As a chiropractor, you’re on the front lines of helping patients recover from car accidents, slip and falls, or workplace injuries. Most patients respond well to care, but some present warning signs that require extra attention—both clinically and legally. Recognizing these red flags early can protect your patients, strengthen personal injury claims, and safeguard your practice.
Inconsistent or Exaggerated Symptoms
One of the first red flags is inconsistency between reported pain and objective findings. For example, a patient may claim severe pain but show minimal functional limitations, or report symptoms that vary dramatically between visits. While pain is subjective, repeated discrepancies can raise questions for insurance adjusters or attorneys.
As a chiropractor, it’s important to carefully document all findings—both subjective and objective. If inconsistencies arise, note them factually without judgment. Clear records protect your credibility while accurately reflecting the patient’s condition.
Delayed or Avoided Treatment
Some patients wait weeks after an accident to seek care, which can complicate treatment and personal injury claims. Delayed care may indicate uncertainty, fear, or misunderstanding, but it can also signal attempts to inflate a claim or obscure pre-existing conditions.
Red flags include:
- Sudden onset of symptoms long after the accident.
- Gaps in scheduled visits without medical reason.
- Reluctance to follow recommended treatment plans.
Documenting these details, along with explanations from the patient, helps establish a clear timeline of injury and care, which attorneys rely on to prove causation.
Conflicting Medical Histories
Accident victims sometimes have complex medical backgrounds. Pre-existing conditions, prior injuries, or concurrent treatments can affect recovery. Be alert for discrepancies in the patient’s history or incomplete disclosure of prior conditions.
For example, if a patient reports a new back injury but later reveals a previous surgery that could influence symptoms, accurate notes are critical. Document all reported history and investigations you perform to differentiate accident-related injuries from pre-existing conditions.
Noncompliance With Treatment
Patients who frequently miss appointments, ignore home exercise instructions, or refuse recommended care may hinder both recovery and legal claims. Insurance adjusters often use noncompliance to argue that an injury isn’t serious or that the patient isn’t committed to healing.
Red flags in these cases include:
- Repeatedly cancelling or rescheduling appointments without valid reasons.
- Stopping therapy prematurely.
- Refusing adjunct treatments such as physiotherapy, massage, or imaging referrals.
When noncompliance occurs, document the situation thoroughly and communicate with the patient and, if represented, their attorney. Clear records help protect your professional standing and support the patient’s claim.
Signs of Fraud or Exaggeration
While most patients are honest, some may exaggerate symptoms or manipulate findings to strengthen a claim. Subtle signs can include:
- Overly dramatic pain behaviors inconsistent with objective testing.
- Sudden changes in symptoms coinciding with claim milestones.
- Requests for unnecessary treatments or documentation.
Your role is not to accuse, but to objectively record observations. This protects both your patient and your practice, while providing attorneys with the accurate information they need.
Red flags in accident victims aren’t always a reason to distrust patients—they are signals for careful evaluation, documentation, and communication.
