Whiplash – Symptoms, Guidance and Valuations

Whiplash can be an extremely debilitating condition. It can leave you in severe pain, which then can have an impact on your professional life, meaning you have to have time off work, domestic life as you can no longer do the tasks that you would have done before the accident on your own, and your social life, as you no longer go out as you did before the accident. 

The condition may also mean that you can no longer do those hobbies that give you great enjoyment – this can all leave you feeling down, frustrated, and upset. This frustration can be compounded by the fact that your accident was due to the negligence of another – if this is the case, you may be able to do something about it and make a successful claim for personal injury compensation.

The Symptoms

To begin a whiplash claim, it may be helpful to know the symptoms of the condition if you have not already been diagnosed.  These symptoms can be wide ranging, and different people can suffer in different ways. The list below covers the most common:

• Tenderness, stiffness and/or pain in the neck area
• Recurrent headaches
• Pain radiating across the shoulders and/or down the back
• Pins and needles type sensations down the arms and even into the hands

These symptoms usually become apparent 6 -12 hours after an accident, and then can increase in severity thereafter.

Valuations

To value a claim properly, a solicitor will require sight of a medical report. Once liability has been admitted on your claim, your solicitor should be able to organise medical examination to take place at a time and in a location convenient for you. There are also guidelines which assist solicitors with valuations –the guidelines relevant here are those of the Judicial Studies Board, who place whiplash injuries into bands as set out below:

Minor whiplash injuries can be worth £1,000 to £5,000
Moderate whiplash injuries can be worth £5,000 to 15,000
Severe whiplash injuries can be worth £15,000 or more

On average, it has been calculated that a minor whiplash claim is normally settled at around £2,500.

The category your injury would go in depends on a number of factors. This can include the severity of the injury, the impact it has had on your life (as mentioned in my opening paragraph), and any psychological effects the accident has had on you.

If you require any further advice regarding your whiplash injury please give us a call and we would be happy to help.