Whiplash Injury

Everyday in England and Wales we are dealing with whiplash compensation claims matters for claimants injured in road traffic accidents.

The term whiplash injury is an all too common phrase nowadays due to the amount of claims for personal injury compensation resulting from car accidents, but what exactly is it. How does it occur and what are the symptoms. The easiest way to describe a whiplash injury and how it occurs is in this example of what happens in a motor vehicle accident.

The impact of the car accident pushes your car forward with a massive force. It takes about 100 m/seconds for your body to catch up to the forward movement created by the car. Your shoulders then travel forward until they are under your head, your neck extends forward as your head tilts slightly down toward the steering wheel. In most cases you then step on the brakes, bringing the car to a very abrupt halt. The sudden stop throws your head and neck backward, and they bounce against the headrest. In just a few violent seconds you have now experienced the full effects of a whiplash injury.

In many cases people involved in rear end collisions experience symptoms later, most over the proceeding days. Most will recover quite quickly however some people develop quite chronic symptoms that result in pain and even disability.

Signs and Symptoms

Anyone who suffers a whiplash injury might experience one or more of the following, usually within the first couple of days after the accident.
Stiff neck and neck pain

• Headaches Pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades
• Lower back pains
• Pain or numbness in the arms and hands
• Dizziness Blurred vision and ringing ears
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering
• Irritability, fatigue, disturbed sleep

Diagnosis and Treatment of a Whiplash Injury

The diagnosis of whiplash is often one of exclusion. A whiplash injury might be a common occurrence however the exact type of injuries varies incredibly. Most injuries are to soft tissues such as the disks, muscles and ligaments, such injuries cannot be seen on standard X-rays. The medical expert dealing with your cases might need to request an MRI scan or (magnetic resonance imaging) In the past a whiplash injury would have been treated by immobilisation usually by use of a surgical collar however nowadays controlled and gentle movement is encouraged.

The days of the surgical collar are gone, except in severe cases. In many cases physiotherapy is a prefered way of dealing with a whiplash injury and the term early intervention is becoming a very common phrase. Many people can suffer the symptoms of a whiplash injury Months after the accident however most will overcome the symptoms and continue to lead normal lives.

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