Whiplash is one of the most common injuries sustained in many types of accidents; primarily road traffic ones. It is something that is quoted numerous times in the media and unfortunately has got itself a bad reputation. However, whiplash can be a very debilitating injury, one which can stop people from working and living their everyday lives.
Many people who suffer from whiplash often state that at the time of the accident they felt fine and then a few days later they are experience pain in their neck, shoulders and sometimes the back. Unfortunately this is very familiar to us here at the Injury Lawyers as whiplash is one of them injuries that get worse before it gets better. Now I am not a medical expert, but I imagine that the reason many people do not realise the full extent of their injuries is because of the adrenalin that gets released whenever a sudden shock (and being hit by another car is definitely one of these!) takes place.
As whiplash occurs in this way, some people think that they may be penalised for not going to the doctors straight away or feel that they may be seen as disingenuous if they all of a sudden start complaining from an injury a few days later that they did not speak of at the time. However, this is nothing to worry about because as discussed above, whiplash is simply one of these injuries that often takes a bit of time to make itself known when it comes to the symptoms! It is not surprising how many people seek medical evidence a couple of days later as they genuinely do not feel any pain until then.
Therefore, if you are suffering from “delayed” whiplash you may be entitled to claim for compensation. Now as this injury is most commonly caused by road traffic accidents I will focus on these types of claims and how they are run. Road traffic accidents go through what is referred to as the Road Traffic Accident Protocol. Under this, the claim is submitted to the other side electronically who then have 15 working days to respond with an admission or denial of liability. So it is a pretty quick process; however do not be fooled, as personal injury claims can take some time to resolve as of course – we would not want to rush something that may affect you for a long time down the line. Whiplash compensation claims are based on the severity and longevity of your injury and therefore it is never recommended to try and resolve things as quickly as possible if you are still injured and most importantly to some, still incurring losses such as loss of earnings, medical and travel expenses.
So if you feel you are suffering from whiplash – be it delayed or recognisable straight away – contact us today for free no obligation advice.
