How Much Compensation Can I Claim for Whiplash?

Most people have heard of whiplash, but not everyone knows what it means.

Whiplash is most commonly caused by road traffic accidents, but can also happen after a fall or when taking part in certain sports. It’s an injury to the soft tissue in the neck caused by the head suddenly being thrown backwards and forwards.

It can cause neck pain and stiffness, as well as difficulty moving your head and headaches. You might also suffer from pain, tingling or muscle spasms in your shoulders and arms.

Some of the less common symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, difficulty sleeping and concentrating and ringing in the ears.

The most common cases last a few weeks before you start feeling better, but some cases can last years – or even permanently. You probably won’t realise immediately that you’ve suffered from whiplash. It can take up to two days for symptoms to develop.

Whiplash compensation changes

On 31 May 2021, the UK government introduced a change to the way whiplash injury claims are processed. Claimants are now required to manage their claims themselves through an online portal.

Solicitors are no longer able to recover their costs from the responsible party, which will make it more difficult to find the legal help to give you the best chance of making a successful claim and getting the compensation that could help your recovery.

Known within the legal sector as the ‘whiplash reforms’, the changes are part of the Civil Liability Act 2018. It has been introduced to reduce insurance costs for motorists after rises in the number of claims. According to the Association of British Insurers, there are more than 1,500 whiplash injury claims made every year.

But according to the most recent annual statistics, 2019 saw 153,158 casualties of all severities across all road traffic accidents. This means whiplash accounts for less than 1% of these injuries.

As well as the change to processing, the government is imposing much lower limits on how much compensation you could receive for whiplash.

The Civil Liability Act 2018 will limit compensation for whiplash injuries that last up to three months to £240. This payout scale will increase incrementally for every three months the injury continues, until 24 months. These injuries will see compensation of £4,215.

Compensation for other losses

If you’re involved in an accident, chances are that your injury wasn’t the only resulting problem. For example, your property might be damaged. This is particularly likely if your whiplash was caused by a car accident.

And your injury might go on to cause you further problems. If you end up having to take time off work, you might lose out on wages. You might also have to then spend your own money on medical treatments, like physiotherapy.

This is why special damages are awarded. These cover any financial impact your injury has had on you. So if you’ve suffered any sort of financial loss caused by your accident, you could be able to recover the cost of that.

To find out how the team at First4Lawyers could help you claim whiplash compensation – even after the change to the law – just give us a call or start your claim online and we’ll get back to you when it’s convenient.

Claiming compensation for whiplash is done on a No Win No Fee basis, so there is nothing to pay upfront. You also don’t have to pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful. It ensures that there is no financial risk to you taking legal action for the accident you were caught up in.