Whiplash injury is damage caused to the neck and lower back ligaments following a sudden jerking movement of the head. Although it isn’t fatal, it is extremely painful and debilitating. Symptoms include pain in the chest and neck area, reduced movement, severe headaches and mental trauma.
One of the most common causes of whiplash injury is low velocity impact rear-end vehicle collisions. They happen at slow speed, typically in built-up areas with slow-moving traffic.
Injury can occur at speeds as low as 3 MPH. A whiplash injury often takes time to make its full effects known, but symptoms can persist for months, and are sometimes permanent. Victims can suffer loss of earnings and may even lose their job.
If you think your injury was not your fault, you should always make a claim. However, you have to prove the other driver was totally at fault, which isn’t always easy to do. It’s important to realise solicitors don’t take on all compensation claims for whiplash, and that it helps if you have independent witnesses. The claims that are taken on are generally handled on a no win no fee basis.
No win no fee compensation claims mean that, in the event of the solicitor being unsuccessful, you won’t have to pay them a penny. Most legitimate solicitors offer no win no fee with 100% compensation. This means you get to keep all your compensation, as the solicitor will recover his costs from the other side. Many so-called personal injury firms take their fees from the compensation award, leaving the victim with little or nothing.
