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Introduction to Whiplash
What is Whiplash and how is it caused?
Symptoms of Whiplash
How whiplash can affect you
Treatment of Whiplash
How to treat your whiplash injury
Whiplash caused by a Road Traffic Accident
Car Accidents and Whiplash Injuries
What to do after your accident
Steps to take to help your claim for whiplash
News Stories we have published about Whiplash Injuries
Examples of Whiplash Claims we have dealt with
Links which may help you
Organisations which may be able to help you after suffering whiplash
Compensation Claim Advice
Claiming Compensation after a Whiplash Injury
Whiplash is caused when a person suffers from a sudden jolt to their head or body which damages the muscles, ligaments, tendons or other soft tissues in the neck.
When we hear the word "whiplash" we automatically think of someone who has been involved in a car accident; however, whiplash can be caused by many different situations including slips, trips and falls, sports injuries and even assaults and attacks.
Whiplash causes pain, stiffness and restriction of movement in the neck area and can also cause headaches, muscle spasms and pain in the shoulders or arms of the injured person.
In more serious cases of whiplash there can be swelling, back pain, pins and needles in the arms, hands or fingers, dizziness, lethargy and nausea.
In most cases, the injured person will not develop symptoms of whiplash immediately after their accident. The symptoms of whiplash will develop a day or two afterwards and may get worse over a period of time before starting to get better.
The severity of a whiplash injury can vary greatly and while some people make a recovery within a few days or weeks, others are left with symptoms and pain from their whiplash injury for months or even years.
Whiplash can be treated in many different ways; however, injured people often find that it is just a case of waiting for their body to heal itself.
Ice packs can help to reduce any swelling caused by the whiplash injury and painkillers and anti inflammatory drugs are often helpful; however, you should check with your GP or pharmacist before taking any medication.
Resting an injured neck might be advisable to begin with; however, you may find that your GP later suggests you complete a series of gentle exercises to prevent the areas affected by the whiplash from stiffening up.
Whiplash is probably the most common type of injury sustained following a road traffic accident.
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a whiplash injury following a road traffic accident, which was not your fault, then you may be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim.
If you are a passenger in a vehicle; which is involved in a collision, your whiplash compensation claim would be made against the insurance company of the person responsible for the accident, whether that is the driver of the vehicle you were travelling in or a third party driver.
If you are a driver, a cyclist or a pedestrian your whiplash compensation claim would be made against the insurance company of the person driving the vehicle; which collided with you and caused your whiplash injury.
As with all personal injury compensation claims, you would need to prove that another person was responsible for your whiplash injury.
To help your case, you should take names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the accident and take photographs of the accident locus if possible. If the whiplash injury is caused in a Road Traffic Accident and the negligent driver has no valid insurance, leaves the scene or admits to driving a stolen vehicle, you should contact the Police immediately and report the incident.
If you are intending to claim expenses such as prescription costs and travelling expenses incurred as a result of your whiplash injury, remember to keep receipts as evidence.
NHS Direct - Find everything you need to know about medical conditions, symptoms, health tests, treatments, operations and services.
NHS24 - nhs24.com provides comprehensive up-to-date health information and self care advice for people in Scotland.
BBC Health - Gives you access to health questions on a wide range of subjects answered by a team of doctors.
If you or someone you know has suffered a whiplash injury as a result of a road traffic accident or any other type of accident, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.
There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.
Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.