Whiplash (Wiplash) Epidemic?

Is Britain really in the grip of a whiplash epidemic?

Recent research by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) shines a spotlight on the scale and cost of the UK's whiplash (commonly misspelt as “wiplash”) epidemic. Every day, nearly 1,200 people claim for whiplash following a motor collision. This figure has risen by a quarter in the last five years, and is six times the number of workplace injury claims made each year.

By all appearances, Britain could be accused of being in the midst of a whiplash epidemic. 75% of motor personal injury claims in the UK are as a result of whiplash, compared to 40% throughout the rest of Europe. But these figures shouldn’t dissuade people from pursuing a justified whiplash claim.

Whiplash is injury to the soft tissue of the neck and shoulders as a result of the body being accelerated and then coming to a sudden stop (as a seatbelt restrains the torso from being propelled forward in an impact). The head, however, continues forward and then abruptly back, causing the damage. Whiplash injuries can be extremely painful, debilitating and, as has been proved in a recent case, can result in serious injury to the brain.

One of the biggest problems facing whiplash injury claims is the effective diagnosis of whiplash and consequent treatment. The ABI are calling on all parties to give clearer guidelines on the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of whiplash. "Whiplash" imposes unacceptable costs to individuals, businesses and the state," says Stephen Haddrill, the ABI’s Director General. "Insurers want to reduce whiplash, provide fast care and compensation and tackle fraudulent claims. We call on the Government, road safety groups, the medical and legal profession to work with us on a campaign to reduce this problem."

The legal profession has responded to this call to action, but insists that the majority of claims for whiplash are fully justified. Prevention is always better than cure, but accidents do happen, and when they do, an injured party is entitled to fair compensation. As the courts begin to look more closely at whiplash compensation claims, specialist solicitors are tightening up their practice to make sure justified claims get the attention and compensation they deserve. By combining experienced legal teams with specialist medical personnel acting as expert witnesses, genuine whiplash claims will still be given due reverence in the courts.

Many drivers and passengers are at risk from whiplash. That risk could be reduced by simply checking that the head restraints are correctly positioned. In many cases, recovery can be inhibited by the slow legal process, leading to delays in rehabilitation as the victim waits for the compensation money to pay for treatment. Tightening up the legislation could actually work in the victim’s favour, as the fraudulent claims are filtered out, freeing up the courts to deal more quickly with genuine claims. If the calls to the Government to research more into the causes and effects of whiplash injuries are responded to, then more can be done to reduce the chances of a road user suffering from this kind of injury in the future.

The "whiplash epidemic" isn’t going to go away any time soon, but the fact that so many people claim for this particular injury should not put you off pursuing your own claim if you have been injured in this way. Many of these cases operate on a "no win, no fee" basis, so the financial exposure is minimised. Injuries such as whiplash should not be underestimated, and if your claim is genuine, there is no reason why you shouldn’t pursue it to the fullest extent of the law.

You Need To Know More Vital Information About Whiplash?

For more vital information that you really should know about whiplash claims, please download our free Essential Guide To Whiplash. It will tell you:

What "No Win No Fee" really means and how to ensure you do not get caught out
Whether a Claims Company or a Solicitor is the right choice for you
What does it mean if you have Legal Expense Insurance (and do you have to use the solicitor that they tell you too if you do not want to)?
How to obtain private treatment for your injuries at no cost to you
How to quickly obtain a replacement car or motorcycle if you need to
Why accepting an offer directly from the other driver’s insurance company could cost you thousands of pounds and lead to longterm injury problems

There is no cost so please complete your details below now and we will immediately send you the guide.

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Can 1stClaims Help You?

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What Is A Whiplash Injury?

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Guide To Choosing A Whiplash Solicitor

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