Short Answer

Not necessarily. In North Carolina, chiropractic care can be appropriate accident treatment, and chiropractic records and bills can support an injury claim. The bigger issues are whether the care looks medically reasonable for your symptoms, whether your records clearly connect your condition to the crash, and whether any gaps in treatment (like a short break for travel) are explained and documented.

Understanding the Problem

In North Carolina, if you were hurt in an accident and you are only seeing a chiropractor (and you had a short break in treatment due to travel), you may wonder whether the insurance company will treat your care as “real” medical treatment and whether that could hurt your personal injury claim.

Apply the Law

In a North Carolina injury claim, you generally must prove (1) you were injured, (2) the accident caused the injury, and (3) the medical care you received was reasonably necessary and the charges were reasonable. Chiropractic treatment can fit within “medical charges” and can be used to prove damages, but insurers often scrutinize it more closely than emergency room or physician care—especially if the records are thin, the treatment continues for a long time without clear objective findings, or there are unexplained gaps.

Even when your bills are accepted as reasonable, North Carolina law still treats “reasonableness” and “causation” as separate issues. In other words, a bill can be reasonable in amount, but the insurer can still argue the treatment was not necessary because of this accident. Good documentation and consistent care (or a clearly explained interruption) helps address that.

Key Requirements

• Clear causation link: Your records should connect your symptoms and diagnosis to the accident history, not just list pain complaints without context.
• Reasonably necessary care: Treatment should match your symptoms and progress (for example, re-evaluations, functional improvement, and a discharge plan when appropriate).
• Reasonable charges with supporting records: Keep itemized bills and the underlying records that show what was done and why.
• Consistency (or a documented reason for any gap): A short break is not automatically fatal, but unexplained gaps can give an insurer an argument that you were “fine” or that something else caused the problem.
• Appropriate referrals when needed: If symptoms suggest something beyond chiropractic scope (for example, worsening neurological symptoms), timely referral or additional evaluation can matter for both health and claim credibility.

What the Statutes Say

• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8-58.1 (Medical charges at issue) - Allows an injured person to testify about medical charges with records, and creates a rebuttable presumption that amounts paid/owed are reasonable; it also notes there is no automatic presumption that treatment was caused by the defendant’s conduct.
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8-44.1 (Hospital medical records) - Provides a pathway for hospital records to be received into evidence without certain authentication hurdles (helpful when comparing different types of medical documentation).

Analysis

Apply the Rule to the Facts: Because you have an open claim based on a police report and you are treating with a chiropractor, your case will likely turn on whether your chiropractic notes and billing clearly document accident-related complaints, objective findings, and a reasonable course of care. Your short break in treatment due to travel is not automatically a problem, but it should be explained consistently (including in your history to the provider) so the insurer cannot frame it as “you stopped because you were better.” If the chiropractor’s records show ongoing symptoms, periodic re-evaluations, and a plan that makes sense for your condition, chiropractic-only care can still support your claim.

Process & Timing

1. Who files: You (or your attorney) typically presents the claim. Where: With the at-fault driver’s insurance adjuster (and often your own auto insurer if medical payments coverage or uninsured/underinsured coverage may apply). What: A records/bills request to your chiropractor and a claim package (often called a demand) once treatment is complete or stable. When: As soon as practical, but do not wait so long that you risk the 3-year statute of limitations for most North Carolina personal injury claims.
2. Documentation step: Gather complete chiropractic records (intake, exam findings, treatment notes, re-exams, imaging reports if any, and itemized billing). If there was a travel break, make sure the chart reflects that reason.
3. Resolution step: After you finish treatment (or reach a plateau), the claim is typically evaluated and negotiated using the records and bills; if the insurer disputes causation or necessity, additional medical support (such as a referral evaluation) may be considered.

Exceptions & Pitfalls

• Unexplained gaps in treatment: A break for travel is common, but if it is not documented, an insurer may argue your pain was not serious or that another event caused the symptoms.
• Thin or repetitive records: Notes that repeat the same complaints without documenting objective findings, progress, or re-evaluation can lead to disputes about whether ongoing care was reasonably necessary.
• Symptoms that call for additional evaluation: If you report red-flag symptoms (for example, worsening numbness/weakness), failing to seek appropriate medical evaluation can become both a health risk and a claim issue.
• Waiting to collect records until the end: If you wait until treatment ends to request records and bills, it can delay negotiations and make it harder to correct documentation problems (like missing accident history or missing explanation for a treatment gap).
• Inconsistent histories: If your chiropractor’s intake history differs from what you told the insurer (or what is in other records), the insurer may challenge causation and credibility.

Conclusion

Chiropractic-only treatment is not automatically a problem for an accident claim in North Carolina. The key is proving the accident caused your injuries and that the chiropractic care was reasonably necessary, with records that clearly document your symptoms, findings, and progress—including a consistent explanation for any short break in treatment. Next step: make sure your chiropractor’s office provides complete, itemized bills and full treatment records, and do it early enough that you can still file suit within the 3-year deadline if needed.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney

If you're dealing with accident injuries and you’re concerned that chiropractic-only care (or a gap in treatment) could be used against you, a personal injury attorney can help you understand how insurers evaluate these records, what documentation matters most, and how to protect your timelines. Call [CONTACT NUMBER] to discuss your options.

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.