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Your Car Accident Patient Journey — Cityside Chiropractic

Quick Answers — Your Patient Journey

What makes Cityside Chiropractic different from a general chiropractic practice? Every clinical decision at Cityside Chiropractic is made in the context of personal injury — the evaluation protocols, documentation standards, reporting formats, and referral practices are all designed around what PI cases require, not adapted from general chiropractic practice.

 

What is the core principle of Cityside Chiropractic's clinical approach? Objective evidence over clinical impression. Every finding we document is measured, standardized, and normatively compared — not estimated, observed, or described in subjective terms.

 

How does Cityside Chiropractic approach causation? Mechanism-specific. Every causation analysis explicitly connects the specific collision dynamics to the specific clinical findings identified — not a generic statement that the accident caused the injury, but a documented chain of clinical reasoning from mechanism to finding.


Step 1 — The First Call

Your journey begins with a phone call to Cityside Chiropractic at (401) 272-5710. Our bilingual English and Spanish staff will gather basic information about your accident — when it occurred, how you are feeling, whether you have an attorney — and schedule your evaluation.

 

For car accident patients, same-day appointments are available at both locations. If you were in a car accident today or yesterday, call us today. The 72-hour window following your accident is the most important documentation period — and we want to see you within it.

 

If you have an attorney, let us know their name and contact information at the time of scheduling. We will coordinate directly with your attorney's office on documentation requests and report delivery.

Step 2 — Before Your First Appointment

Gather your accident information. The more specific information you can provide about the accident, the more precise our causation analysis will be. If you have the police report, bring it or the report number. If you have any photos of vehicle damage or the accident scene, bring those as well.

 

Document your symptoms. Start a symptom journal immediately — before your first appointment, if possible. Date every entry. Note every symptom you are experiencing, how severe it is on a 0 to 10 scale, and how it is affecting your daily activities. This journal becomes part of your clinical record and the PI documentation of your case.

 

Do not provide recorded statements. If an insurance carrier contacts you before your first appointment, do not provide a recorded statement without your attorney's guidance. This is particularly important in the first days after the accident when your clinical picture is still developing.

Step 3 — Your First Evaluation

The initial evaluation at Cityside Chiropractic is comprehensive — designed to capture the full extent of your injuries at the most clinically informative period following your accident.

 

Intake and History: A complete clinical history conducted in English or Spanish — covering every symptom you are experiencing, the mechanism of your accident in detail, your prior medical history relevant to the injured areas, and your functional status before and after the accident.

 

Orthopedic and Neurological Examination: A complete physical examination of the injured areas — including specific orthopedic testing to identify the injury source, neurological testing to identify nerve root involvement, and reflex and motor strength assessment.

 

Computerized Cervical Range of Motion: Computerized measurement of neck mobility at each plane — flexion, extension, rotation, lateral flexion — producing a printed graph showing your specific restriction compared to normal values for your age and gender.

 

PostureRay CRMA Radiographic Mensuration: If clinical examination suggests ligamentous instability — restricted motion, segmental tenderness, neurological signs — flexion-extension cervical radiographs are obtained and measured digitally at each spinal level. This is the evaluation that identifies instability invisible to the CT you may have received at the emergency room.

 

RightEye Oculomotor Assessment: A brief computerized eye tracking evaluation that measures your smooth pursuit accuracy, saccadic function, fixation stability, and visual reaction time.

 

BTrackS Balance Assessment: A computerized force plate evaluation measuring your postural stability under standardized conditions — identifying vestibular dysfunction if present.

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CNS Vital Signs Cognitive Assessment: A computerized neuropsychological screening that measures processing speed, working memory, and attention — identifying cognitive deficits consistent with post-concussion involvement if present.


RMSK-Credentialed Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: When clinical examination suggests soft tissue injury requiring direct visualization — shoulder involvement, paraspinal injury, tendinopathy — real-time ultrasound imaging is performed at the initial visit.

Step 4 — After Your First Evaluation

Same-day summary. Before you leave, we will review the key findings from your evaluation and explain what they mean for your clinical management and your PI case.

 

Attorney communication. If you have an attorney, we contact their office the same day to confirm you have been evaluated and provide a preliminary summary of key findings. A full preliminary report is available within 24 hours upon request.

 

Referral coordination. If your evaluation identifies findings that warrant specialist referral — disc herniation requiring neurosurgical evaluation, vestibular dysfunction requiring vestibular rehabilitation, oculomotor dysfunction requiring neurological evaluation — we initiate those referrals and communicate with the specialist and your attorney.

 

Treatment plan. We establish a treatment plan directed at the specific injury sources identified — not a generic whiplash protocol but a plan addressing the specific levels and systems involved in your case.

Step 5 — Ongoing Treatment and Documentation

Every subsequent visit at Cityside Chiropractic continues the documentation process — not just treatment. At each visit:

 

  • Cervical range of motion is remeasured and recorded — creating a longitudinal measurement record that tracks improvement, plateau, or persistence

  • Neurological findings are reassessed

  • Symptom status is documented

  • Functional status is updated

 

This longitudinal record is what establishes the duration and persistence of your injuries for the PI claim — showing the trajectory from acute injury through treatment response to current status.

 

Objective retesting — RightEye, BTrackS, and CNS Vital Signs — is repeated at clinically appropriate intervals to document neurological recovery and treatment necessity.

 

Gap in care. Insurance carriers use gaps in your treatment record to argue that your injuries resolved. Consistent attendance at your scheduled appointments is important — both for your recovery and for your documentation. If you need to reschedule, contact our office in advance.

Step 6 — The Narrative Report

When your attorney requests a narrative report — typically at or near maximum medical improvement, or at a specific litigation stage — we produce the report within 48 hours.

 

The narrative report contains:

 

  • Complete mechanism of injury analysis

  • All objective findings from evaluation and follow-up

  • CRMA mensuration results with normative references

  • RightEye, BTrackS, and CNS Vital Signs findings with percentile comparisons

  • Diagnosis with ICD-10 codes

  • AMA Guides impairment rating when applicable

  • Causation analysis connecting the accident mechanism to the identified findings

  • Prognosis and permanency statement

 

The report is formatted for direct use in demand letters, insurance submissions, mediation, and litigation.

Step 7 — If Your Case Goes to Deposition

Dr. Mulak is Expert Witness Qualified and available for deposition testimony in support of his treating records. If your case proceeds to deposition, your attorney can retain Dr. Mulak for pre-deposition conference and deposition testimony.

 

Pre-deposition preparation includes review of the clinical record, identification of key testimony topics, and preparation for anticipated defense examination areas.

Frequently Asked Questions — Your Patient Journey

Will my treatment be covered by a lien? Cityside Chiropractic works on a lien basis — meaning treatment costs are deferred until your case resolves. Your attorney handles the lien coordination. Contact our office for lien-specific information.

 

What if I do not have an attorney? We evaluate and treat car accident patients regardless of their legal representation status. If you have not retained an attorney and wish to discuss the claims process, our staff can provide general information — though we do not provide legal advice.

 

What if I was not at fault? Most of our patients were injured through no fault of their own. The at-fault party's insurance coverage — and in some cases your own underinsured motorist coverage — is the source of recovery for your medical expenses and other damages. Your attorney navigates this process.

 

Can I continue treating with my primary care physician while treating at Cityside? Yes. We coordinate care with your primary care physician and any specialists involved in your treatment. All treating providers should be aware of each other's involvement in your care.

 

Car Accident Chiropractor Rhode Island → Contact Cityside Chiropractic → For Attorneys →

 

Cityside Chiropractic — (401) 272-5710 | citysidechiropractic.com

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