These days, we often hear that it is possible to make an injury claim if we have been involved in a road traffic accident but what does this actually mean? It means that the law recognises that you should be able to drive around and go about your business without fear of being injured. The law also recognises that as someone who is in charge of a vehicle, you have an obligation to be a safe driver and not put yourself or anyone else in danger.
If you are involved in a traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, then you are often in a position to make a claim for financialcompensation. Of course, this whole process can be complicated and long winded, which is why it is often wise to get a company on board that has experience in personal injury claims. That way they can take care of everything for you and use their knowledge to ensure that your claim runs as smoothly as possible.
Whiplash Personal Injury Claims
Although there are many different injuries you can become victim of during a car accident, whiplash is probably one of the most common. Whiplash is caused by the sharp breaking of the vehicle which causes your body to jolt forward, not good for your head or your neck! This fast movement, unexpected movement can cause all sorts of injuries including damaged ligaments, discs and/or joints. If you feel that this is an injury that you have experienced then you are not alone, infact in 2011-2012 around 570,000 people made whiplash claims throughout the UK.
Symptoms of whiplash
What Causes Whiplash?
Although road traffic accidents tend to be what causes whiplash, it isn’t the only accident that can cause this injury. Other ways that you might find yourself falling victim to whiplash injuries include:
– A blow to the head, perhaps during contact sport
– Your head being jolted backwards unexpectedly during a slip, trip or fall
– Horse riding accident
– Being hit with a large or heavy object
Do I have Whiplash?
If you suspect that you might be suffering from whiplash then it is important that you seek medical advice – not only for your long term health, but also if you would like to make an injury claim in the future.
Symptoms of whiplash can be anything from headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears and fatigue to painful shoulder blades, heavy arms and lower back pain.
The good news is that many people find that the symptoms only last for a few months and often they don’t have any lasting damage. However there are a few people who find they suffer problem for much longer – in which case you must make sure that you seek medical advice and treatment.
Whiplash can require significant recovery time, e.g. head on a pillow
Making a Claim
It can seem an odd concept to make a claim for an injury that will go away, but it is important to look at the bigger picture. For starters you will probably have bills for medication that you need to pay for and why should you pay for these when the accident wasn’t your fault? Then you have to take into consideration any time off of work you have had to take and whether this is going to result in a loss of earnings. On top of that you have the fact that your life is going to be affected, you might have to cancel social events and you might even struggle to do tasks around the house – all of which is caused by something that was not your fault, so why shouldn’t you be compensated for this?