $20, or you may have to pay $200 out of pocket. It really all depends on your situation. Another thing that may be up in the air is the length of treatment you require. Depending on the severity of your whiplash injury, you may need months of physical therapy to heal. While all that can sound financially overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. If another party caused your whiplash injury, they may be financially liable for the cost of your physical therapy and other expenses via a personal injury settlement.
How Much Does Physical Therapy for a Whiplash Injury Cost?
Depending on your insurance and the severity of your injury, physical therapy for whiplash can be expensive. Generally speaking, physical therapy done by an in-network provider should cost a small amount in co-pays. If you are uninsured, anticipate the cost rising substantially.
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury requiring targeted physical therapy treatments to heal properly and quickly. That said, the cost of each session can quickly become overwhelming for those in need. If your health insurance covers physical therapy, your co-pay may be negligible, depending on the provider and whether or not they are in network. If you are uninsured and require physical therapy for whiplash, a session may run you upwards of $100.
Again, costs for physical therapy vary dramatically, depending on your chosen provider. It’s best to do your research beforehand and check with your health insurance carrier to see if physical therapy is covered. If not, you may find it difficult to pay for physical therapy for whiplash out of pocket.
How Long Do You Have to Get Physical Therapy After a Whiplash Injury?
Sometimes, whiplash goes away on its own. Other times, whiplash worsens the longer it goes unaddressed, leading to more serious soft tissue injuries. If you sustained a whiplash injury and require physical therapy, it may take weeks of sessions before you see improvement.
If you sustained a whiplash injury in an accident, it’s important to seek physical therapy immediately and call a car accident attorney. This is the case, even if you appear uninjured at first. That’s because whiplash is an injury that can worsen significantly if ignored. Instead of hoping your whiplash disappears over time, make a physical therapy appointment.
Depending on your injury, you may have to make several physical therapy appointments to address whiplash. Physical therapy works by testing your limits and pushing your body further, bit by bit, building strength and regaining mobility over time. The length of your treatment will depend on your injury and your body’s response to therapy. Generally, it takes several months to completely heal a serious whiplash injury through physical therapy.
That can mean several months of expensive co-pays or out-of-pocket payments per session. To better understand the total cost of your physical therapy treatment for whiplash, speak to your provider. Learn what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t, and then ask your physical therapist their expectations regarding the length of treatment. That way, you can better estimate the total cost of physical therapy for your whiplash injury.
How Can You Cover the Cost of Physical Therapy for a Whiplash Injury?
Physical therapy can be expensive, especially since it is a gradual, arduous process. If another person’s negligence caused your whiplash, you might not be responsible for covering the cost of physical therapy. To be sure, talk to an attorney with car accident experience about your case.
Say you sustained a whiplash injury because a driver rear-ended you. In that case, the driver in question may be liable for your injuries, including any medical treatment you require. If another person injured you, speak to an attorney. A lawyer can help you explore the validity of an insurance claim to recover damages that can compensate you for physical therapy. If that’s not feasible, a lawsuit may be necessary so that you can recover the compensatory damages you deserve.
Depending on where you live, a lawsuit can result in both economic and non-economic damages. That means you may be able to recover funds to compensate you for all expenses related to your whiplash injuries, like physical therapy, and any pain and suffering you’ve experienced.
If someone else caused your whiplash injuries, you shouldn’t have to cover the cost of treatment yourself. Instead, reach out to an experienced attorney who can help you hold a negligent party accountable in a lawsuit for compensatory damages.
