Care for car accident and injury patients in St. Thomas

Island roads are hard on rental car drivers, taxis, safaris, and scooters. Driving is on the left in cars built for the right, the switchbacks toward Skyline Drive are tight and blind, and a lot of the crashes we see happen at parking-lot speeds rather than highway speeds. This page is less about any one symptom and more about what to do after a crash: where to go first, what we treat, and how the paperwork and referrals work. For the details of whiplash itself, the delayed neck pain and headaches that show up a day or two later, see our whiplash and car accident page.

Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness is in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, just east of Charlotte Amalie. Dr. Keys is the Chair of the Virgin Islands Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a member of the Virgin Islands Chiropractic Society, and the International Chiropractors Association representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What we see after a crash

Whiplash gets the attention, but it is rarely the only injury. We also see low back and mid back strain from the seatbelt and the impact itself, shoulder pain from bracing against the wheel or the seatbelt catching hard, and knee pain from hitting the dashboard. Headaches are common, sometimes from the neck and sometimes from a head that hit something inside the car. See our lower back pain page, our shoulder pain page, and our knee pain page for those in more depth.

The first steps after a crash

Get checked out. If any of the red flags below apply, go to the emergency room first, not our office. If they do not, get an exam within a few days even if you feel mostly fine at the scene, because pain from a crash often builds over the following one to three days rather than showing up right away.

Keep the practical things: a police report or incident number if one was made, the other driver's information, and any paperwork from a rental car company if that applies to you. Bring all of it to your first visit.

How we treat it at Tradewinds

The exam starts with the crash itself: what direction the impact came from, whether you saw it coming, and a hands-on and neurological check of the neck, back, and any joint that hurts. We take digital x-rays on site when the exam calls for it, because ruling out a fracture matters before any hands-on care. Early treatment is gentle, low-force methods and soft tissue work while things are acute, moving to specific adjustment and spinal rehabilitation as you improve. All of it is on our services page.

Paperwork, insurance, and referrals

We bill auto insurance after a crash and work with attorney liens. We write reports for attorneys and insurance adjusters. We also write return-to-work and work-restriction notes if you need time off or lighter duty while you recover.

Bring anything related to the crash: imaging, notes from other doctors, ER paperwork, your auto insurance claim information, and your attorney's contact details if you have one. We document the injury from the first visit, including how it happened, what the exam found, and how you progress at each re-check.

Visitors and travelers

Rental cars, taxis, and scooters account for a lot of the crashes we treat, and many of those patients are flying home within days. Come in before you fly if you can. We examine you, document what happened, start care, and send you home with a written summary for your own chiropractor or physician to pick up where we left off.

When to go to the emergency room first

Go to the emergency room, not our office, if you have any of these after a crash:

• You were knocked out, even briefly, or cannot remember what happened
• A headache that keeps getting worse, repeated vomiting, confusion, or unusual sleepiness
• Numbness or weakness in both arms or both legs, or trouble walking
• A neck you cannot turn at all, or severe pain down the middle of the spine
• Chest pain, trouble breathing, or belly pain from the seatbelt
• Heavy bleeding or an obvious fracture

Getting seen

Call (340) 690-4994 or email info@tradewindschiropractic.com. We are in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, St. Thomas, USVI 00802. Hours are Mon, Wed, Thu: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; Tue, Fri: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm; closed Sat and Sun. We take walk-ins and same-day appointments. New patient forms are on our forms page.

Questions patients ask

Where do I go after a car accident in St. Thomas if it's not just my neck?

If you have any of the emergency signs, chest pain, numbness in both arms or legs, or you were knocked out, go to the emergency room first. Otherwise, Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness examines the whole picture: neck, back, shoulders, and knees, since a crash rarely injures just one thing.

Do you accept car insurance or PIP for accident injuries?

Yes. We bill auto insurance after a crash and work with attorney liens. Bring anything related to the crash: imaging, notes from other doctors, ER paperwork, your auto insurance claim information, and your attorney's contact details if you have one.

I'm a tourist and my rental car was hit. Can I still get treated before I fly home?

Yes. We see visitors regularly after rental car and taxi crashes. Come in as soon as you can, and we will examine you, start care, and give you a written summary to hand off to your own doctor or chiropractor at home.

Will you send a report to my insurance company or attorney?

Yes. We write reports for attorneys and insurance adjusters, based on the injury we document from your first visit. We also write return-to-work and work-restriction notes.

What if I feel fine right after the crash?

That is common. Muscle guarding and swelling build over the first one to three days, so stiffness, headaches, and back pain often show up the next morning or the day after. Feeling fine at the scene is not a reason to skip getting checked, especially if you are leaving the island soon.