Making a Whiplash Accident Claim

Few people understand quite how severe whiplash can be, until they suffer it. When a person has been involved in a car accident and finds themselves with whiplash, it can quickly become apparent quite how painful and debilitating its effects can be. This is why many people make an accident claim for their whiplash injuries.

Experts believe that whiplash occurs in around a fifth of all car accidents. It is caused by the sudden and fast movement of the neck in a whip-like motion moving either forward or back as the body jolts upon crash impact. Usually, the body will jolt forward and the neck will whip backwards: the resulting unnatural and excessive stretching of the neck ligaments is known as hyper-extension. In accidents which involve the car stopping very suddenly, such as when it hits the back of another vehicle, the movement of the neck is forwards and is known as hyper-flexion. In cases of both hyper-extension and hyper-flexion the result is whiplash and the associated pain and reduced mobility can impact hugely on quality of life.

Many victims of whiplash find that they are unable to work, particularly if their job is physical. This is why they are protected by law and entitled to make an accident claim to gain some compensation for the injury and the loss of earnings it brought about. In serious cases, the effects of whiplash can be ongoing or even permanent, meaning that the accident claim becomes vital to the financial security of the victim.

The amount that is paid out in compensation to whiplash victims depends on the severity and longevity of their whiplash.