The roads seem to be getting busier all the time. Not only this, but people’s lives seem to be getting forever busier – people are working harder and trying to still fit in all their usual activities such as the food shopping, hobbies, and catching up with friends. It therefore is no wonder that when the roads are clogged up with drivers with too much on their mind, accidents happen.
A common injury from road traffic accidents is whiplash. This is caused when the neck is jolted to cause movements past the usual range. Whiplash can not only be felt in road traffic accidents, but also from falls from a height – anything which has this jolting affect.
The symptoms of whiplash are varied. At first you may wonder what the pain is attributable to, as the symptoms don’t usually occur immediately after an accident, but maybe in the following 6-12hours. The symptoms can then increase in severity for up to a week. Now I can hear you saying –‘what are these symptoms’. Many people think whiplash is just in the neck area – and yes, it is correct that the neck can be painful and stiff – but it may also swell and there may be limited or even no mobility in the neck area. Whiplash can also lead to headaches. In fact, many of our clients report regular migraines as a result of their accident. The pain in the neck can also radiate down in to the back and the shoulders, and even down in to your arms.
If you have suffered a road traffic accident which was not your fault, and you are suffering with whiplash, then you may have a claim for compensation. After an accident it is important to report your accident to the police who may want to compile a report. You should also seek medical attention for your injuries as this allows the medic to place a note of it in your medical records. Check for witnesses to the accident, and if present, obtain their contact details. The witness may be valuable in supporting any later claim you may have.
Lastly, you should contact a specialist personal injury solicitor directly to deal with your claim. I say directly, as there are many referral firms out there who will simply sell your claim on to a firm for a referral fee; so you can end up with a solicitor with less money to spend on your case. Going directly to an independent lawyer rules this out – you get a lawyer with a full budget to maximise your claim in the quickest possible time.
At The Injury Lawyers we do not deal with referral agents and all our clients come to us directly – so we always promise to spend our budget on our clients.
