I’ve Been in a Motor Vehicle Accident — Now What?

A clear guide to getting started with recovery under ICBC

Being involved in a motor vehicle incident (MVI) can be stressful and confusing — especially when pain shows up days later or when you’re not sure which steps to take next. Whether your collision was minor or significant, the earlier you start your recovery process, the better your outcomes tend to be.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to help you navigate medical care, ICBC coverage, and your rehab options.

1. Get Medical Attention Early

Even if you feel “okay,” it’s important to be assessed soon after your accident. Injuries like whiplash, concussions, soft-tissue strains, or inflammation often appear later.

You can visit:

Your family doctor
Urgent Care Centre
The ER (if symptoms are severe)

A documented medical assessment helps rule out serious injury — and is helpful for your ICBC claim.

2. Open or Confirm Your ICBC Claim

If you haven’t already, contact ICBC to open a claim and receive a claim number. You will have to open a separate claim (and claim number) for your injuries. You’ll need this number for all rehab appointments.

3. What ICBC Automatically Covers (First 12 Weeks - starting on the date of the incident)

ICBC provides pre-approved access to several therapies right away — no doctor’s referral required. This allows you to begin treatment immediately.

Pre-approved treatments include:

Chiropractic
Massage Therapy
Physiotherapy
Kinesiology / Active Rehab
Clinical Counselling
Psychology
Acupuncture

At Tonume Integrated Health, we can directly bill ICBC for these services as long as you provide your claim number, claim specialist name an contact details and date of accident.

4. Starting Rehab Early Makes a Big Difference

Early, gentle intervention helps reduce pain, restore mobility, calm the nervous system, and prevent injuries from becoming chronic.

Here’s how each therapy may support your recovery:

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care can be a great launch to your rehabilitation. Chiropractors can assess and help create a functional treatment plan for your care. A chiro treatment can improve joint mobility, reduces stiffness, and helps treat whiplash-associated disorders.

Massage Therapy

Your Registered Massage Therapist will assess and create your rehabilitation treatment plan to help release muscle tension, reduce inflammation, and assist to improve your range of motion.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is another great start to your rehabilitation care. As an Active Treatment Modality, Physiotherapists can address injury mechanics, soft-tissue healing, help to restore mobility, and targeted exercises to assist with your rehab care.

Active Rehab / Kinesiology

Exercise-based rehab that may restore strength, stability, and function. ICBC often extends this due to its strong outcomes.

Clinical Counselling

If after getting in an accident you have any challenges getting back behind the wheel, or getting into a car altogether, you may have a trauma induced response from the accident. Clinical Counselling helps to support you with emotional recovery, anxiety, sleep issues, trauma responses, and fear of driving — all quite common after a Motor Vehicle Accident.

5. After 12 Weeks: What ICBC Usually Extends (and What They Don’t)

ICBC will often approve extensions when medically necessary — but they prioritize certain therapies.

Treatments ICBC is more likely to extend active therapies:

Active Rehab / Kinesiology Since it focuses on functional improvement and long-term recovery.
Counselling When emotional, psychological, or trauma-related symptoms continue.
Physiotherapy (sometimes) Usually when it includes active rehab components or when functional goals are not yet met.

Treatments ICBC is less likely to extend passive therapies:

Massage Therapy
Chiropractic
AcupunctureThese are considered “passive” treatments; they help early on but are typically not extended unless there is a clear medical need.

Your practitioner will submit progress reports to ICBC explaining why additional care is recommended.

6. Watch for Delayed Symptoms

It’s normal for symptoms to appear days after an accident.

Common post-MVI symptoms include:

Neck pain or stiffness
Back pain
Headaches
Dizziness
Sleep disturbances
Tingling or numbness
Anxiety or increased stress
Digestive changes
Reduced range of motion

Tell your healthcare team if your symptoms change — this helps guide your treatment plan.

7. Create a Structured Rehab Plan

Your care team will build a plan based on your injuries, symptoms, lifestyle, and recovery goals.

A strong plan typically includes:

Hands-on treatments
Mobility and strengthening exercises
Home care strategies
Counselling support (if needed)
Gradual return-to-work or activity planning
Regular check-ins to adjust treatment

Consistency matters — small, steady steps lead to the best results.

8. We Can Help You Navigate the ICBC Process

The ICBC system can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. At Tonume Integrated Health, our team can help you:

Start treatments right away (your 12 weeks starts the day of your accident)
Direct bill ICBC
Coordinate multiple disciplines
Submit progress reports
Request treatment extensions if appropriate
Guide both physical and emotional recovery

Our goal is to make your rehab process smooth, supportive, and tailored to what your body needs.

The Bottom Line

After an accident, your recovery involves more than just waiting for pain to settle. Early treatment, consistent rehab, and a supportive team make all the difference.

If you’ve been in an MVI and need help getting started, we’re here to guide you every step of the way — physically, emotionally, and functionally.

Please call one of our Patient Care Coordinators at 604-428-1399 to book in and start your ICBC Care Recovery, or click here to BOOK NOW.