Whiplash describes a spectrum of neck injuries, which are usually caused by sudden movement of the neck, often in a road traffic accident, but occasionally in other accidents such as falls from chairs, bikes and horses, or even sudden stops on roller coasters.
These injury insurance claims are notable as being a very significant problem for the industry. It was reported (UK, 2007) that 430,000 whiplash claims had been filed in one year. This was 75% of all injury claims. The insurers stated that 14% of the average insurance premium went towards settling whiplash claims.
Patients report a range of symptoms. These include neck pain, headaches, and pain being referred into the shoulders. There may also be pins and needles feelings in the arms/legs. Often symptoms do not appear immediately after the accident, but will first be felt some days later.
The injuries are usually restricted to the spinal cord, commonly affecting either the neck or the middle of the back. The exact physical cause of this injury is unknown, but it may be caused by tears in the ligaments when the spine is impulsively stretched during the accident.
As well as motor accidents (rear end collisions), several other causes of these injuries have been identified. These include injuries on roller coasters and other rides at theme parks, sports injuries including skiing accidents and cycling falls, or being hit or shaken in a fight. It is also reported that shaking babies can cause this type of neck injury.
The insurance claims made by those who incur this type of injury in motor accidents are a major problem for insurance companies. They reported (UK, 2007) that 430,000 whiplash claims had been made in just one year, and that they represented 75% of all injury claims in road traffic accidents. The insurance companies stated that the cost of settling these claims amounted to 14% of the average person's motor insurance bill.
As these claims cost the motor industry so much every year, it is not surprising that there have been a number of scientific and engineering studies. These cover how the injury occurs, and how car seats might be designed to prevent the problem. Head restraints, or head rests, are the main safety improvements to be deployed to prevent this type of injury. These are supposed to limit the backwards movement of the head and neck during a rear impact.
This approach to preventing these injuries will only be effective if the injury is only due to mechanical forces on the body during the accident. That is something that has never be satisfactorily proven. The practical evidence seems to be that head restraints have only reduced injuries by about 5 or 10 per cent, which is a lot less than might have been hoped for. One theory about the relative ineffectiveness of head rests is that during the same period car seats have been made much stiffer. This measure, which is definitely needed to improve safety in high speed accidents, may have had the side effect of increasing the probability of this type of neck injury in low speed collisions.
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Want to find out more about making whiplash claims? Then visit www.WhiplashClaims.org and find out how to start your whiplash compensation claim today.
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