• Since 2002
  • 3 Locations
  • 600+ Wellness Members

4.8 Rated

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Lakewood Ranch Sarasota Waterside North River Palmetto
Book Appointment
Lakewood Ranch Sarasota Waterside North River Palmetto

Auto injury care in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, and Palmetto

Same-week evaluations and Florida PIP claim coordination for car accident injuries, at all three Southwest Florida offices.
Call (941) 744-1585
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Auto accident chiropractor providing chiropractic care for whiplash, neck pain, and back pain in Lakewood Ranch, FL.

About this service

Auto injury care after a car accident

Quick answer: Car accidents strain joints, discs, and soft tissue in ways that are not always obvious right away, and Florida law only pays full PIP benefits when treatment starts within 14 days. Hornback Chiropractic & Wellness evaluates and treats auto injury patients at three Southwest Florida offices, coordinating PIP paperwork and building the plan around what the exam finds.
Hornback Chiropractic & Wellness has treated auto accident patients at all three of its offices in Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, and Palmetto since 2002. Florida law only pays full PIP benefits when treatment starts within 14 days of the crash, so the timing of the first evaluation matters as much as the treatment itself. The practice builds PIP coordination directly into that first visit, so the paperwork side of a claim does not fall entirely on the patient while they are trying to recover. Patients dealing with ongoing neck stiffness after a collision can also see how that overlaps with neck pain treatment.

What to expect

What auto injury treatment involves

Auto injury treatment is the evaluation and hands-on care of the joint, disc, and soft tissue damage that a collision causes, even at low speed. The exam looks past the obvious sore spot for the mechanical cause behind it, since whiplash and rotational forces often injure structures the patient does not notice until days later. A visit typically includes:

Orthopedic & neuro exam

Focused on the neck, back, and shoulders, where collision forces concentrate.

Alignment & joint assessment

Checks spinal alignment and joint restriction caused by the impact.

Soft tissue evaluation

Screens for strain, sprain, and whiplash patterns from the crash.

Imaging referral

Ordered when exam findings call for it, not as a routine default.

A written plan of care

Tied directly to PIP or insurance documentation requirements.

Weighing your options

What are my options after a car accident?

Car accident care options at a glance
Option Best for Price range What's included Tradeoffs
Emergency room Suspected fracture, head injury, internal injury, loss of consciousness Highest, hospital billing Trauma screening, imaging, stabilization Not built for ongoing musculoskeletal recovery, usually a single visit
Hornback evaluation Whiplash, neck or back pain, joint restriction, soft tissue injury once urgent issues are ruled out Often covered under Florida PIP; cash-pay plans available Exam, adjustments, spinal decompression, soft tissue therapy, PIP paperwork coordination Not a substitute for emergency evaluation of a fracture or head injury
Orthopedic specialist Suspected fracture or joint damage that may need surgical evaluation Varies by insurance and specialist Imaging, surgical consult, injections Longer wait for a first appointment in many cases
Physical therapy alone General deconditioning or post-surgical rehab Varies by provider and insurance Exercise-based rehab Does not address joint alignment or the referral pain patterns a chiropractic exam looks for

The process

How auto injury treatment works

Care starts with ruling out anything that needs medical attention first, then moves into a plan built around what the exam actually finds.

Same-week evaluation

Full exam and history, including how the collision happened and where symptoms have shown up since.

Diagnosis & plan

Checks spinal alignment and joint restriction caused by the impact.

Active care

Visits scheduled around the injury, not a fixed package, with PIP or insurance documentation handled alongside treatment.

Progress checkpoints

Re-evaluation at set points to confirm the plan is working and to adjust it if it is not.

Book your evaluation this week

Cost & insurance

How much does auto injury treatment cost?

Cost depends on the insurance path, how much care the injury needs, and how quickly treatment starts. Florida’s no-fault PIP law (Florida Statute 627.736) covers 80 percent of medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages, up to $10,000, but two conditions determine how much of that a patient actually sees.

Treatment has to start within 14 days of the accident, or PIP does not apply at all. Full benefits also require an emergency medical condition determination during that early evaluation; without it, coverage caps at $2,500.

What else affects cost:

  • Whether Florida PIP, health insurance, or self-pay is covering the visits
  • The extent of the injury and how many visits the plan of care calls for
  • Whether additional therapies such as SoftWave or acupuncture are part of the plan
  • Whether an attorney or insurance adjuster is coordinating the claim alongside the practice
Auto accident chiropractic care in Sarasota, FL, helping relieve whiplash, neck pain, back pain, and injury-related discomfort after a car accident.
Payment paths for auto injury care
Payment path What it typically covers Notes
Florida PIP (no-fault auto insurance) 80% of medical costs and 60% of lost wages, up to $10,000 Requires evaluation within 14 days of the accident and an emergency medical condition determination for full benefits, otherwise capped at $2,500
Health insurance Varies by plan and network status Confirm chiropractic benefits with your carrier
Self-pay / wellness membership Set monthly rate, starting around $65 per month Best for patients without PIP or insurance coverage for the injury
Trusted chiropractic care in Palmetto, FL, offering spinal decompression, acupuncture, SoftWave® therapy, and family wellness services at Hornback Chiropractic & Wellness.

Why patients choose us

Why choose Hornback for auto injury care

Hornback Chiropractic & Wellness has been treating Southwest Florida patients since 2002, which means two decades of handling the specific documentation and timing issues that come with an auto injury claim, not just the clinical side of it.

The practice also coordinates Florida PIP paperwork directly, so patients are not left managing insurance calls on top of recovering from a collision. Same-week evaluations mean the exam that establishes a documented injury timeline happens quickly, which matters both for treatment and for the claim itself.

Service area

Where to get this treatment

Lakewood Ranch

(941) 744-1585

Book at this location

Sarasota Waterside

941-210-7057

Book at this location

North River Palmetto

(941) 417-2069

Book at this location

Also serving Parrish and surrounding Manatee County communities. See the Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, and North River location pages for full hours and directions.

Meet the team

Doctors who treat auto injury patients

Dr. Cynthia Hornback, founder, clinic director, and chiropractic physician at Hornback Chiropractic & Wellness, leading a team of five doctors across Southwest Florida.

Dr. Cynthia Hornback

Founder and Clinic Director
Currently not accepting new patients

Dr. Shena Martin, chiropractic physician and certified acupuncturist, smiling in a professional clinic portrait.

Dr. Shena Martin

Chiropractic Physician / Certified Acupuncturist

Dr. Carey Lam, chiropractic physician and certified acupuncturist, professional portrait serving patients at all clinic locations.

Dr. Carey Lam

Chiropractic Physician

Dr. Kathryn Franchek, chiropractic physician, professional portrait at the North River and Palmetto chiropractic clinic.

Dr. Kathryn Franchek

Chiropractic Physician
North River

Dr. Miranda Torres, chiropractic physician, smiling in a professional clinic portrait.

Dr. Miranda Torres

Chiropractic Physician
Lakewood Ranch

Common questions

Auto injury treatment, frequently asked questions

Within 14 days, and sooner is better. Florida law only pays full PIP benefits when treatment starts inside that 14 day window, and whiplash or joint injuries commonly do not show symptoms for 24 to 72 hours after the collision, so waiting to see how it feels can cost both recovery time and insurance coverage.
Yes, Florida’s no-fault PIP law covers 80 percent of medical costs and 60 percent of lost wages, up to $10,000, for treatment tied to an auto accident. Two things determine how much of that applies: treatment has to start within 14 days of the crash, and full benefits require an emergency medical condition determination during that evaluation, otherwise coverage caps at $2,500. Our office can walk through what this means for your specific policy during your first visit.
That is common, not a sign the injury is not real. Adrenaline and inflammation can mask symptoms for a day or two, which is exactly why an evaluation soon after the accident matters even without pain yet.
Yes. The practice coordinates directly with Florida PIP claims as part of auto injury care, so documentation is handled alongside treatment rather than left entirely to the patient.
Whiplash is a rapid back and forth motion of the neck that strains muscles, ligaments, and joints, most often from a rear-end collision. Treatment typically combines adjustments, soft tissue therapy, and sometimes spinal decompression, depending on what the exam finds. See our whiplash treatment page for more detail.
No referral is required to schedule an evaluation. A police report or accident documentation is helpful for insurance purposes but is not required for your first visit.
The exam screens for anything that needs medical attention first, such as a suspected fracture or head injury, and refers out when that is the case. Chiropractic care picks up once serious injury has been ruled out.
It depends on the injury and how the body responds, which is why care is reviewed at set checkpoints rather than sold as a fixed package. Some patients recover in a few weeks, others need a longer plan, and progress is what determines the timeline, not a preset schedule.

Jessica H.

★★★★★
Patient · Lakewood Ranch
"I have had back pain ever since I can remember thanks to Dr. Cindy I am finally comfortable again."

Verified Patient

★★★★★
Google Review · 5 Stars
"Dr. Hornback and her team truly care about their patients. I have been coming here for years and would not go anywhere else."

Michael T.

★★★★★
Patient · Lakewood Ranch
"After my car accident I did not know where to turn. They got me in the same week, handled all the paperwork, and I am back to working out."

4.8

Rated on Google

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Three locations.
One standard of care.

Lakewood Ranch

  • Mon, Wed & Thu: 8:00am – 6:00pm
    Tue & Fri: 8:00am – 1:00pm
    Sat & Sun: Closed

Sarasota · Waterside

  • Mon, Wed & Thu: 8:00am – 6:00pm
    Tue & Fri: 8:00am – 1:00pm
    Sat & Sun: Closed

North River · Palmetto

  • Mon, Wed & Thu: 8:00am – 6:00pm
    Tue & Fri: 8:00am – 1:00pm
    Sat & Sun: Closed

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