How to Choose a Car Accident Chiropractor in Oakland

Hurt badly? Choosing a clinic can wait. If you have a head injury with confusion, a neck or spine injury with numbness or weakness, chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. See which doctor to see after a car accident.

The checklist

1. Check the license

Chiropractors in California are licensed by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Its License Search page links to a lookup where you can search a chiropractor by first or last name, or by license number (numbers only, without the "DC" prefix) [1]. The Board says the information is updated Monday through Friday [1]. Look up the doctor who will actually examine you, not only the clinic's name.

2. Ask: are you my treating provider, or a retained expert?

A treating provider examines you, cares for you and writes records of that care. A retained expert is hired, usually by one side of a case, to give an opinion. Both roles exist; you should know which one the clinic is playing for you.

3. Ask how visits are documented

Ask what is written down at the first visit, at every later visit and at any re-evaluation, and how you or your attorney can get a copy. A dated record of what you reported and what was found is what insurers and attorneys read later.

4. Get the cost and any lien terms in writing before care starts

Ask which coverage will be billed (MedPay, your auto policy, a lien or something else), what you will owe, and, if there is a lien, what happens if your case doesn't resolve. Get it in writing and read it before you sign. More: liens for accident care and the who-pays tool.

5. Ask which languages care is given in

Ask whether the doctor examines and explains in your language, or whether an interpreter is used. You should understand what is found and what you sign.

6. Be wary of anyone who comes to you

Be careful if someone you didn't call contacts you at the scene, at the tow yard or at the hospital to steer you to a clinic or a lawyer, or offers you money or anything else to choose one. In California:

It is a crime for anyone who processes, presents or negotiates claims to offer, give, receive or accept money or anything else of value for referring clients, cases or patients [2].
It is unlawful to act as a "runner or capper" for lawyers, or to solicit business for lawyers, in and around hospitals, jails, courts, public places, public streets or private property [3].

You don't have to talk to anyone who approaches you this way, and you don't have to sign anything on the spot.

How Oakland Accident Care answers these questions

License: the doctors are Dr. Ben Glass, DC (licensed in California since 2013) and Dr. Irina Velichko, DC. Look up either name on the Board's License Search [1].
Role: the clinic is a treating provider, not a retained expert witness, and takes no expert-witness engagements.
Records: a patient file holds the intake history (how the collision happened, each symptom and the day it began), the first-visit exam findings, validated outcome measures recorded at intake and repeated at each re-evaluation, a note for every visit, a discharge summary, and a narrative report on request.
Cost: the clinic checks your coverage, and what you owe is confirmed in writing before your first visit. It does not bill health insurance or workers' comp.
Languages: English, Spanish and Russian, without an interpreter: Dr. Glass in English and Spanish, Dr. Velichko in English and Russian.
Referrals: the clinic gives nothing of value for a referral and accepts nothing of value for one, from attorneys, other businesses or patients. The clinic does not recommend a specific law firm.

Get examined as soon as you can. An early, dated exam starts your record from the beginning.

Auto insurance, MedPay, PIP, and liens accepted.

Oakland Accident Care is a chiropractic clinic in downtown Oakland that sees only people hurt in motor vehicle collisions, with Dr. Ben Glass and Dr. Irina Velichko, in English, Spanish or Russian. The clinic holds same-day appointment slots for new accident patients. More facts in one table: why patients choose this clinic.

Ask for a call back

Leave a first name and number. We'll call you back within 30 minutes during clinic hours; outside clinic hours, first thing the next morning.

Questions

How do I check a chiropractor's license in California?

Use the Board of Chiropractic Examiners' License Search page. It links to a lookup where you can search by first or last name, or by license number without the DC prefix. The Board says the information is updated Monday through Friday.

What is the difference between a treating chiropractor and a retained expert?

A treating provider examines you, cares for you and writes records of that care. A retained expert is hired, usually by one side of a case, to give an opinion. Ask which role the clinic is playing for you.

Is it legal for someone to offer me money to go to a clinic or a lawyer?

California Insurance Code section 750 makes it a crime for anyone who processes, presents or negotiates claims to offer or accept money or anything else of value for referring clients, cases or patients, and Business and Professions Code section 6152 makes it unlawful to solicit business for lawyers in places such as hospitals and public streets. You do not have to talk to anyone who approaches you this way.

Should I get the cost in writing before treatment?

Yes. Ask which coverage will be billed, what you will owe and, if there is a lien, what happens if the case does not resolve, and read it before you sign. At Oakland Accident Care, what you owe is confirmed in writing before your first visit.

Sources

California Board of Chiropractic Examiners, "License Search". Read October 7, 2026.
California Insurance Code § 750. Read October 7, 2026.
California Business and Professions Code § 6152. Read October 7, 2026.

This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. Laws can change; the linked statutes are the official text.