Auto Injury

AUTO INJURY

Auto Injury Assessment & Treatment with Dr. Augustine, Chiropractic Physician, Wesley Chapel FL

Rapid assessment by a chiropractic physician, digital X-ray on site, and a medical team in the same building.

Don't Wait! Call Immediately for a free consultation

If you were just in a car accident, two clocks started. One is medical: the best day to be examined is the day it happened, because injuries found early are treated early. The other is legal: under Florida law you have 14 days to begin care, or your no-fault insurance pays nothing. Call today and we can often see you the same day, examined and treated in one visit instead of being sent across town for each piece of it. Founded by Dr. Brian Augustine, DC, this practice has handled auto accident injuries in Wesley Chapel since 2004. Call (813) 994-6008 or start with the Auto Injury Intake Form.

Florida is a no-fault state. Under Florida law, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays for your medical care after a crash, no matter who caused it. You do not have to prove fault, and you do not have to wait on a settlement to be treated. What you do have to do is begin care within 14 calendar days.

Act Within 14 Days

Two clocks: come in today if you can, 14 days is the law

The 14-day rule comes from Florida’s no-fault statute. To use the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage you already pay for, you must begin medical care within 14 calendar days of the accident. Weekends and holidays count. The day of the crash is day one. Miss the window and PIP pays nothing for your medical care.

We have watched this happen. A patient once called us on a Thursday. Day 14 fell on that Saturday, but they came in the following Monday, and nobody in that car had coverage. Two days cost them everything PIP would have paid.

The medical clock is not written into any statute. It is simply what experience teaches. The best time to be examined is the day of the accident, before you go anywhere else. If today is not possible, come tomorrow, or the first day you are able, but do not let it drift. Right after a crash adrenaline is up, and many people feel fine until two or three days later, when the aching starts. Being seen early lets us document what we find and begin care before the symptoms take hold.

Know Your PIP Benefits

The $2,500 question most clinics never mention

Florida’s PIP law has a second deadline that gets far less attention than the 14-day rule. Your PIP medical benefit is capped at $2,500 unless a qualified medical provider determines you had an emergency medical condition (EMC). With that determination on your chart, your available benefit is $10,000. Without it, $2,500. That is a $7,500 difference, and under the statute a chiropractor alone cannot make the determination. It must come from a physician, dentist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse.

At many chiropractic clinics, that means a referral to an outside office and another chance for the paperwork to fall through. Not here. Augustine Chiropractic has two nurse practitioners on staff, Heather Simmons, MSN, FNP, WCS-C, APRN and Nathaniel Morell-Gonzalez, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, and either can perform the EMC evaluation. It happens in our office, usually within days of your first visit and often the same or next day. Patients with real injuries normally have no problem qualifying, but someone has to actually perform and document the exam. We make sure it happens.

Injury Assessment

What we evaluate and treat after a car accident

Most crash injuries live in the soft tissue: the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, and joints. Nothing shows on the outside, but everything hurts.

Whiplash and neck injuries

Whiplash, known clinically as a cervical acceleration-deceleration injury, happens when the head is forced beyond its normal range of motion, hyperextension followed by hyperflexion. Patients say "my neck seized up" or "I just want to get checked." Left untreated, whiplash can settle into long-term pain and stiffness. Treated early, most cases resolve well.

Back pain and disc injuries

Rear-end collisions load the spine in ways it was never built for. We see muscle spasm, reduced range of motion, and radicular symptoms, which is the clinical word for pain that travels into an arm or leg because a nerve is irritated. Spinal decompression takes pressure off the discs, the nerves, and the joints.

Headaches and post-crash symptoms that are not pain

Not every crash injury announces itself as pain. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, and brain fog can follow even a minor collision, and they deserve evaluation just as much as a sore neck. A low-speed impact with little visible damage to the car can still transmit significant force to the people inside, because a car that does not crumple absorbs less of the crash energy for you.

The injuries you would not expect

In more than two decades of auto injury work, this practice has seen crash findings most clinics rarely encounter, including compression fractures of the spine at the T10 and T11 levels turned up on X-ray after trauma. Those patients are managed for pain and inflammation alongside the specialists who handle the fracture itself. Experience matters most in the cases that are not routine.

Advanced Auto Injury Care

How we diagnose and treat, with what

Diagnosis comes first. In Florida, doctors of chiropractic are licensed as chiropractic physicians, which means they are trained and authorized to examine you, take and interpret X-rays, reach a diagnosis, and refer you to a medical specialist when your condition calls for one. That is how a first visit works here, and it is why the assessment is quick: we examine you, take digital X-rays on site with results in minutes and low radiation, and refer out for MRI at whichever imaging center is convenient to you when we need to see deeper. If your exam points to something that needs an orthopedist or a neurologist, we refer you and say so plainly.

Treatment is built from tools we can name:

Leander flexion-extension table for comfortable lumbar adjusting
Kennedy decompression tables, cervical and lumbar, to take pressure off discs and nerves
Intersegmental traction tables
Interferential therapy (electro-stimulation) for muscle spasm
Erchonia low-level laser therapy across multiple wavelengths
Ice and gel-pack therapy in the acute stage

Acupuncture is also available here, though Florida PIP does not cover it, so it is a cash service. PIP does not cover massage either; we refer out for that.

Medical & Chiropractic Care

A chiropractor and a medical team in the same building

Most chiropractic offices are exactly that: chiropractic only. After a crash, that means a referral somewhere else every time your recovery needs something a chiropractor cannot provide, and a gap between providers that you have to manage yourself while you are hurt and dealing with an insurance claim.

Augustine Chiropractic is an integrated practice. Dr. Brooke Andrews, a chiropractic physician, handles the chiropractic care. Heather Simmons and Nathaniel Morell-Gonzalez, both nurse practitioners, handle the medical side, in the same office and often on the same day. In practice that means:

The EMC determination that protects your full PIP benefit, performed here rather than referred out
Medical examinations and re-evaluations that document your injuries as they change, which matters for your recovery and your claim
Prescriptions when your recovery calls for them
Injections when they are indicated
Digital X-ray on site, with MRI referral when we need to see deeper
Telehealth follow-ups when you do not need to make the drive

Dr. Augustine calls it a one stop shop, and the value shows up in the first week. You are evaluated and treated without waiting on an opening at some other office, every provider treating you is reading the same chart, and nothing falls through the cracks between them. When your case genuinely needs an orthopedist or a neurologist, we refer you out and tell you exactly why.

Beyond Car Crashes

Hurt getting out of the car? It can still count as an auto injury

Most people think PIP only applies to collisions. Florida’s statute is broader: it covers injuries arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle. Over the years we have treated PIP cases that never involved another car:

A patient who fell from a ladder while washing his truck

Back injuries from wrenching a tire loose during a change

Falls getting out of the car or out of a car seat

If your injury happened in, on, or around your vehicle, do not assume you are not covered. Call us at (813) 994-6008 and ask. It costs nothing to find out, and the 14-day clock applies to these cases too.

Understanding Your Costs

What it costs and who pays

PIP pays 80 percent of reasonable and necessary medical expenses from your own auto policy, no matter who caused the accident. Before your first visit, call your own auto insurance company and ask for a medical claim number. Florida’s no-fault system runs through your own insurer, and that number is what we need to begin billing them directly.

What about the rest? In most cases, nothing comes out of your pocket while you are treating. We bill the insurance, and where an attorney is involved we work directly with your attorney, in most cases, so the balance is addressed when the case resolves rather than while you are trying to heal. Every case is different, so call and ask about yours. You can request an itemized bill at any time.

The consultation is free. The examination is not, and it is billed to the insurance company like any medical exam. We would rather tell you that plainly than surprise you.

Know Your Next Step

ER first? Lawyer first? Here is how to decide

If you may have a serious head injury, you went through a windshield, or you cannot walk into an office, go to the emergency room. That is what it is for. For everything else, this is exactly what the free consultation is for: call us, describe what happened, and we will tell you honestly whether you belong in our office or the ER.

On attorneys: many of our patients have one, and that is your decision either way. Your health comes first, so get examined before day 14 regardless of what you decide about representation. If you already have an attorney, call us anyway. In most cases we work directly with them, sharing records and coordinating so you can concentrate on getting better.

Start Your Recovery

Your first visit, start to finish, usually the same day

Call in the morning and we can often see you that afternoon. The point of a rapid assessment is not speed for its own sake: it is that the sooner we know what is wrong, the sooner treatment starts and the sooner the injury stops getting worse. In most cases treatment begins on that first visit.

Bring your driver’s license, your auto insurance card, your medical claim number, your attorney’s information if you have one, and any records from an ER or urgent care visit.

How long until you are better?

The honest answer is: it depends on the severity of the accident. Many patients recover in 6 to 12 weeks. Harder cases take six months, and occasionally a year. Ligaments heal on their own timetable, and rushing them does not work. What we promise is a plan, honest reassessment along the way, and a goal we hold ourselves to: getting you back to pre-accident status. Patients tell us the moment they knew they were better was the day they got back to golf, the gym, running, or swimming. That is the standard we treat toward.

MEET YOUR CHIROPRACTOR

Dr. Brian J. Augustine, DC, CCSP, DACNB, DAAPM

Dr. Brian J. Augustine has practiced chiropractic since 1987 and founded Augustine Chiropractic Center, PA in Wesley Chapel in 2004.

He earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College, began his career in New Jersey, and owned Overlea-Fullerton Chiropractic Center in Baltimore for fourteen years before bringing his practice to Florida.

He is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP), a Diplomate in Chiropractic Neurology (DACNB), and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management (DAAPM). Licensed in Florida since 1990, he is an active Trauma Team member with the Academy of Chiropractic.

OUR team

Meet The Team

Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic, with a holistic, natural-healing approach. She uses gentle, evidence-based chiropractic and acupuncture to find and address the root cause of pain no unnecessary medication or procedures.

20+ years in emergency medicine, trauma, and clinical practice. A nationally recognized expert in peptide therapy, she teaches providers across the country and specializes in weight-loss protocols, injections, IV therapy, and aesthetics.

Autonomous-practice FNP with 8+ years across primary, urgent, and public health care, and a U.S. Army veteran. He focuses on hormone replacement, GLP-1 weight loss, IV and vitamin therapy, PRP, and aesthetics. Fluent in English and Spanish.

patients say

Success Stories

Started coming here a long time ago after an accident, the treatment and care was top notch. They also offer Decompression therapy which was a game changer. Now years later I’ve returned for a “tune-up” since age is less forgiving. I still received great service and genuine care for my health as I did back then. The front desk truly makes your experience go smoothly while being very personable, he’s definitely an asset to the team.

Vanessa Maldonado

Dr. Brooke Andrews is phenomenal! I’m so happy I found her for my care. She is knowledgeable, caring, and truly effective. Hands down, choosing her was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health! Go see her today!!

Wanda Khalil

Friendly, knowledgeable staff with state of the art equipment. Customized therapy treatments for each patient’s needs. I’ve been a patient for 4 years and not only do I not have back pain anymore but I am running again pain free! I highly recommend!

Nick Weth

I can’t recommend Dr. Brooke enough! The care I receive is always top-notch, and I consistently feel relief within just a few hours after my visits. The entire team creates such a comfortable and welcoming environment (shout-out to Trey!) and I always leave feeling better – both physically and mentally. Highly recommend!

Kelly Huntt

Faq

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take car accident cases, and do you accept auto insurance?

Yes and yes. Auto accident care is a core part of this practice and has been for decades. We bill your auto insurer’s PIP coverage directly; call your own insurance company for a medical claim number before your first visit and we handle the rest of the paperwork.

I feel fine. Do I really need to come in?

Yes, and ideally today. After a crash, adrenaline can mask injury for hours or days, and many patients first feel it two or three days later. An examination now finds what you cannot feel yet and documents it inside the 14-day window while coverage is still available. If we find nothing, that is a good day.

What do I need before my first visit?

How long will it take for me to get better?

It depends on the severity of the accident. Most patients recover in 6 to 12 weeks; more severe injuries can take 6 months to a year. We give you a real timeline after your examination and update it honestly as you progress.

I was hurt changing a tire, not in a crash. Does that count?

It might. Florida PIP covers injuries arising from the ownership, maintenance, or use of your vehicle, not just collisions. We have treated covered cases involving tire changes, washing a truck, and falls getting out of the car. Call us and ask about your situation.

I already have an attorney. What now?

Call us. In most cases we work directly with your attorney, coordinating records and billing so treatment is not interrupted while the case moves. Your job is the recovery; we help with the rest.

Areas We Serve

Wesley Chapel

New Tampa

Lutz

Land O' Lakes

Zephyrhills

Dade City

San Antonio

Brooksville

Ready to Start Feeling Better?

Diagnosis-first chiropractic care focused on lasting pain relief not just temporary fixes.

Trusted chiropractic care for back pain, neck pain, sports injuries, and auto accident recovery, serving Wesley Chapel and surrounding communities.

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Under Florida’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) law, you must receive initial medical care within a strict 14-calendar-day window following your accident—which counts every single day including weekends and holidays—otherwise, your insurance provider is legally permitted to deny all PIP coverage for that claim.