A whiplash injury is commonly associated with car accidents – the impact of a vehicle when it collides causes the neck to jolt either sideways, backwards, or forwards. Even if a vehicle collides when travelling at a slow speed it is still likely that any people in the vehicle may become victim to a whiplash injury.
Although car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash injuries, they can also be caused by other accidents such as slips, trips and falls. If you have suffered a whiplash injury it may take a while for the injury or any pain from the injury to become apparent.
Whiplash injuries can take from 6 hours to a few days to make themselves known. They may begin with aches and pains around the neck; the pain may then increase. If this happens you should seek medical attention immediately. When doing so you should make your GP aware of the accident you were involved in – they will then be able to correctly diagnose your injuries and how they were caused.
Symptoms of whiplash:
- Headaches
- Reduced movement in the neck or loss of movement
- Tenderness along the back of the neck
- Neck swelling
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Blurred vision
A whiplash injury can create complications in everyday life and may make the smallest task seem almost impossible. The injury is likely to cause strain to any movement around the neck, and may prevent you from going to work or doing other everyday things such as playing with your children.
If you have suffered a whiplash injury in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to make an injury compensation claim. A compensation claim will not only compensate you for the unnecessary injuries you have suffered, but will also compensate you for any loss of earnings.