Whiplash injury compensation claims prove easier than ever to obtain
Recent surveys have shown that the number of UK citizens making successful whiplash injury compensation claims has risen in the last two years. A majority of these whiplash injury compensation claims are made by individuals who have been involved in a car accident that is not their fault and have suffered from a whiplash injury as a result of this. However, a very small minority of these claims are made by people who have suffered whiplash from an injury at work or other means. The rise in the number of successful whiplash injury compensation claims in the UK is a pointer towards the fact that these types of claims are becoming easier and more accessible for the general public to obtain. A common injury, whiplash is becoming quicker and easier to diagnose, treat and gain compensation for. Solicitors have become more aware of the symptoms and difficulties brought about by a whiplash injury, therefore allowing the process of whiplash injury compensation claims to become more efficient and simple for the victim.
There are usually two factors underpinning successful injury compensation claims where the accident has not been the victim’s fault: the manifestation of the whiplash injury itself and the effects this injury has on the victim’s life. While this breakdown may seem relatively simple, these two factors are extremely important and it is the understanding on these two factors that has led to a rise in successful claims. This point can be demonstrated through a recent case study:
Janet Young, a 42 year old mother of two from Cambridgeshire, had legally stopped on a country road near her home in order to answer a mobile telephone call from her husband. As she was speaking on the phone, Mrs Young was hit by a speeding vehicle from behind. Fortunately, Mrs Young did not sustain any life-threatening injuries, though at the time, paramedics feared she may have broken her neck or back. When Mrs Young was taken to hospital and x-rayed, it was confirmed that she had not broken any bones, though it was likely she would suffer severe symptoms of whiplash. Doctors were able to diagnose this by the swelling of Mrs Young’s neck and upper back tissues. They could also tell the angle by which she was thrown and the sharpness of the movement by how Mrs Young’s bruising had settled.
If we take a step back from this case study now, we pick out two important pointers that will eventually lead to Mrs Young making a successful, simple claim. The two pointers are the swelling and the bruising – both of which indicate not only a whiplash injury, but a serious one. The doctors have been able to in this instance provide proof that Mrs Young has suffered a serious whiplash injury. This diagnosis will make Mrs Young’s claim very straightforward.
After the doctors had diagnosed a serious whiplash, Mrs Young began to enquire as to how this would affect her working life as a local primary school teacher. The doctors said that in order to recover fully, Mrs Young would have to have complete rest for the next two weeks and then begin only very gentle movements, without too much strain. Mrs Young, who worked with 7-8 year olds was worried, as she knew that it was not always possible to sit down without moving when teaching a class of 30 young children. She foresaw that this whiplash injury was going to affect her job not only for the initial two weeks, but for a long time after that.
It is here that we can observe how the whiplash injury is going to have a negative impact on Ms Young’s life, for an indefinite amount of time. Whiplash injury compensation claims are easily obtained if it is relatively easy to see that the victim is not only suffering from whiplash, but the whiplash will impact their usual life in some negative way. When Mrs Young came to make her claim, she had both the hospital’s diagnosis of her whiplash and also their advice as to how to cope with it in the coming months. Both of these factors made her claim quick and simple – something Mrs Young was extremely pleased about.