904-783-0008
904-800-6389
At our firm, we understand that a car accident can turn your world upside down in an instant. The pain and confusion that follow are overwhelming, and you need answers and relief fast. That’s why our team in Green Cove Springs focuses solely on diagnosing and treating injuries caused by vehicle collisions, including whiplash, neck and back pain, herniated discs, concussions, and nerve issues like numbness or weakness.
We know that many crash injuries involve soft tissues that often don’t show up on X-rays and sometimes take days to really make themselves known. In Florida, it’s especially important to get checked within 14 days of an accident, or you risk losing your auto insurance benefits for medical care.
Our entire practice is built around helping people recover from accidents, nothing else. At our Green Cove Springs clinic on Branscomb Road, you don’t need an appointment or a referral. Just walk in during our weekday hours, and we’ll be here to help you start your recovery.
See a doctor who treats injuries every day. Crash forces land in the muscles, joints, discs, and nerves, and finding that damage takes an exam built for it, not a general check-up. Chiropractic physicians, physical medicine doctors, and medical doctors all treat crash patients, and each brings something different.
The strongest setup is a clinic where all three work together.
That is how ours are built. You might start with a chiropractic physician for hands-on care and rehab, and if your symptoms call for imaging, injections, or a prescription, the medical doctor and nurse practitioner are on the same treatment plan, reviewing the same chart and the same exam findings from your first visit. Nobody sends you off to start the story over with someone who was not there when you were examined.
Under Florida’s no-fault law, a chiropractic physician licensed under chapter 460 is one of the providers who can deliver the initial services and care your auto insurance benefits depend on. So being seen at our Green Cove Springs clinic within 14 days satisfies the requirement, no matter which of our clinicians you see.
Your primary care doctor can see you, and most are not set up for it. A standard appointment runs 10 to 15 minutes, a crash exam takes closer to an hour, and few primary care offices have imaging in the building or the billing setup for an auto insurance claim. None of that is a criticism. Your family doctor manages an enormous range of conditions and does it well, and for most of what you will deal with this year, they are the right call.
Crash injuries are a narrow specialty with a different exam. We measure how far your neck turns before it stops, test reflexes and strength muscle by muscle, and check for numbness along specific nerve paths, then write all of it down as numbers we can compare against in a month. That record is what shows whether you are improving, and it is the part a rushed appointment cannot produce.
Keep seeing your regular doctor for everything else. Come to us for the crash.
Here is the fact that shapes crash care in Green Cove Springs more than anything else, and it is useful to know about before you need it.
Two things travel north from here. Our MRI is at the University Boulevard South location in Jacksonville, and Clay County’s trauma center is HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital. This Level II facility sits in the county but not in this city.
Those are very different journeys, and they get decided very differently.
The trauma decision is not yours to make, and it is not ours. If somebody has a serious injury after a crash here, you call 911, and the responders decide where they go. That decision accounts for the injury, the resources needed, and the time involved, and it is made by people trained to make it. Driving somebody yourself removes that judgment from the process, which is the argument against doing it.
The imaging decision is entirely different. It is deliberate, unhurried, and made after an examination that has already told us most of what we need. Most crash patients here never need an MRI at all. The diagnosis comes from the exam, treatment starts on Branscomb Road, and the whole course happens locally.
Imaging is considered when symptoms point to a disc or nerve root, when weakness is present, or when you are not improving as the exam predicted. At that point, the question is simply whether the scan will change what we do. If it will, the trip is helpful to know, and we schedule it. If it will not, we say so and continue treating you here.
That distance has an upside worth noting. In a practice with a scanner down the corridor, there is a standing temptation to image first and think second. Here, the examination has to carry the diagnosis, which is what the evidence supports anyway, and it means nobody is sent for a scan to fill a gap in an examination that should have been done properly.
Digital X-ray, nerve conduction studies, EEG and brain injury evaluation are all available without leaving the practice.
A crash exam works through this list in order of what the impact makes likely, not what hurts loudest. Neck and back come first: whiplash, disc injuries, sciatica, and the joint pain that follows a sudden load. Then the joints that brace against impact, meaning shoulders, knees and wrists. Then head and nerve: concussion, post-crash headaches, and the numbness or weakness that means a nerve is involved.
There is a pattern worth knowing about, because it catches people out. The loudest injury on day one often is not the most important one. A seat belt bruise across the shoulder is painful and visible, so it gets described first and at length, while the neck joints that took the same forces are quieter and are the ones still limiting you in three months. That is why your doctor examines areas you have not complained about.
Pain that started before the crash. A collision often aggravates something you already had. Old back trouble, arthritis, a shoulder that has ached for years. Tell your doctor what was there beforehand, because it changes what the findings mean.
We treat the full range of injuries and ongoing pain across the practice, including plenty of patients who were never in an accident at all. The complete list is on our injury clinic page.
Plan on about an hour, and almost all of it is examination.
The history comes first, and it is more specific than people expect. We ask which direction the impact came from, whether you were stopped or moving, whether you saw it coming, where your head was facing at the moment of contact, whether your foot was on the brake, and whether your headrest was set high enough to catch your head. A low-speed bump in town and a higher-speed impact on a county road load the body in completely different directions, so those answers determine what gets examined most closely.
The physical exam then works through it in order: range of motion measured in each direction, strength tested muscle group by muscle group, reflexes at the biceps, triceps, and knee, and sensation mapped along each nerve path rather than described in general terms. When a nerve is involved, the pattern of numbness tells us which level in your spine is irritated.
We write the numbers down, and that part matters more than it sounds. “45 degrees of neck rotation to the right” is something we can measure again in three weeks and tell you honestly whether you are better. “Neck pain” is not, and there is no going back for it later.
If the exam raises a question a scan can answer, we order it that day. You leave knowing your diagnosis, your treatment plan, how often you will need to come in, and what would change any of it.
Tell your doctor everything that has changed since the crash, even things that seem unrelated. Where the pain is and whether it travels.
What makes it worse. What time of day it is worst. And what you have stopped doing since the accident, which tells your doctor more than a pain score.
Most people under-report, and there is a good reason for it. Sitting still in a quiet exam room is when almost every crash injury feels its best, so it is easy to forget what mornings are like. Write it down at home the night before instead. A list made at 9 pm catches what a 2 pm appointment will not.
Things patients leave out that we always want to hear: jaw pain or a clicking jaw, ringing in the ears, sleep that broke after the crash, trouble concentrating at work, unusual irritability or tiredness, and anxiety about getting back behind the wheel.
Not always. Imaging gets ordered when your exam raises a specific question. X-rays show broken bones and spine alignment, while MRI shows the discs, ligaments, and nerves an X-ray cannot see. Many crash patients are diagnosed and treated on the physical exam alone, which is a good outcome and not a shortcut.
Digital X-ray is available in our clinics, so ruling out a fracture does not cost you a separate trip. Its limit is worth knowing: a clear film rules out a break and tells you nothing about soft tissue, which is where most crash damage lives. That is why “my X-ray was fine” and “I am not hurt” are two different sentences.
We also will not order a scan you do not need. Imaging without a clear question usually turns up something minor that has been sitting there for years, and chasing it sends your treatment in the wrong direction while you pay for it.
Your doctor is choosing between these based on what the exam found, not working through a standard package. Two people with the same crash and different findings get different plans.
Hands-on care and rehab do most of the work for most crash patients: chiropractic adjustments for restricted joints, soft-tissue work for the muscle that tightens around them, then physical medicine and rehab to rebuild strength and load tolerance. Where a disc is involved, spinal decompression takes pressure off the affected level.
When pain is not improving, we offer laser, shockwave, TECAR, HEIT, electrical muscle stimulation, and therapeutic ultrasound. Our medical doctor can add injections or prescriptions. Regenerative options, including our Biotarget Therapy program, start with a medical evaluation. Telemedicine covers follow-ups that do not require an in-person exam.
We review the plan as you go. If your measurements are not moving when they should be, we change the approach or investigate further instead of booking another six weeks of the same thing.
Most crash patients with muscle and joint injuries improve over four to eight weeks. Disc and nerve injuries take longer and run less predictably. Your doctor gives you an estimate after the first exam and rechecks your measurements as you go, so the plan matches how you are actually responding.
Treatment usually follows a pattern. The first two weeks involve shorter, more frequent visits to calm things down and restore movement. Weeks three to six shift toward strengthening, with visits spread out and you taking on more of the work at home. After that, most people are done or close to it.
Two things slow recovery more than anything else: resting too much, which weakens the muscles supporting your spine, and quitting the home exercises the moment the pain eases. That second one is the most common reason somebody is back a year later with the same neck.
Your medical record is the only lasting account of what the crash did to you, and people who were not there will read it later.
Four things belong in it from day one: how the crash happened in enough detail to picture it, what the exam actually found and not only what you reported, your baseline measurements, and the treatment plan. If you have to miss two weeks because of childcare, a work trip, or an unrelated illness, tell us. We would far sooner write down the reason than leave an unexplained gap in your chart.
We release your records to you or your attorney whenever you ask. We treat the injury and leave the claim to you.
Within 14 days. Under Florida’s no-fault law, your auto insurance covers medical care only if you receive initial services and care within 14 days of the accident. Sooner is better, and not only for the paperwork. Coming in early gets your symptoms on record while they are still developing.
There is a second step most people never hear about. Your policy can pay up to $10,000 in medical benefits, but only once a medical doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner confirms you had an emergency medical condition. Without that confirmation, insurers usually cap it at $2,500. We have both on staff, so that step happens inside the practice.
Bring your auto insurance card and your health insurance card if you have one. If you have neither, we will still see you, and our team will go through your options before treatment starts.
Come to a follow-up appointment anyway. An emergency room checks for injuries that are dangerous right now, such as bleeding, fractures, and head trauma. It is not designed to diagnose and treat muscle, joint, and disc injuries that surface over the following days, which is why so many crash patients are discharged with instructions to follow up and never do.
That gap is wider here than in a city with a hospital in town. If you were taken north after a crash, you have probably had a competent assessment of whether anything was immediately dangerous, and no assessment at all of the neck and back injuries that will show up on Wednesday.
Bring whatever they gave you: discharge paperwork, X-ray or CT images, and anything you were prescribed. We will start from what is known instead of repeating tests you have already had.
An emergency room visit usually counts as your initial care under the 14-day rule. Call 904-783-0008 if you want that checked against your policy.
Part of a doctor’s job is telling you when you are in the wrong building. These are the symptoms where the answer is an emergency room, not us.
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have loss of consciousness, a headache that keeps getting worse, repeated vomiting, confusion or trouble speaking, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, loss of bladder or bowel control, severe or quickly worsening pain, chest pain, or trouble breathing.
Clay County’s trauma center is HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, north of this city. Call 911 and let the responders decide where somebody goes.
For everything else, come and see us.
Finding the right doctor after a car accident can make all the difference in your recovery. There are a few important things to look for, so you can feel confident in your choice:
First, ask if the clinic focuses on treating injuries and pain every day. When a practice is dedicated to accident care, you get longer appointments, a more thorough exam, and a team that truly understands what you’re going through.
Next, check if they have imaging, like X-rays, available right there in the office. This saves you from extra trips and long waits for test results.
It’s also important to know if there’s a medical doctor on staff. You’ll need one for certain steps in your insurance claim, and for advanced treatments like injections or prescriptions if you need them down the road.
A good clinic will be honest about how long you’ll need care. You want a place that clearly sets a treatment plan and tells you when it’s time to stop, not one that keeps booking more visits without a reason.
Finally, think about location and convenience. Car accident treatment usually means coming in more than once. Choose a clinic you can get to easily, so you’re not tempted to miss appointments when life gets busy.
| Clinic | Address | Weekday hours |
|---|---|---|
| Green Cove Springs | 91 Branscomb Rd, Suite 1 | 8:00 am to 7:00 pm |
Our Green Cove Springs clinic serves the city along with Fleming Island, Middleburg, Penney Farms, and the surrounding Clay County communities.
No appointment needed on weekdays, and we see patients with or without insurance. On weekends, call 904-783-0008 and ask for a same-day visit. After-hours on-call assistance with our doctors is available.
The doctor you see is the same across the practice, working from the same notes and the same treatment plan. If your week takes you north and one of our other clinics is easier on a particular day, your chart moves with you, and nobody asks you to explain the crash again from the beginning.
No, come straight to our Green Cove Springs clinic during weekday hours; no referral and no appointment.
In Florida, your own auto insurance covers medical care after a crash if you are seen within 14 days. We also see patients without insurance and explain your options first.
Possibly; X-rays show bone. Discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerves do not appear on them, and those are the tissues most often hurt in a crash.
Our MRI is at the University Boulevard South location in Jacksonville. We book you there when your exam calls for one, and most patients never need it.
Yes, chiropractic physicians, a medical doctor, and a nurse practitioner all work from the same treatment plan.
Yes, bring any records or images you have, and we will continue from there instead of starting over.
Yes, drivers, passengers, cyclists, pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and rideshare passengers all get the same care.
We opened in 2010 because crash injuries kept getting missed. Soft-tissue damage does not show on an X-ray and does not look serious on day one, so it gets overlooked in a clinic seeing everything else that afternoon.
So we built clinics where treating pain and injuries is all we do. Injury Care Centers has chiropractic physicians, a medical doctor, and a nurse practitioner working together, digital X-ray in the building, MRI at our University Boulevard South location, and treatment starting on your first visit. Dr. John D’Amico is the chiropractic physician covering Green Cove Springs.
If you or a loved one has been in a car accident in Green Cove Springs, don’t wait to get the care you need. Visit our clinic on Branscomb Road any weekday, no appointment required, or call us at 904-783-0008 to find out what to bring and what to expect. Let us help you get the answers, treatment, and support you deserve, so you can focus on getting back to living your life. Addresses and hours for all our locations are on the site.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Medically reviewed by Dr. James Gilas, MD, Florida license no. ME92179
This page is general information and not a substitute for an exam by a clinician. If you have emergency symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Florida law described here is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rights depend on your situation, and a lawyer is the right person to advise you on a claim.
