Whiplash injuries can be caused in motorcycle accidents when the biker hits the ground or more commonly when the bike is struck from the rear.
It is very common at roundabouts and traffic lights for vehicles not to appreciate that the driver in front of them has stopped and with motorcycles being thinner it is all too common for car drivers not to look out for them and to collide with the rear of their motorcycle. This can cause quite severe whiplash injuries to bikers.
Whiplash is a non medical term describing a range of injuries to the neck and/or back caused by sudden acceleration/deceleration and a hyper extension of the anterior longitudinal ligament in the neck which is stretched or may even tear as the head snaps forward and back again.
Symptoms include pain and aching to the neck and back and quite often pain radiating through the shoulders. This can even cause pins and needles to arms and legs and headaches. Symptoms often appear directly after the injury but it is also common for symptoms to come on over a few days. Whiplash injuries in bikers can of course be made more severe because of the weight of the helmet. It is for this reason that biker whiplash claims need careful handling and any doctors instructed to provide medical reports must bear the feature of the helmet in mind when compiling their prognosis.
Whiplash symptoms can range from a few days to life long injuries depending upon their severity. Quite often females suffer longer term injuries than males due to the slight nature of their necks. Basically the neck is thinner but supports the head which can be of the same weight which creates more momentum hence more serious injury.
How much is whiplash worth?
Obviously the most severe form of whiplash type injury would be where the spinal cord is severed but that is really dealt within a separate area. Most whiplash injuries do not have a bony injury.
For minor soft tissue whiplash injuries where the symptoms are only moderate and full recovery takes place between a few weeks and a year, awards range between £875.00 to £2,850.00.
Where recovery is slightly longer and full recovery takes place within about 2 years £2,850.00 to £5,150.00.
Where injuries are more severe and may have exacerbated or accelerated a pre-existing condition and where there will have been a complete recovery to almost a nuisance level then awards range between £5,150.00 to £9,000.00.
Serious cases involving whiplash maybe with a disc lesion or resulting in cervical spondylosis with a serious limitation of movement and with recurring pain £9,000.00 to £16,400.00.
What to do?
If you have been involved in an accident and feel pain in your neck even a few days after the accident you should seek medical advice. This is essential because your neck is very vulnerable to injury and if there is any disruption to the discs in the cervical spine this could have a permanent impact if not treated correctly. You must take medical advice.
Quite often insurance companies when faced with a claim for whiplash will deny it exists or may allege that the symptoms are “being put on”. Fortunately many Judges have had whiplash injuries and accept it is valid and you will obtain an appropriate award if you fight the matter to court.
Proper legal representation is essential – call us and speak to us if you believe you have sustained a whiplash injury for full free advice.