How Whiplash can affect you and how to make a claim for compensation

The injury known as whiplash causes damage to your ligaments/tendons, which is the tissue that connects your bones; whiplash also causes damage to the muscles in your neck. It is an injury that you are mostly likely to gain in a road traffic accident, when the collision jolts your head forwards.

Road traffic accidents may be the most common way that we end up suffering from whiplash but it isn’t the only way. You could also end up suffering the results of whiplash due to a blow to the head or as the result of long term repetitive damage. Also if your whiplash injury was caused by a road traffic accident it doesn’t matter where your car is hit as whiplash can occur regardless of whether your head is jolted forwards, backwards or side wards but whichever way you end up suffering from whiplash the symptoms that you will suffer as a result of it will remain the same. The symptoms are as follows:

• Stiffness
• Pain in the neck
• Loss of movement or restricted movement
• Headache
• Muscle spasms
• Swelling
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Blurred vision and a possible ringing in the ears

These symptoms will usually being to improve after a few days and in around 60% of cases your symptoms usually completely disappear after about four weeks; however in some cases it may take a few months for symptoms to completely go away and on occasion you may still have some stiffness and pain for a while after the injury has occurred.

If you do suspect that you are suffering from whiplash then it is important that you visit your doctor to get a diagnosis. Your GP will be able to diagnose whiplash by asking you how your injury occurred and what symptoms you are now suffering from. In some cases your GP may also use an X-ray, CT scan or an MRI scan to look at the structure of your bones in your neck and back. These tests cannot diagnose whiplash, they are merely used to find out if there is damage or fractures to the bones in your neck or spine.

Once your whiplash injury has been diagnosed you should initially rest your neck and then as the pain eases you should try to exercise your neck as much as possible and gradually try to increase the range of neck movements, while continuing with your normal daily activities. It will also be a good idea to support your head with a good pillow when you go to sleep and to ensure that you walk with your back and neck straight as well as making sure that you sit straight as this will help you gain good posture.

If you are suffering from whiplash do you know that you could possibly have a claim for compensation? If you are suffering from whiplash due to an accident that was caused through no fault of your own then get in touch with a legal firm today as they will be able to help and guide you through the entire compensation process.

You are entitled to make a claim for compensation after suffering from whiplash. This compensation is designed to put you back in the financial status you were in before the accident occurred.

For more information about making a claim for compensation or to get your compensation claim underway get in touch with a legal team today and start to see the difference that a compensation claim can make to your life.

Paul Barry is the web master of Accident Claim Aid, who are specialists in all aspects of making a claim for Compensation after suffering the effects of a Whiplash injury.