Short Answer

In North Carolina, once you have had imaging and started physical therapy, your next steps are usually to (1) keep treating consistently and follow medical instructions, (2) document your symptoms, appointments, and out-of-pocket costs, and (3) protect your claim by preserving evidence and watching the legal deadlines. You generally have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit, but waiting can make it harder to prove what the crash caused and to resolve medical bill and lien issues.

Understanding the Problem

If you were hurt in a North Carolina car wreck, can you still protect your injury claim after you have already had scans and started physical therapy, especially where you were transported by EMS and treated in the emergency room? That question matters because the “next steps” are not just medical—they also affect what records exist, how your bills get handled, and whether you can later show the accident caused your ongoing problems.

Apply the Law

North Carolina personal injury claims after a motor vehicle accident usually turn on proving the other driver was legally at fault and that the crash caused your injuries and losses (including medical bills and time missed from work). The main forum for a lawsuit is North Carolina state court (typically the county where the crash happened or where the at-fault driver lives). A key timing rule is the statute of limitations: most injury lawsuits must be filed within three years, and missing that deadline can end the claim.

Key Requirements

• Clear medical connection: Your records should show your symptoms started after the wreck and why treatment (like PT) is medically needed.
• Consistent treatment history: Gaps in care can give the insurance company an argument that you healed, something else caused the problem, or the injury is not serious.
• Complete documentation: Keep bills, explanations of benefits (EOBs), pharmacy receipts, mileage, and work notes so your losses are provable.
• Proof of fault: Preserve crash evidence (report, photos, witness info) because your medical care alone does not prove who caused the wreck.
• Careful communications: What you say to insurers and what you sign (authorizations, releases) can affect your ability to prove damages and protect privacy.
• Medical bill/lien awareness: Providers and payors may assert rights against any settlement, so you want to identify those issues early.

What the Statutes Say

• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 (Three-year limit for many personal injury claims) - Sets a three-year limitations period that commonly applies to injury claims from car wrecks.
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44-49 (Medical provider liens) - Creates a lien right for certain medical-related charges (including ambulance and hospital services) against a personal injury recovery, with notice and itemization requirements.

Analysis

Apply the Rule to the Facts: Because you had EMS transport, emergency room treatment, imaging, stitches, and you have started physical therapy, you already have strong early documentation that an injury happened and that treatment was needed. The next steps are about keeping the medical story consistent (so the records match your symptoms), tracking what the accident is costing you (especially since insurance is not covering everything), and preserving the non-medical proof needed to show fault and damages before the three-year filing deadline runs.

Process & Timing

1. Who acts: You (and, if you hire one, your attorney). Where: Your medical providers and the insurance companies involved; if a lawsuit becomes necessary, North Carolina state court in the proper county. What: Keep follow-up appointments, PT notes, discharge instructions, and request itemized billing statements; gather the crash report and photos. When: Start now; do not wait until you are “done treating” to organize records.
2. Build the medical record: Tell each provider your symptoms, what activities you cannot do, and what makes symptoms worse or better. Follow the plan of care and keep appointments. If you cannot attend PT or you stop, make sure the reason is documented (for example, a provider discharges you, symptoms resolve, or a scheduling/medical issue occurs).
3. Protect the claim and resolve bills: Identify every bill source (ambulance, ER, imaging, hospital, PT) and every payor (health insurance, MedPay, etc.). Before any settlement, confirm whether any provider or payor is asserting a lien or reimbursement claim so you do not get surprised after the case resolves.

Exceptions & Pitfalls

• Stopping treatment too soon: If you quit PT while still symptomatic, the insurer may argue you were not really hurt or that you failed to address your condition.
• Gaps in care without explanation: Missed appointments and long breaks can weaken the “caused by the crash” link unless the reason is clear in the records.
• Signing broad medical authorizations or quick releases: A release can end the claim, even if you later learn you need more care. Broad authorizations can also lead to unnecessary digging into unrelated history.
• Not tracking out-of-pocket costs: Co-pays, deductibles, prescriptions, and mileage add up, but they are hard to prove if you do not keep records.
• Ignoring lien issues: In North Carolina, certain medical providers may have lien rights tied to a recovery, and handling those issues late can delay settlement distribution.
• Waiting too long to investigate fault: Photos disappear, witnesses become hard to find, and vehicle evidence can be lost—making it harder to prove liability.

Conclusion

In North Carolina, if you have already had scans and started physical therapy after a car accident, your next step is to keep treatment consistent while you preserve proof of fault and document every expense and limitation tied to the crash. Most injury claims must be filed within three years, and delays can make medical causation and billing/lien issues harder to sort out. Next step: calendar the three-year deadline and gather your ER/EMS, imaging, and PT records now.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney

If you're dealing with ongoing treatment and medical bills after a North Carolina car accident, an attorney can help you understand what documentation matters, how liens and insurance payments can affect a settlement, and what deadlines you need to protect. Reach out today: CONTACT_NUMBER.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about North Carolina law based on the single question stated above. It is not legal advice for your specific situation and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws, procedures, and local practice can change and may vary by county. If you have a deadline, act promptly and speak with a licensed North Carolina attorney.