Answering this question is similar to answering “how long is a piece of string?” Unfortunately, it is impossible to say exactly how long your claim will take as every claim is, of course, different. However, there are certain time frames that apply to a whiplash claim which I will discuss further in this blog.
Under the new Road Traffic Accident Protocol, defendants have 15 working days to respond to a claim with an admission or denial of liability. This means that they basically have to come back saying that they accept fault for the accident or don’t. This new time frame speeds the process up from the old system where road traffic accidents would go through the personal injury protocol, comprising of a 21 day acknowledgement period and 3 further months for investigation.
Whiplash compensation how long…
Unfortunately, this time frame is the only thing of any certainty when trying to evaluate how long whiplash claims take as it all comes down to how long you are suffering with your injury for. You will be sent for a medico-legal report which will state how long the injury will affect your everyday life – this is what your final settlement will be based upon.
For example the report may state: “the ongoing symptoms will resolve at 6 months from the accident”. This is known as the prognosis period. However, the report will also state that “if the injuries do not resolve in line with the prognosis, it may be necessary and appropriate to gather further medical evidence.” Of course, if the latter happens your claim is going to last longer than if your injuries do resolve themselves in the time frame given.
So what can you do in the meantime?
Here at The Injury Lawyers, we aim to get you on the road to recovery ASAP, and therefore we can organise for private medical care (such as physiotherapy) to help you fully recover in the quickest way possible. We can also seek to request an interim payment from the defendants, to help with any costs you are experiencing during your recovery time.
So if you have been involved in an accident and as a result have suffered from whiplash, contact us today. We have extensive knowledge and experience in this area and you can reach our claims team by calling 0800 634 7575.