How Whiplash affects you and how to claim Compensation

Whiplash is a sudden movement/jolt to the body or head. Whiplash is notoriously known as being the most common injury that you can sustain after suffering from a road traffic accident.

Although road traffic accidents are the most common cause of whiplash there are several other ways that whiplash can be caused such as a blow to the head or through repetitive movements of the neck.

Whiplash causes pain and stiffness as well as a loss of movement. This is due to the fact that whiplash causes damage to the ligaments and tendons in your neck and head. Other symptoms associated with whiplash include headaches, muscle spasms and pain in your shoulders and arms. These symptoms usually appear within the first couple of days after, for example, a road traffic accident.

So how is whiplash diagnosed? The diagnosis of whiplash relies mainly on the information that is provided to a GP from the patient, such as the events leading up to the symptoms appearing and the patient’s description of the symptoms. Whiplash is the type of injury that doesn’t appear on MRI scans, CT scans or x-rays, however an x-ray is likely to be taken for nothing else but to remove any suspicion of a fracture or dislocation of the cervical spine. So the diagnosis of the condition is one that is made by your GP based on their knowledge of the condition and the symptoms that you are experiencing.

If you are suffering the symptoms of whiplash then in the first 24 hours of it appearing you should apply an ice pack to your neck as a way of relieving inflammation. This ice pack should be wrapped in a towel, never apply it directly to the skin, and it should be placed on the affected area in 20 minute intervals. As well as this you should be taking regular painkillers. If these painkillers however fail to have any affect it is important that you visit your doctor in order to get stronger painkillers or to find a better way of dealing with the problem.

The symptoms of whiplash usually clear up within a few days but there are cases where people may end up suffering for years after the initial accident happened.

If you do decide to take up a compensation claim then details of your losses and the expenses you have encountered after your accident will be prepared by your solicitor ready to be sent to the insurance company. If they expect liability for the accident then you may want to consider making a settlement with them. If no settlement is reached your solicitor will issue court proceedings against the other driver.

Once all of the evidence surrounding your case has been obtained a final hearing will be arranged and the court will decide if you are entitled to compensation and if so how much you will be getting.

So if you have suffered the effects of whiplash in the last three years through no fault of your own then contact a legal team today who will be able to guide you through your compensation claim.

Paul Barry is the web master of Accident Claim Aid, specialists in all aspects of Whiplash compensation claims.