If you are the victim of whiplash you may have the right to make a claim for compensation. But how severe does your whiplash need to be to be able to make a legitimate claim?
Whiplash is the most common injury sustained as a result of a road traffic accident. However, it’s an injury that can be sustained by other means too. The legitimacy of your whiplash claim and the amount of compensation you could receive will depend on four key factors:
- How bad your whiplash is;
- The length of recovery time from your whiplash;
- Your prognosis for the future;
- The acceleration of any pre-existing conditions.
Obviously the more serious your whiplash is, the more likely it is that you will have a successful claim – it’s a bittersweet process because although you’re going to likely receive the upper end of an estimated payout with serious whiplash, your prognosis for the future might not be great.
But, even in cases of mild whiplash injuries, you can make a claim.In fact, you can make a claim for whiplash no matter how bad the injury is.
If you are suffering from mild whiplash and it was somebody else’s fault, you can make a legitimate claim for compensation. However, the estimated payoutfor minor whiplash will be far less than that of a serious whiplash injury claim so it’s important to keep this in mind.
For example, the minimum payout for a minor whiplash injury with recovery within one year might be £750 versus £7,000 for a severe whiplash injury with long-term suffering. Obviously, payouts vary from case to case so it’s difficult to suggest an average payout for whiplash claims. It is important to consult the experts and get informed.
Don’t be Afraid to Consult the Experts
If you are the victim of whiplash it’s important not to be afraid to seek advice no matter how minor or serious your injury is. If you have had to take time off work because of your whiplash or if it has affected your life, you have the right to make a claim for your injury and for being out of pocket. This is how the law works and it is your right to make a personal injury claim.
Call our 24/7 Helpline on 0800 689 0500 or from your mobile on 0333 500 0993 to discuss your whiplash injury and find out how much compensation you could receive.