Whiplash is a term that you hear commonly thrown around when someone has a car accident, be it small or large. It is often misunderstood as to what whiplash actually is and how it can affect an injured person. So in this blog we hope to give you a bit of an understanding about whiplash and exactly what it entails.
So what is Whiplash?
Whiplash is what happens when you suffer a neck, back, or shoulder injury due to a sudden movement of your body in any direction, which is commonly caused by an impact. This sudden movement causes a strain on the tendons in your neck which means they overstretch to what they can usually manage.
After an accident it can sometimes take a long time before the symptoms of whiplash to occur; sometimes up to 6-12 hours after the initial strain. Whiplash is something that is used primarily when talking about road traffic incidents but isn’t just caused by them. You can get whiplash at any time you suffer a sudden impact causing your neck to be strained. For example, you can also get whiplash when playing contact sports such as rugby or boxing, or if you have a slip or fall where your head is suddenly jolted.
How to know whether you may have Whiplash
As I said in the section above, it can often take a long time for whiplash to occur, and it can be caused by fairly mild shunts. In fact the milder the shunt, the longer it can take to occur sometimes. Because of this a lot of people do not make the connection between what they are feeling the next day and the mild shunt they may have had the day before.
A quick guide to whiplash symptoms are listed here:
- Neck Pain and Stiffness
- Neck Muscles feel tender
- Reduced ability to move your neck comfortably
- Headaches
All these things can be symptoms of whiplash and shouldn’t be ignored. Prolonged neck strain may lead to you being unable to do simple tasks and leisure activities, which directly affects your quality of life.
Should I make a claim if I feel I have Whiplash?
Definitely. Whiplash is the bread and butter claim in relation to road traffic accidents, and our team of dedicated injury specialists work hard to ensure you get exactly what you deserve in terms of compensation for covering the injury, medical costs, time off from work and general loss of quality of life as a result of this injury. Give The Injury Lawyers a call a now 0800 634 7575 and we will be happy to help you though the process of getting you the compensation you deserve.
