I was injured in a car accident recently and wondered how much compensation for whiplash I could get if I made a personal injury claim?
How much compensation for whiplash you receive will rely on how much damage that has been done in the accident and how long it will take to heal. Whiplash cases are the most common type of personal injury claims to be assessed by the Injuries Board; however, they are the hardest to estimate as regards the amount of compensation that the victim may receive.
The term “whiplash” refers to the range of injuries that can be sustained when the spine and soft tissues of the neck and upper back are hyper-extended when the victim’s head is jerked back and forth and the most widely known occurrence for such an injury would be in a vehicular collision. Because of this, and the fact that false whiplash claims are on the rise, insurance companies have become less prepared to accept their client’s liability in whiplash compensation claims.
However, even if negligence has been acknowledged and accepted, there are some factors to be aware of when determining how much compensation for whiplash an accident victim is likely to receive. For one, women tend to suffer worse symptoms of whiplash because of their weaker neck muscles. In particular, female passengers will have more severe and longer lasting whiplash injuries compared with male drivers, as they would have had no time to brace for impact.
Additionally, studies have shown that psychological disorders such as depression can develop from whiplash injuries, which can also affect the amount of compensation for whiplash an individual may receive.
Apart for the physical and emotional injuries one may experience after the accident, the victims’ personal circumstances can also influence how much compensation for whiplash they may be eligible for. For example, the injury may have affected your quality of life, if you can no longer participate in a social or leisure activity you previously enjoyed, for example, and this could be an adequate reason for “loss of amenity” compensation. Furthermore, if you are unable to work for an extended period of time, you would receive more compensation for loss of income than an individual with the same injury who can return to work immediately.
Whiplash injuries can create medical issues that last your entire life and most people who make compensation claims for whiplash injuries settle for an amount that does not adequately reflect the pain and suffering they have experienced, or the impact the injury has had on their quality of life. Therefore, you need to make sure that you receive the best possible advice on the procedures needed to be carried out in order to pursue your claim; otherwise you may not receive what you are rightfully entitled to.
You would be well advised to consult with a solicitor as soon as possible after the accident who can provide you with specific advice on how much compensation for whiplash you may receive. Most solicitors offer a free initial consultation where they can establish what general and special damages you are eligible to claim for, and to ensure that you receive satisfactory compensation for your whiplash injury.
