Whiplash

What is whiplash?

A “whiplash” injury is a sprain to muscles and ligaments, usually mainly in the neck but often spreading to the shoulders, upper and lower back. Just as most people will have sprained their ankle or wrist from time to time in a simple twisting accident, whiplash injuries often occur even in low-speed road traffic accidents. When the head is suddenly moved forwards and then back in an accident, it is almost inevitable that the victim will sustain a whiplash injury.  Typically, the injured person’s vehicle will be hit from the side or the rear.

What does it feel like?

Whiplash injuries cause pain and stiffness in the neck, meaning that the victim can be quite restricted. They may not be able to rotate their head, meaning that driving or any swift movements are impossible. Whiplash victims also often experience pain or restriction if they try to lift their arms above their heads, bend down or even get comfortable in a chair. Some victims will need to take time off work to recover, particularly if their job involves manual labour such as heavy lifting.

How long does it last?

The recovery time from a whiplash injury varies depending on the person and the mechanics of the accident. The force of the collision is not the only factor; a whiplash injury can be more serious, or last for longer, if the injured person is looking to the side or holding their head in an unusual position at the time of impact.

In most whiplash injury cases, the symptoms deteriorate for the first week or so before reaching a plateau and then beginning to improve. Sometimes people recover quite quickly after that, but in a lot of cases, the victim will be left with symptoms for several months. In some cases, these will be permanent. This is usually only where the impact was particularly heavy or where the victim was vulnerable to soft tissue injuries, for example as a result of disc problems or other back pain which was present before the accident.

Can it be treated?

Physiotherapy usually assists recovery from a whiplash injury. The treatment will focus on relaxing and re-strengthening the stretched and damaged tissue. Beware though; the symptoms can often feel worse for a day or two after treatment before improving! Some over-the-counter painkillers such as Ibuprofen can also help, but it is always best to consult your GP.

Did you know?

The muscles holding up your head are roughly 10 times stronger at the front and back than they are at the sides. This means that if there is any sideways motion to the injury at all, the whiplash symptoms

can be noticeably more painful and longer-lasting, even at low speeds. Often this will affect accident victims who were struck from behind while waiting to enter a roundabout; they will have been looking to the side at the time of impact. This is one of the most common types of road traffic accident in the UK.

Whiplash Claims in Warrington, Liverpool, Leigh and Runcorn

Here at Mark Reynolds Solicitors, we have a dedicated team to help people get their compensation when involved in a whiplash accident in Warrington, Liverpool, Leigh or Runcorn. Each year there are thousands of Whiplash claims and our specialist team situated in Warrington are here to help you whatever type of whiplash injury you have, our team have years of experience in settling whiplash claims sustained from car accidents.

Once we have assessed your claim either by phone or meeting our Warrington whiplash claims solicitors will work with you to achieve the desired result on a no win, no fee basis, this means you take a low-risk approach when claiming for car accident whiplash compensation.

Whiplash Claims No Win, No Fee

Here at Mark Reynolds Warrington our Whiplash claims are initially free of obligation and have a no win, no fee agreement attached, so if you are unsuccessful you don’t have to pay a penny, therefore, there is no financial risk for you to create a claim. These agreements can be made with our solicitors after your case is assessed but most of our Personal Injury Claims are funded through Conditional Fee Agreements.

If you live in Warrington, Liverpool, Leigh or Runcorn, Mark Reynolds Solicitors professional advice and expertise is situated so that you have legal advice on your doorstep. Feel free to call Mark Reynolds solicitors based in Warrington on 01925 418004 or start your no win, no fee Whiplash claim online through our contact page and we’ll call you.