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ANB428 · May 8, 2009, 06:49 AM

I fell down my brother's stairs at his house and I landed on my tail bone. I went to the er and they took x-rays and found out that it wasn't broken, just bruised really bad and they said that it should stop hurting in a week. Well, it has been over a week and it is still hurting just as bad as it was when I first injured it. I don't want to go to the er again because I already have to pay for the first bill and I don't want another one. What type of doctor do I need to make an appointment with so I can have them look at it to see why it hurts so bad. Thanks!

JudyKayTee · May 8, 2009, 07:16 AM

This should be covered by homeowners insurance and you should not have to pay out of pocket.

What does your family physician/general practitioner say about a referral to a specialist?

ANB428 · May 8, 2009, 11:26 AM

I haven't had insurance for that long so I don't have a normal doctor that I go to. That is why I am wondering where I need to start.

I know that it should be covered by the homeowners insurance, but I don't think that the owner has insurance on the property, I talked to my brother and he told me that he doesn't want to get kicked out of his house, so he is not going to ask his landlord to pay for the bills.

Fr_Chuck · May 8, 2009, 11:36 AM

So much depends on what is wrong, just bruising, muscles or a fracture.

A family doctor can send you to the hospital for x-rays and then have them read.

ANB428 · May 8, 2009, 11:40 AM

I went to the hospital and they took x-rays. They told me that it was just bruised really badly and that it should start feeling better in a week and it has been a week now and it still hurts as bad as it did when I fell.

Fr_Chuck · May 8, 2009, 12:00 PM

So one of two things

it is just taking longer to get well,

or they misread the x-ray

ANB428 · May 8, 2009, 12:33 PM

So, that doesn't help me figure out what type of doctor I need to go to. Do I just go to a General Practice doctor and they can tell me where to go or what? I don't want to have to go to the ER again just to speak with a doctor. Thanks for all of your help in advance.

Wondergirl · May 8, 2009, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by ANB428

I haven't had insurance for that long so I don't have a normal doctor that I go to. That is why I am wondering where I need to start.

I know that it should be covered by the homeowners insurance, but I don't think that the owner has insurance on the property, I talked to my brother and he told me that he doesn't want to get kicked out of his house, so he is not going to ask his landlord to pay for the bills.

I really think you need to find out if the landlord has homeowners. Specialists are expensive and will tell you to get expensive tests like MRIs, etc. and order expensive meds or even suggest surgery. This could go into the thousands of dollars.

An orthopedic dr. is probably the next stop, unless the insurance company demands you start with a GP.

JudyKayTee · May 8, 2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by ANB428

I haven't had insurance for that long so I don't have a normal doctor that I go to. That is why I am wondering where I need to start.

I know that it should be covered by the homeowners insurance, but I don't think that the owner has insurance on the property, I talked to my brother and he told me that he doesn't want to get kicked out of his house, so he is not going to ask his landlord to pay for the bills.

I'm an accident investigator. Insurance is in place to pay bills. The homeowner is responsible if there is negligence. Without knowing what happened I have no way of knowing if homeowners insurance - or the homeowner - is responsible.

It is not your brother's choice whether to report the accident. It is YOUR choice. If you do nothing and there are a lot of medical bills you are responsible to pay them. You cannot wait a lengthy period and THEN notify the landlord.

N0help4u · May 8, 2009, 01:34 PM

I fell backwards down steps and it took almost two months before it quit hurting. I didn't go to the doctors.
The more you walk the longer it will take to get better. Rest as much as you possibly can and soak in warm to hot baths with a good theraputic bath oil.

ANB428 · May 8, 2009, 01:41 PM

This is what happened: I was leaving my brother's house and it was raining out side. I was walking down the stairs to his back porch holding my daughter. When I stepped down on one of the stairs my feet came out from under me and I fell directly back onto the stairs and pulled my daughter directly on top of me so she wouldn't get hurt. I slipped because the stairs were wet and there was nothing on them to make them non-slippery.

Is this considered negligence on their part? What do I need to do to contact the landlord? I don't want to have to pay for a whole bunch of medical bills because I can barely pay my actual bills. My back also hurts, but not as bad as my tailbone. I do need to get that looked at too.

What steps do I need to take? Thanks for all for your help.

N0help4u · May 8, 2009, 01:46 PM

I think you should do one of those free consultations with an injury lawyer if you can't get anywhere with the landlord or insurance companies.

JudyKayTee · May 8, 2009, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by ANB428

This is what happened: I was leaving my brother's house and it was raining out side. I was walking down the stairs to his back porch holding my daughter. When I stepped down on one of the stairs my feet came out from under me and I fell directly back onto the stairs and pulled my daughter directly on top of me so she wouldn't get hurt. I slipped because the stairs were wet and there was nothing on them to make them non-slippery.

Is this considered negligence on their part? What do I need to do to contact the landlord? I don't want to have to pay for a whole bunch of medical bills because I can barely pay my actual bills. My back also hurts, but not as bad as my tailbone. I do need to get that looked at too.

What steps do I need to take? Thanks for all fo your help.

I'm not your Attorney, of course, and I'm in NY. That having been said IF the steps were slippery, IF the landlord had knowledge they were slippery in the rain, IF the landlord should have known they got slippery in the rain, IF the condition was ever reported to the landlord, yes, you have a case for what is called pain and suffering. That does not cover your medical bills.

Homeowners insurance will pay - in NY, again - your medical bills no matter WHAT happened as long as you were not committing an illegal act, such as breaking into your brother's house. :) "Med pay" pays no matter what - but for medical bills and related expenses (such as pharmacy expenses) only.

You can call the landlord - which would be my advice because of the time frame - tell him/her you were injured on the property in a fall down the stairs and ask for the name of his/her insurance carrier. Do NOT give a whole bunch of details because they aren't necessary. What you have said here is sufficient. If the landlord says there is no insurance say "thank you." In either case - there is or there isn't - send the landlord a letter, return receipt requested, which says that ON OR ABOUT THIS DATE (give the date) YOU WERE INJURED IN A FALL DOWN THE LANDLORD'S STEPS and your medical bills to date are $X with additional medical bills to follow. The landlord, if he/she does have insurance and is skirting the issue, will turn the claim over. If not, the landlord will probably say nothing.

Emphasize that this has NOTHING to do with your brother and his tenancy. You were simply injured and need help paying your medical bills.

You may very well have to go to Small Claims Court with this BUT unless you did something which a normal, prudent person did not do (for example, try to go down the steps wearing rollerblades - :) you will prevail.

This is one of those where I wish I lived/worked where you are because I would be on this - no joke!

N0help4u · May 8, 2009, 04:08 PM

I know, it kills me when doctors say rest and there is no way you have time to rest but rest as much as possible.
I think it took so long because I hurt my ankle and I was always on it. It hurt so I put more weight on my other foot which ended up making my hips and both feet hurt.

I would get a second opinion and you might be better off checking with a chiropractor.

KISS · May 8, 2009, 08:06 PM

An MRI is usually used to assess soft tissue damage.

If you wanted to know what kind of Dr. handles this and everyone else is ignoring your question while giving you good advice, it would be an orthopeadic doctor.

Obtain the ER records and x-rays before your visit.

The initial treatment should have at least included some instructions such as heat/ice, heat or ice and possibly some drugs to handle the pain.

Usually the question "Was this a result of an accident?" always shows up. Reporting promptly should always occur.

Pokerface5 · May 8, 2009, 08:11 PM

Me and my mother where in a car reck once and I cracked my spine. It wasn't severe so I was sent to a chiropractor. He aligned my spine and sent me to therapy. If your coccyx isn't broken, also known as your tailbone, it might just need a bit of therapy. You might have bruised something really badly but I really hope you feel better. :)

Zazonker · May 9, 2009, 12:34 PM

To address your question of "What type of Doctor do I go to?" The following is my opinion.

It sounds to me like a job for a Chiropractor for a short series of adjustments. An Orthopedic MD does do adjustments, but in my opinion may be predisposed to a surgical solution (and, again opinion, tends not to be as good at adjustments as a Chiropractor).

Selecting a Chiropractor can be difficult. You'll get a consultation. Some of them will try to sell you on a long term program; some tend to emphasize the value of different machines that they use; some machines are helpful but none are necessary for recovery. I recommend that you find one that you can be comfortable with who will charge you by the visit, not try to sell you a contract.

When a Chiropractor does an adjustment to your spine, they really should as much as possible "tune" your entire spine - wherever problems exist. That may mean 3 to 10 adjustments in a session. Avoid a chiropractor who will only do 1 adjustment per session. That strings out the treatment and the cost. This isn't just because 3 sessions are need for 3 treatments. Problems in a structure tend to be interrelated so only treating one tends to give less treatment value per session. That's another type to avoid. Chiropractic is just a form of physical therapy, although specialized. If Chiropractic adjustments don't solve the problem, then I'd go to an Orthopedic MD.

If you aren't comfortable with this, the next best choice would be to start with the Orthopedic MD. Why would I do it in this order if I may end up at the Orthopedist anyway? Simply that I prefer a minimalist treatment approach; the simplest and least intrusive solution to the problem.

Whatever you chose to do, Good Luck!

N0help4u · May 9, 2009, 12:41 PM

The secret to a good chiropractor is if they go over the gray's anatomy chart and the arc of life 31 to 45 degree and tells you about health

Like this site refers to

Arc of Life - About Arc of Life

What county are you in and I can try to find you a good chiropractor or you can type arc of life chiropractor and your county in Google.

Zazonker · May 9, 2009, 01:17 PM

N0help4u: That may be. But, frankly, it's one of the things that scares people to keep them from going to Chiropractors. (What scares people is the implication that Chiropractors have a better handle on your total health picture than an MD - and I don't believe that). For treatment on me, I'm more concerned with how good the Chiropractor is at actually doing the manipulation. I don't know anyone in the Arc of Life, but I would be concerned that they may be ones who try to sell a term contract.

I have 2 very good friends who are Chiropractors (and kinesiologists). We've had some pretty good discussions over the years that I won't go into here. To me, the most important aspect to define a "good" Chiropractor is how good he is at aligning your spine - and does he avoid charging you an arm and a leg for doing it (ok, stupid pun).

The issue that having your spine properly aligned may help resolve other symptoms (or avoid ever getting them) may be valid, but in my opinion, if it is a problem caused by the spine being misaligned, it will be resolved by aligning the spine. Otherwise, it won't.

In this case OP has an injury that may be fixable through Chiropractic. I'd recommend getting the injury resolved and going from there, if desired.

N0help4u · May 10, 2009, 10:29 AM

It is in the Grays anatomy about your neck should be at a 31 to 45 degree angle and so forth. If you have a good chiropractor that is also into alternative healing then he will go over everything with you including comparing your x-rays with normal x-rays so you can actually see he is not scamming or anything.
I don't trust the chiropractors that don't keep you informed.
Here is the one grays anatomy chart for the spine.