Circumstances of The Whiplash Injury Claim & Road Traffic Accident
The whiplash injury claimant reported that she was involved in a road traffic accident on (date) between the hours of time and time. The whiplash injury claiman twas the driver of her vehicle. She was wearing a seatbelt. The vehicle was fitted with airbags but these did not deploy as a result of the accident.
The whiplash injury claimant reported that she had pulled into a parking spot behind another vehicle at the time of the accident. She reported that she was still wearing her seatbelt but the ignition was off. She noted that the vehicle that was parked in front of her suddenly reversed into her car. The accident happened in a sudden and unexpected manner. The Whiplash injury claimant reported that she was turned to the left, retrieving something from her handbag at the time of the accident. She reported that she was jolted within her vehicle but was restrained by her seatbelt. As such, she did not impact the interior of her vehicle. She was able to independently exit the vehicle.
Neither the Police nor the emergency ambulance services attended the scene of the accident.
The whiplash injury claimant reported that her vehicle was drivable following the collision. She did not experience any immediate physical symptoms. She described herself as being shocked and shaken following the accident.
WhiplashInjuries Sustained
- Musculo-ligamentous injury to cervical spine.
- Probable aggravation of pre-existing lower back pain.
Treatment to Date
The whiplash injury claimant reported that she attended Hospital the day following the accident. She was given general advice and told to use analgesia. She reportedly saw her GP one week following the accident and on at least one further occasion. She was given stronger pain killers.
The whiplash injury claimant was having physiotherapy for her back prior to the accident and continued to do so thereafter.
Whiplash Symptoms & Progression
Neck
The whiplash injury claimant reported that she began to experience pain and stiffness in her neck the morning following the accident. She noted that it was difficult to support her head. The pain reportedly initially scored 10/10 on the visual analogue scale and was described as constant in nature. It radiated towards both her shoulders. Symptoms persisted at this level for the first 1-2 weeks. The symptoms were associated with pins and needles affecting both of her upper limbs radiating into her middle and ring finger. Symptoms were aggravated by neck movements. However, she experienced temporary, partial relief with the use of analgesia.
The whiplash injury claimant reported that she experienced some gradual incremental improvement in her neck symptoms over the subsequent 1-2 months. However, she has been left with residual ongoing symptoms of pain and paraesthesia affecting the upper limbs.
Lower Back
The whiplash injury claimant reported that she had been suffering from pain in the middle to lower back region. The pain scored 4-5/10 on the visual analogue scale. These symptoms pre-dated the accident. There was no associated radiculopathy or lower limb pins and needles in relation to these symptoms.
However, following the accident, she noted that the pain localised mainly in her lower back with some exacerbation of her mid-back pain. The right side was more affected than the left side. She described the pain as scoring 10/10 on the visual analogue scale and being constant 90% of the time. The lower back pain radiated down the right leg but did not go beyond the knee. There was no associated lower limb paraesthesia.
Whiplash injury claimantr eported temporary improvement with the input of physiotherapy. However, overall, Whiplash injury claimant has reported no significant change in her lower back symptoms.
Current Symptoms
Neck
Whiplash injury claimant reports that she experiences pins and needles in both her hands: middle and ring fingers. This is associated with her hands feeling cold. The left side is affected more than the right side. In addition, Whiplash injury claimantreports that her lower neck and upper shoulder region aches. This scored 5/10 on the visual analogue scale. The symptoms are intermittent and are aggravated by activity. She acknowledged that she experiences some pain free days. As a result of her ongoing neck symptoms, the whiplash injury claimant believes that she is 60% recovered from the effects of her injury.
Lower Back
Whiplash injury claimant reports that she experiences pain on a daily basis that scores 10/10 on the visual analogue scale. The right side of the lower back is more affected than the left side. The pain radiates down her right side but not beyond the knee. There is no associated lower limb paraesthesia. The pain is mainly constant but can be aggravated by any bending activities. The pain co­exists with mid-back pain. Overall, Whiplash injury claimantbelieves that she has experienced no improvement in her lower back symptoms since the accident.
Psychological 5ymptoms
Whiplash injury claimant reported that she was ‘a bit nervous whilst driving’ for a couple of weeks following the accident. However, there were no other overt or obvious psychological symptoms.
Compensation for Whiplash injury
How much for whiplash injury is what we are often asked for road traffic accident whiplash claims. If we take a whiplash injury for say 24 months pain and suffering post accident, pain in the lower back and fear of travel for 12 months the claim would be considered worth about £5,800 in whiplash injury compensation.
Whiplash Injury Calculator
