It seems to be the in thing these days, that when people get the slightest bump in the car they put in for a personal injury claim. Indeed I've heard people on numerous occasions stating that they're going to put in for a whiplash claim! I'm not judging and I know plenty of people do it, but let me tell you, when whiplash is real it's no laughing matter.
In a recent blog post I talked about the time when I was in a car accident. It was a typical 'rear shunt' collision which caused both a lot of damage to my car and also injury to my neck. Luckily for me, my whiplash was relatively mild and the doctor at the hospital simply gave me painkillers and instructions before sending me on my way. Needless to say I could have made a personal injury claim if I'd have wanted to. And I was actually contacted a few times after the incident by law firms who wanted me to consider putting in for a claim. Looking back now I honestly don't know why I didn't. I guess it was partly because I felt sorry for the young girl who had run into me. She'd not long since passed her test and she'd been so apologetic. At the time all I had wanted was for my car to be fixed and at no cost to me. Of course that's not to say that you shouldn't put in for a claim if you've genuinely suffered a whiplash injury.
In a recent blog post I talked about the time when I was in a car accident. It was a typical 'rear shunt' collision which caused both a lot of damage to my car and also injury to my neck. Luckily for me, my whiplash was relatively mild and the doctor at the hospital simply gave me painkillers and instructions before sending me on my way. Needless to say I could have made a personal injury claim if I'd have wanted to. And I was actually contacted a few times after the incident by law firms who wanted me to consider putting in for a claim. Looking back now I honestly don't know why I didn't. I guess it was partly because I felt sorry for the young girl who had run into me. She'd not long since passed her test and she'd been so apologetic. At the time all I had wanted was for my car to be fixed and at no cost to me. Of course that's not to say that you shouldn't put in for a claim if you've genuinely suffered a whiplash injury.
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| Image via Pexels |
'But how do I know if I have whiplash?'
Well for starters, whiplash isn't going to just come on suddenly for no reason. It's caused when your head is suddenly jerked forwards, backwards or sideways. Like with me in my car accident, it usually takes a sudden impact or force (such as a rear shunt collision) to cause your head to jerk like that. Symptoms won't always present themselves straight away either so you might think you're feeling fine but the next day you might wake up with neck pain and stiffness. If in doubt then get checked out by a doctor. Ask for a full examination and let your doctor know that you've been involved in a car accident. Neck pain and stiffness are the obvious two main symptoms of whiplash but muscles spasms and headaches are common too. Some people even experience back or shoulder pain.
'What can I do to help things improve?'
Unfortunately there's not a whole lot you can do with a whiplash injury other than to take painkillers and wait for things to improve of their own accord. Whereas most people will recover relatively quickly, others may unfortunately experience problems for months or even years to come. Of course this tends to be dependent on how severe the whiplash injury is.
Ice is often recommended as not only will this soothe the neck area but it will also help to reduce any inflammation and swelling. Seeing a doctor or medical professional is always advised if you suspect you have whiplash or injury of any kind.
Ice is often recommended as not only will this soothe the neck area but it will also help to reduce any inflammation and swelling. Seeing a doctor or medical professional is always advised if you suspect you have whiplash or injury of any kind.
'Can I make a personal injury claim?'
Whether it be on a physical or psychological level, if you have suffered illness or personal injury through fault of another then you may be entitled to make a claim. Granted this won't make the injury or illness go away, but it'll certainly help you to feel a little bit better about the situation. Especially if you're out of pocket if you've had to take time off work.
If you have ever been involved in a car accident then I'm sure you know just how stressful and upsetting it can be. The key - as I've found - is to know what you're doing so that you'll be fully prepared should the worst ever happen.
Drive safely!
Drive safely!
*Header image via Pixabay
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