Charleston Health
215 E 5th N St, Summerville, SC 29483
843-879-8224

Car accident?

Did you know.....

The average driver will file a claim for a collision about once every 17.9 years.[1] Do you know what to do when it's you?

"I wish I would have known that!" -- Amanda from Summerville

There is a difference between hurt, injured, and disabled. Our office has over 20 years of experience assessing and treating injuries, to get you out of pain.




Many people will put off getting treatment out of fear of expensive medical bills. Most insurance plans will cover accident related medical bills, even if you were at fault. Our office works with insurance companies and attorneys in the area. Often all accident related injuries are addressed and treated with no out of pocket expense to you.


"Claims for bodily injury may include medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering."

The state requires that you keep insurance on your car to protect both you and anyone else that might be injured by your car. State minimums are set high enough to pay for the cost of typical accident related expenses, such as:

  • fixing or replacing your car
  • the cost of towing
  • a rental car
  • ambulance ride
  • emergency room visit
  • therapy to return you to how you felt before you were hurt




    • We help people get out of pain

    Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Some people feel pain right after an accident occurs, while others won't feel the pain until a day or two later. There are a number of reasons this happens. For some, the pain shows up when the adrenaline rush wears off. For others, the pain shows up after swelling accumulates in the traumatized areas.



    We specialize in working with your body to help the swelling go down, and the muscles to relax. As part of the healing process, we work to restore mobility to your joints. We use several therapeutic interventions to speed the healing process.

    No out of pocket expense

    We are a fee for service clinic, which means, you are responsible for paying for any care you get from our office. For car accidents, we have a form for you to sign, which allows us to send the bills directly to your attorney or insurance company, who should then pay any accident related bills. In order for the insurance company to pay your accident expenses, it is important to check with them to see how much and what they cover. This is something that we are able to do in the office, or if you have an attorney, this is something they will have done before agreeing to take your case.

    I don't want a lawsuit

    Accidents can be a confusing time. They can turn your world upside down. One of the things we hear from our patients is that they don't want to sue anyone, or that they know the person didn't mean to hit them on purpose. It is rare that anyone intentionally tries to run into someone else. Most car accidents are just that, accidents.




    Accidents are what insurance was designed for. Your insurance company has a system in place to handle your accident, which involves an office full of people who do nothing but handle accidents. The insurance adjustors are used to dealing directly with attorneys who know how personal injury cases are managed. Just like filing your taxes, an insurance settlement is based off of a number of criteria. Experienced attorneys know what these things are, and how a case needs to be filed.

    Should you get a lawyer?

    "Injured victims represented by an attorney receive, on average, 3.5 times more in settlement than their unrepresented counterparts"[3]

    As a general rule, you should at least consult with an attorney. Most personal injury attorneys will review your case with you, for free. Our office works with many local law offices who will represent your case based on a contingency, rather than a flat fee. What that means for you is that the attorney will only get a part of your settlement, not the whole thing.

    What if the police report says
    the accident was your fault


    "Accident reports required by S.C. Code Ann. ยงยง 56-5-1260 to -1280 (1991) are not admissible as evidence of negligence or due care in an action at law for damages." [4,5]

    An accident report is the information given to the police by you and anyone else who witnessed the accident. It may or may not be correct. It is important that you get a copy of the report, so you know what it says. If it is wrong, you may want to consult with an attorney on how to best proceed, and since it is related to an accident, many offices will discuss that with you for free.

    How we handle cases without an attorney

    Our job is to help you get better, regardless of how you got hurt. When you come to our office, our primary goal is to help you get out of pain, and restore your ability to move and work the way you should. The most common reasons people give us for seeking care for an accident without an attorney are:

  • They would rather handle the case themselves.
    • We will treat your case the same way as anyone else's case, but you will be responsible for handling the settlement and all medical bills incurred. Our office does not reduce medical bills negotiated by the patient.
  • They weren't hurt that much, but want to make sure that they and anyone else who was with them are okay.
    • You can use your MedPay policy, or other forms of payment in our office.
  • The accident was their fault but they were still hurt.
    • You can use your Medpay, or other forms of payment in our office.

    MedPay is a type of insurance bundled in with most auto insurance plans. If you have car insurance, you probably have MedPay. Ask your auto insurer how much coverage you have. This is money that is used to pay your medical bills no matter who is at fault.

    Decision time

    You are expected to take action within 15 days of the date the accident happened. If any damage occurred to a person, or an object/car, you are expected to file a report with the police in that jurisdiction. You are expected to contact your insurance company. You are expected to seek medical attention.

    When the unexpected happens, and you don't know what to do, or where to start. Sometimes the best thing to do is just start.

    No judgment. No stress. Nothing to lose.

    Find out how we can help you.



    © 2022 Charleston Health LLC. All rights reserved.

    1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2011/07/27/how-many-times-will-you-crash-your-car/
    2. https://www.doi.sc.gov/588/Automobile-Insurance
    3. https://p2lawyers.com/blog/2016/3/9/3a2ynkd1kj176juh65cq5obnruzbvq
    4. http://www.sccourts.org/courtreg/displayRule.cfm?ruleID=803.0&subRuleID=&ruleType=EVD 5. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php (c) Can Stock Photo / innovatedcaptures / tommaso79 / Nandyphotos / creatista / 4774344sean / carlodapino / curaphotography / monkeybusiness / rjcphoto CharlestonHealth.org, is a directory of health related information and resources. The links to information is provided as a resource for those who are interested in discovering other theories and treatments for a variety of conditions. This site, nor anyone associated with this site offers a guarantee of accuracy for any information found on pages linked to by this site. The site strongly encourages you to find a qualified practitioner that you can establish a doctor/patient relationship with. This site is not a substitute for medical care. contact: admin@charlestonhealth.org