Sustaining an injury during a chiropractic visit can be both painful and disorienting. You likely sought treatment to find relief — not to walk away in worse condition. Unfortunately, while chiropractic care helps many people, it can also lead to serious injuries if performed improperly. If you’ve experienced harm during or after a visit to a chiropractor in Texas, it’s critical to act quickly to protect both your health and your legal rights.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to do if you’re injured at a chiropractor’s office in Texas.
1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Your health is the number one priority. Even if your symptoms seem minor — such as tingling, muscle spasms, or a stiff neck — underlying injuries like nerve compression, herniated discs, or even arterial damage could worsen without timely intervention. In some cases, spinal manipulations have been linked to serious complications like vertebral artery dissection, which can lead to a stroke.
Here’s what to do:
- Visit a doctor or emergency room immediately if you experience pain, numbness, dizziness, weakness, or other unusual symptoms after your chiropractic session. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent long-term complications.
- Follow all prescribed treatment plans, including medications, rest, imaging (like X-rays or MRIs), physical therapy, or specialist referrals. Complying with your doctor’s advice not only supports your recovery but also strengthens your credibility if you pursue legal action.
- Request a complete copy of your medical records related to the injury. This includes diagnostic reports, doctor’s notes, prescriptions, and treatment summaries — all of which help document the link between your chiropractic visit and your resulting condition.
- Track your symptoms daily in a journal. Record pain levels, emotional distress, mobility issues, and how the injury impacts your work or personal life. This record adds valuable context to your case.
2. Report the Incident to the Right Authorities
Once your immediate medical needs are addressed, it’s important to report the injury. Doing so creates a formal record of the incident, may prompt corrective action, and helps establish a timeline for legal purposes.
Take these steps:
- Inform the chiropractor’s office in writing about your injury. Be factual and professional. Include the date of the appointment, your symptoms, and how soon they began. Request a written response and keep a copy of all correspondence.
- File a complaint with the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners (TBCE). This is the state agency that oversees and disciplines licensed chiropractors in Texas. Your report can trigger an investigation, especially if the chiropractor has a history of complaints.
- Document all conversations with the chiropractor or their staff. If they make any statements — such as apologies, admissions of fault, or offers of compensation — write them down and save emails, text messages, or voicemails.
3. Preserve All Evidence
In chiropractic malpractice cases, evidence is everything. You need to establish that the chiropractor’s actions fell below the accepted standard of care and that those actions directly caused your injury.
To preserve your claim:
- Collect all chiropractic treatment records, including intake forms, session notes, informed consent documents, and billing invoices. These can help show whether the chiropractor adequately explained the risks or followed proper protocols.
- Take time-stamped photographs of any visible injuries like bruises, swelling, or mobility aids (e.g., braces, crutches).
- Save all medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses. These will help calculate the full extent of your financial losses, including prescriptions, therapy, lost wages, and transportation costs.
- Identify potential witnesses such as a friend or family member who accompanied you or noticed changes in your condition after the appointment.
4. Consult a Medical Malpractice Attorney
Navigating a chiropractic injury claim is not something you should face alone. In Texas, pursuing a malpractice case involves proving negligence, securing expert testimony, and meeting strict legal deadlines. Chiropractors, like all healthcare providers, have legal duties — and when they fail to meet them, they can be held accountable.
Why legal guidance matters:
At The Law Office of Paul Previte, we specialize in personal injury and medical malpractice law, including chiropractic negligence. We understand the complexities of Texas malpractice statutes and will fight to ensure your voice is heard.
Here’s how we can help:
- Evaluate your case thoroughly to determine whether the chiropractor’s actions deviated from accepted standards of care.
- Gather expert medical opinions to support your claim and prove causation.
- Calculate the full value of your damages, including medical bills, lost income, ongoing treatment costs, and pain and suffering.
- Handle all negotiations with the chiropractor’s insurance provider so you don’t have to deal with them directly.
- Take your case to court if needed — and aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll stand by your side and fight for the justice you deserve.
