Most people involved in general road accidents will fall within the minor whiplash category from a legal perspective. What we define as a minor whiplash injury and what your doctor defines as a minor whiplash injury can be two very, very different things. A lot of people are told by their GP or by a medical professional that they are “suffering from a severe case of whiplash.” That does not mean that the legal definition of severe will apply, as this is reserved for the really severe cases.
So what is classed as a minor whiplash injury? What sort of symptoms will you suffer from?
Commonly a minor whiplash injury can be made up of any of the following:
- Pain in the neck, back, and shoulders area – but perhaps not enough to keep you bed-ridden! The pain will commonly get worse before it gets better in the first few weeks to months.
- Stiffness in the affected areas, and reduced mobility.
- Headaches.
- Exacerbated symptoms when in a still seated position for long periods of time, or when carrying out ay manual handling.
Most minor whiplash injuries will resolve within one to two years, and for many, during the later period, the pain and stiffness will be intermittent or more like dull aches as opposed to constant pain. So if you have been involved in a road accident and you have been diagnosed with whiplash, chances are you will fall within the minor legal category.
Statistically, most minor whiplash compensation clams settle for around £2,500 and the bracket goes from between around £1,000 to £5,000. But it all depends and it can be entirely on a case by case basis. I just settled my whiplash claim for £6,500, but I think some of that is down to how well we argued the case!