Whiplash is the most common injury caused by car accidents. If you’ve suffered from one, you could claim compensation.
Whiplash is the most frequently sustained injury in road traffic accidents in the UK. But this isn’t the only way it can be caused.
Any sudden movement of the head and neck can cause a whiplash injury. This can happen during certain contact sports and slips and falls.
Whiplash affects the soft tissues – the ligaments and tendons – in the neck. The neck can suffer from sprains and strains in the same way body parts like ankles and wrists can.
If you’ve been involved in an accident that caused a whiplash injury, you could be able to make a claim for compensation.
You could claim compensation for whiplash if you were hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault and happened in the last three years.
It’s possible to claim if you were the driver or a passenger in a car that was hit by another vehicle. You can also make a claim against the driver of the car you were a passenger in if they were responsible for the accident.
The government has introduced new laws around claiming for whiplash, including setting up an online portal, which you use to claim yourself. But we are still here to offer assistance and help you make a compensation claim.
Whiplash can cause a wide range of symptoms, depending on how severe the injury is.
Some of the most common whiplash symptoms include:
There are other symptoms that are more rarely experienced, including:
Some symptoms could be a sign you need to visit your doctor or call 111, as they could be a sign of nerve damage. These include:
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In most cases, whiplash will get better on its own – usually within three months of sustaining the injury.
You should take painkillers to help with the pain you’re experiencing. The NHS also advises continuing to do your usual daily activities, adding that it may cause some pain but it will speed up your recovery, making it better for you in the long run.
Don’t use a neck brace or cervical collar, as these keep your neck from moving, which can prolong your symptoms. It’s also not advised to rest your neck for long periods. Keeping it moving naturally is the best way of recovering from whiplash.
If it doesn’t start to feel any better after a few months, though, you should see your doctor. They may refer you to a physiotherapist or a pain specialist.
Whiplash can result in varying amounts of compensation, depending on how long your symptoms last. The laws around whiplash compensation changed on 31 May 2021. As a result, you can now claim less than you could have previously.
A recovery within three months can see compensation of up to £240 awarded, while a recovery within a year could receive £1,320. A recovery that takes between 18 months and two years can see compensation of up to £4,215 awarded. First4Lawyers and our legal experts are still here to help you claim the compensation you're entitled to.
You could also receive compensation for any money you’ve had to spend as a direct result of your accident. This includes medical treatment, travel to and from healthcare appointments and a repair or replacement for any property damaged in the accident.
It’s also possible to claim compensation for lost earnings if you haven’t been able to work because of your injury.
To find out more about what it’s possible to claim for a whiplash injury, just give us a call or start your claim online.
In most cases, you’ll be able to make a whiplash claim on a No Win No Fee basis. This means you won’t have to worry about paying for your claim upfront, letting you focus on feeling better.
The other great advantage of a No Win No Fee whiplash claim is that there’s no legal fees to pay if your claim is not successful. That means there is no financial risk to you when it comes to pursuing justice for the injury you’ve suffered.
You will pay your solicitor a success fee if you are awarded compensation. In whiplash claims, this will be 35% of your final compensation amount plus VAT.
Your solicitor will make you aware of what they charge at the beginning of the claims process, so you’ll never face any surprise costs.
Where we offer No Win No Fee services for road traffic accident claims typically customers pay 35% + VAT of the amount recovered by our solicitors.
Success fees are common practice and they were introduced when the law changed in April 2013. This amount is higher than the normal 25% on other personal injury claims because of changes introduced through the Civil Liability Act 2018.
Most people will have three years to make a whiplash compensation claim. Despite this sounding like a long time, it’s advisable to start your claim as soon as possible.
The sooner you begin the process, the sooner you’ll receive your compensation, which could help if you can’t work.
It could also be easier to get hold of some evidence to support your claim. This could include CCTV footage, dash cam footage from any witnesses and police reports.
Not everyone faces a three-year deadline, though. A child who has suffered whiplash can claim at any point until their 18th birthday, at which point the three-year time limit kicks in. This means they have up until their 21st birthday to claim compensation.
And if you’re claiming on behalf of someone who lacks the capacity to claim for themselves, you won’t face any deadline at all.
Most cases of whiplash are caused by car accidents. This means that another driver will be responsible for you suffering whiplash.
In these cases, you will then claim against that driver’s insurance provider.
If you were hurt in a fall, who you claim against will depend on where and how you were injured. For example, if you tripped on an uneven pavement, you could claim against the local council responsible for its maintenance.
Your solicitor will explain the process of claiming and who will be held responsible. If you have any questions about how it works, they’ll be happy to talk you through everything.
Here at First4Lawyers, we are dedicated to helping people who have been hurt in accidents that shouldn’t have happened. We’ve helped thousands of people just like you – injured through someone else’s negligence or carelessness.
You are legally entitled to justice for a whiplash injury that wasn’t your fault. And we can help you get it.
With First4Lawyers, there’s never any obligation and you only begin the actual process of claiming once you’re happy to go ahead.
You can discuss your case with us and find out if you have a claim for free. Just give us a call, request a call back or start your claim online and we’ll get right back to you.
Suffering from whiplash isn’t just something you have to put up with. You can take action to get the compensation you’re entitled to.
We've helped thousands of people claim compensation for injuries that weren't their fault. Just some of them include:
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