Most whiplash injuries are not serious and often have no lasting damage.

Whiplash is a pretty common injury usually caused in a road traffic accident, with a collision at the rear end of a car causing sudden acceleration / deceleration that forces the neck to move in a whip-like motion that sprains the soft neck tissue. The resulting whiplash injury can be treated and patients usually recover quickly.

There are now over 250,000 cases of whiplash annually and while most are minor cases which result in temporary pain and nothing more significant, in a minority of cases, where the initial impact has been more severe, the injuries themselves take longer to heal. In about one percent of cases sufferers receive permanent injuries.

Thankfully this type of injury isn’t usually life threatening, but can cause a prolonged period of discomfort or partial disability. The majority of whiplash injuries caused by minor road accidents have a quick recovery time without any chronic symptoms, however, there are some people who will continue to suffer the symptoms for years after their accident. The commonly held view in the past was that rest is best, however this has been widely rejected nowadays and GPs now advise patients to get back to going about their everyday business as soon as possible after an accident, although, if a little pain persists, a short course of painkillers may be prescribed.

If you have been involved in an accident and have suffered whiplash as a result, then you could be entitled to claim whiplash compensation. So long as the accident wasn't your fault you could win a whiplash compensation case if you make a claim.

There are a number of factors to consider when making a whiplash claim

Many compensation claims are made with payouts in respect of both:

• General whiplash damages

This is a compensation award for physical pain and suffering sustained as a direct result of an accident. Sometimes emotional pain and loss of enjoyment can also be claimed ie: psychological disorders including depression or acute anxiety arising from the accident.

• Special damages

This is the compensation for other special losses that have been incurred as a result of the accident, such as loss of earnings. This can be calculated to a certain degree as can any future potential loss of earnings that will be incurred as a result of the accident.

Learn more about making a whiplash claim. Here we have dedicated specialist solicitors ready to help you make a claim for whiplash, they can advise you on the best course of action to take should you wish to pursue your whiplash compensation claim.

It is difficult to give figures for compensation with any degree of accuracy. One can only approximate however in a case involving a relatively minor injury, compensation is likely to be between £2000 - £5000 but for more serious cases the compensation award can reach £13,500.

Get whiplash compensation advice now from our specialist solicitors. Advice is free and you may be entitled to compensation. Call now on: 0845 009 2017