Whiplash is the effect of
very sudden acceleration or deceleration.
In road traffic accidents, when
cars travelling forwards crash, the driver and any
passengers are thrown forwards. If wearing seatbelts,
they will be restrained from the shoulder. Since the
head is not restrained, it will be continue
to move forward at the same speed that the car was
traveling before it crashed. When one realises that a
human head can weigh up to a stone, one can imagine
the huge strain the head puts on the muscles, bones and
sinews of the neck when it is suddenly accelerated
at the moment of impact and then almost immediately
decelerated. In high speed accidents, the muscles and
sinews are momentarily stretched as the head is forced
forward before immediately contracting and pulling the
head violently back to it's original position. The
effect is like an elastic band being stretched and
released. The difference is that the neck does not
possess the same flexibility and serious and painful
injury almost always results.
The overall effect in such
accidents is similar although sometimes not as
pronounced as when a stationery car is struck form
behind.
A road user wearing any kind of
head protection can be at risk of greater whiplash
injuries in accidents because, for example, a cycling or
motorcycling helmet increases the effective weight of
the head and, therefore, the force which the neck
muscles have to manage in the event of an accident.
Symptoms of this type of
personal injury include, initial pains in the neck and
the upper part of the spine at the base of the neck.
Dizziness and headaches following accidents are not
uncommon. Sometimes the initial symptoms subside very
quickly and it appears that there is no significant
injury at all but then some of the other effects of this
type of personal injury start to appear. Usually, there
is stiffness in the neck and upper spine combined with
restricted movement and loss of flexibility. There may
also be pain and damage to the muscles of the mouth and
throat as they stretched and twisted at extremes of
movement. Headaches and dizziness are also common
personal injury features following accidents of these
types.
So how do you know you have
suffered whiplash injury after being involved in an
accident ? Well, in a sense, it does not matter since so
long as you have a personal injury after an accident in
which someone else was to blame, you are entitled to
claim compensation for it. There are large numbers of
personal injury claims for whiplash injuries. It does
not matter that an injury does not fit into a convenient
category of accidents or personal injury. You may have a
number of different types of personal injury. However,
since this type of personal injury is very common and
the symptoms fairly predictable, any general
practitioner would be able to diagnose the injury after
an examination and straightforward consultation.
The most common forms of
treatment are painkillers and anti inflammatory drugs.
Physiotherapy is sometimes helpful. Unfortunately in the
more severe cases, it can take several months for the
pain to subside but the injuries do in most instances
settle and the neck and back return to their normal
state. It is important that medical assistance is sought
as soon as possible after the accident.
It is worthwhile remembering
that, if you do suffer any kind of personal injury, and
you are prevented from working, you will be able to make
a claim for loss of earnings. Further, if your quality
of life is significantly affected, your compensation
award in will be higher taking such matters
into consideration. For example, you may be prevented
from playing for your local pub football team or from
playing in your local squash league. Sometimes, the
effect on your quality of life life may not be
as clear as that. If, for example, you become
depressed because of the severity of your personal
injury or the length of time it is taking to resolve or
you become anxious in certain situations or your
confidence is affected your award will be higher.
In a straightforward case, where
liability is accepted by the other driver it should not
take longer than around 3 -6 months to settle claims for
personal injury compensation after an accident and for
you to receive your award free from any deductions at
all.
To make a claim either call
Accident Aid on 0800 180 4780 or forward your query
without any obligation to Accident Aid by email and you
will be contacted by an accident injury lawyer who will
advise as to whether you may be entitled to claim
compensation for your injury and any other losses you
may have sustained.
