Our whiplash injury solicitors operate the no win no fee scheme otherwise known as a conditional fee agreement. No legal charge is payable unless the legal case is won and the client obtains an award of compensation. If the legal claim is lost there is no charge made to the client. If you have been injured in an accident within the last three years that was the fault of someone else justcontact our UK whiplash injury solicitors. If after talking to that solicitor you decide to proceed no further, there is no obligation and you will not be charged for any advice.

Cars - Sport - Work

Acceleration / deceleration syndrome is caused by sudden trauma affecting the neck. The trauma can be moderate to severe and affects the necks' bones, muscles, nerves or tendons. Such instances are prolific - there are estimated to be 100,000 cases in the UK each year, mainly because of road accidents, accidents at work or those sustained while playing sport. Injury arises when the neck is forced backwards suddenly, and then forwards in a reflex action. The bones of the neck may move slightly out of place, or muscles and tendons may be torn or stretched, resulting in irritated nerves that cause problems with blood flow and the transmission of nerve impulses. Most personal injury compensation applications in the county court relate to a whiplash injury claim.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of the condition is based on observation, physical examination and consideration of medical history to determine the nature of any injury to the neck or spine. The symptoms are numerous and may occur immediately after an accident or sometime later, even weeks subsequent to the incident. In severe cases the injury may be chronic and may never fully heal resulting in substantial compensation being awarded in a whiplash injury claim.

Symptoms

    head or neck pain

    dizziness

    stiffness in the neck or pain or stiffness in the jaw, the shoulders or the arm

    blurred and/or deteriorated vision

    pins and needles & numbness

    muscle spasms in the shoulder, arm or hands

    reduced flexibility

    sickness - nausea or vomiting or both

    lower back problems

Risk Factors

    relative weight of the vehicles - smaller cars involve worse trauma.

    occupants who are aware of an impending crash suffer less

    occupants who are looking sideways or downwards increase their risk

    seatbelts are effective in reducing the incidence of serious head injury

    properly positioned headrests reduce injury

    side impacts produce injuries of greatest severity

    immediate severe symptoms indicate bone, joint or neurological problems

Facts

    whiplash is often not serious and it is rare to sustain permanent damage

    treatment has a high success rate and residual symptoms are rare

    serious problems are usually obvious shortly after the collision

    neck pain does not often indicate serious injury

    lower back injury though painful is rare and seldom serious

    pain tends to improve substantially in a few weeks, often in a few days