How does whiplash happen?
A whiplash injury can happen any time you are subjected to sudden acceleration or deceleration, such as in a car accident. The forces on the muscles and ligaments in your neck cause your head to rapidly move backwards and forwards, with a 'snapping' motion.
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The rapid movement over-extends the ligaments (in particular the anterior longitudinal ligament) and soft tissue in the neck, stretching and tearing the soft tissue. It is the damage to the soft tissue which causes the often long lasting pain that is the major complaint of whiplash-sufferers. In many cases this soft tissue damage can actually take longer to heal than a broken bone, as it is more difficult to keep soft tissue immobile, particularly in the neck.
Crash direction and whiplash
Whiplash is a common injury reported by people who have been involved in a car accident, particularly a rear-end collision, where another car or vehicle has driven into the rear of their own vehicle. You might not think it, but the direction of force in a car accident is a factor in the likelihood that an accident victim will suffer a whiplash injury.
In a rear-end crash, more commonly known as a rear-end shunt, if you are in the vehicle that is hit, you will experience a sudden sharp acceleration. The force of this acceleration will affect your legs and torso fractions of a second before your neck and head begin to move, causing the familiar snapping motion associated with whiplash. Learn more about this type of accident on the rear-end collision claim page.
The mirror-image of a rear-end crash is a head on collision. In a head-on crash, the forces involved are reversed, so that instead of suddenly accelerating forwards due to the impact, a head-on crash causes a sudden deceleration of the vehicle you are in, and in some cases your vehicle might be pushed backwards. The force of the impact in a head-on crash causes your head and neck to be thrown first forwards, then backwards as they catch up with the momentum of the rest of your body. Learn more about head-on car accident claims.
Side-on collisions are less likely to result in a whiplash-type injury, but that does not mean such an injury is impossible. The force of the impact in a side-on crash will, like the other crashes, throw your body away from the impact and your head towards the impact, and then rapidly away from it. However, due to the directions of the force and the way the muscles and ligaments in your head and neck are arranged, you are less likely to suffer whiplash as a result of a side-on crash. Learn more in our side-on crash accident claim section.
Whiplash compensation for front, rear and head-on vehicle accidents
If you have been involved in an accident and you think you might be suffering from whiplash, our advice would always be to seek immediate medical attention from your local GP or hospital. Prompt treatment will help to minimise the lasting effects of a whiplash injury, which, if left untreated, can last for months or even years.
Where you have suffered a whiplash injury in an accident that was not your fault, you might be entitled to make a whiplash claim for your injuries. The whiplash-injury lawyers here at Camps Solicitors will be able to advise you whether you have grounds to make a compensaation claim against the person or persons responsible.
Call today on 0800 092 8586 to start your claim.
