What to Do After a Car Accident in Sioux Falls: A Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your Health and Your Claim

I've been treating car accident patients in Sioux Falls for nearly 50 years. In that time, I've seen the same mistakes made over and over — not because people are careless, but because nobody tells them what to do in the hours and days after a collision. They focus on the car, the insurance call, and getting back to their day. Meanwhile, injuries that could have been caught early are quietly progressing.

This guide is the resource I wish every patient had before they ever needed to walk through our door. If you've just been in an accident — or you want to be prepared in case you ever are — read this carefully. The steps you take in the first 72 hours after a crash have a direct impact on both your physical recovery and the strength of your insurance claim.

Step 1 — Prioritize Safety and Call 911

Before anything else, make sure you and everyone involved in the accident are safe. If the vehicles can be moved, get them out of active traffic. Turn on your hazard lights.

Call 911 even if the accident seems minor. A police report creates an official record of the collision — including the other driver's information, the conditions at the scene, and an officer's initial assessment of fault. That report becomes one of the most important documents in any insurance or legal process that follows.

Do not leave the scene before speaking with law enforcement, and do not agree to handle things informally without a report, regardless of what the other driver suggests.

Step 2 — Document Everything at the Scene

While you are waiting for law enforcement to arrive, document as much as you can.

What to Capture at the Scene

• Photos of all vehicles involved, from multiple angles, including close-ups of damage

• The position of the vehicles before they are moved

• The intersection, road conditions, traffic signals, and any skid marks or debris

• Any visible injuries to yourself or others

• The other driver's license, registration, and insurance information

• Names and contact information for any witnesses

• The responding officer's name and badge number, and the case or report number

If you are too shaken or injured to do this yourself, ask a passenger or bystander for help. Most of this can be captured quickly with a smartphone.

Step 3 — Seek Medical Evaluation, Even If You Feel Fine

This is the step most people skip — and the one I see cause the most problems down the road.

After a car accident, your body releases adrenaline that can suppress pain signals for hours or even days. Many patients involved in collisions feel relatively okay immediately after the crash and assume they weren't seriously hurt. Then they wake up on day two or three barely able to turn their head, with pain radiating down their arm and a headache that won't quit.

This isn't unusual. It's how whiplash and soft tissue injuries work. The inflammation and swelling that cause symptoms build gradually after the initial trauma. By the time pain peaks, the injury has already been progressing untreated — and untreated injuries are harder to resolve.

If you have any concern about a serious acute injury — head trauma, loss of consciousness, suspected fracture, or severe pain — go to an emergency room first. Once you've been cleared for non-emergency care, contact us.

For injuries that are painful but not emergent, coming directly to Back Specialists for a chiropractic evaluation is often the most efficient path. We perform a thorough orthopedic and neurological examination, take digital X-rays when indicated, and identify the full scope of your spinal and soft tissue injuries — including those that don't yet hurt but will.

Step 4 — Contact Your Insurance Company

Notify your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible — most policies require prompt reporting. Give a factual account of what happened: where you were, what occurred, and the other driver's information. Stick to the facts and avoid speculating about fault or the extent of your injuries before you've been properly evaluated.

Understanding Your Coverage Options After a Collision

Depending on your policy and the circumstances of the accident, your chiropractic care may be covered under several different provisions:

Personal Injury Protection (PIP): South Dakota does not mandate PIP coverage, but many drivers carry it. PIP covers your medical expenses regardless of who was at fault in the accident — making it one of the fastest ways to get care started without waiting for a liability determination.

Medical Payments (MedPay): Similar to PIP, MedPay covers medical expenses for you and your passengers after an accident regardless of fault. Check your policy to see if you carry this coverage.

At-Fault Driver's Liability Insurance: If the other driver was at fault, their liability coverage should cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages. This process takes longer than PIP or MedPay because it requires a fault determination, but it is often the primary avenue for recovery in accidents caused by another driver.

Your Own Health Insurance: If your auto-specific coverage is limited or exhausted, your health insurance may cover the remainder of your care. We can help you understand what applies to your situation at your first visit.

Step 5 — Get Into Care Within 72 Hours

I tell every accident patient the same thing: the window between the accident and your first chiropractic evaluation matters more than most people realize.

Early intervention produces measurably better outcomes in whiplash and auto injury cases. Spinal misalignments and soft tissue injuries respond more readily to treatment in the acute phase — before scar tissue begins to form, before compensatory movement patterns set in, and before the nervous system adapts to a pain state that becomes harder to unwind.

There is also a documentation dimension to this. Insurance companies look at the timeline of care very closely. A gap between the date of the accident and your first treatment appointment is something adjusters use to argue that your injuries were not serious or were not caused by the collision. Getting evaluated promptly creates a clear clinical record that connects your injuries directly to the accident.

At Back Specialists, we make every effort to see accident patients quickly. Same-week appointments are available. Call or text 605-361-1700 and let us know you've been in an accident.

Step 6 — Follow Through With Your Treatment Plan

Getting evaluated is the first step. Following through with your recommended course of care is what actually produces recovery.

I understand that life continues after an accident — work, family, and daily obligations don't pause because you're injured. But missed appointments and gaps in treatment create two problems simultaneously: they slow your recovery, and they give insurance companies ammunition to argue that your injuries weren't significant enough to warrant consistent care.

At Back Specialists, all treatment is delivered with the Activator Method — a gentle, instrument-assisted technique that requires no twisting, no cracking, and no high-velocity manipulation. For patients dealing with acute post-accident pain and inflammation, this approach is not just more comfortable — it's more clinically appropriate than traditional manual adjustments. Most appointments are efficient, and we work to accommodate your schedule.

Step 7 — Keep Records of Everything

From the day of the accident forward, keep a file — physical or digital — that contains:

• The police report and case number

• All medical and chiropractic records and receipts

• Any correspondence with insurance companies

• Photos of your injuries as they develop

• A personal log of your symptoms, pain levels, and how your condition affects your daily activities

• Documentation of any missed work, canceled plans, or activities you can no longer perform due to your injuries

• All communications with attorneys if you are represented

This documentation serves two purposes. Clinically, it helps your providers track your progress and adjust your treatment plan. Legally and financially, it builds a comprehensive picture of the impact the accident has had on your life — which is directly relevant to the value of any claim you may have.

Step 8 — Consider Whether You Need Legal Representation

Not every car accident requires an attorney. For minor collisions with straightforward insurance claims and injuries that resolve quickly, many people navigate the process on their own without difficulty.

For more serious injuries — particularly those involving significant time off work, long-term symptoms, disputed liability, or a complex insurance picture — consulting with a personal injury attorney is often worth doing sooner rather than later. An attorney can protect your rights during the claims process, ensure you don't accept a settlement before the full extent of your injuries is known, and help you understand what your claim is actually worth.

Dr. Bruce Jon Hagen has extensive experience working alongside personal injury attorneys in Sioux Falls. His post-graduate training in personal injury documentation, AMA impairment rating, and accident reconstruction means the clinical records we produce are thorough, accurate, and built to support legal proceedings when necessary. If you are working with an attorney, let us know at your first visit and we will coordinate accordingly.

What to Bring to Your First Visit at Back Specialists

To make your initial evaluation as thorough as possible, bring the following:

• The date, location, and a brief description of how the accident occurred

• The police report or report number if available

• Any emergency room or urgent care records from the day of the accident

• Your auto insurance information and claim number

• Your health insurance card

• Your attorney's contact information if you are represented

• A list of your current symptoms, even those that seem minor

The more complete your file, the more complete your evaluation will be. Dr. Hagen has been doing this for nearly 50 years — bring what you have and we will work with it.

You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone

A car accident is one of the most disorienting events a person can go through. The physical pain, the insurance calls, the uncertainty about what comes next — it adds up quickly. At Back Specialists, we have helped Sioux Falls patients navigate this process hundreds of times. We know what to look for clinically, we know how to document it properly, and we know how to communicate with insurance companies and attorneys in a way that protects our patients.

If you've been in a car accident in Sioux Falls — whether it happened this morning or a few days ago — the most important thing you can do right now is get evaluated.

Call or text 605-361-1700. Same-week appointments are available.

Schedule Your Post-Accident Evaluation Here