Reply to: Compensation

[thelace]

A friend of mine got £2500 recently but it was a relatively serious one and she's still in pain.

I got £6k for mine 10 years ago, but that was a really serious one. Barely a day goes by even now when I'm not taking pain killers for it.

[Mr Crosby]

My other half got about a grand for her whiplash injury following a car crash.

I was banking on enough to do the bathroom.

[Mich the Tester]

Thanks Mich. I'm going to a physio in the next couple of weeks, hopefully that will cure it.

It won’t help immediately and it can take a while; my physio says his bugbear is that when the physio treatment stops people are left with no further care and end up injuring the same body part all over again; at that point it’s useful to speak to a fitness trainer with some training in medical fitness or preventative training; that way you can keep the muscles in good condition in the long term. You need to look after your spine anyway as your whole body depends on it.

[ratewhore]

My other half got about a grand for her whiplash injury following a car crash.

[Mr Crosby]

That's my point. You were hit hard, so it's quite feasible that you were injured. Unfortunately most of these cases come from scroungers who were hit at very low speeds and where there is simply no medical evidence for an injury, and that makes life difficult for people like you who have genuinely been unfortunate.

Hope you recover before long; maybe a good physio can help in strengthening your back and neck. I've been lucky in having good physios for many years who've always stressed the importance, not just for sportspeople, but for everyone, of maintaining a strong neck and back for general well-being. Best of luck with it anyway.

Thanks Mich. I'm going to a physio in the next couple of weeks, hopefully that will cure it.

[Mich the Tester]

I was hit from behind after just overtaking in the outside lane doing 70+mph. This is most definately real, although I agree with you about the other incident I find it very hard to believe you'd get whiplash in those circumstances.

That's my point. You were hit hard, so it's quite feasible that you were injured. Unfortunately most of these cases come from scroungers who were hit at very low speeds and where there is simply no medical evidence for an injury, and that makes life difficult for people like you who have genuinely been unfortunate.

Hope you recover before long; maybe a good physio can help in strengthening your back and neck. I've been lucky in having good physios for many years who've always stressed the importance, not just for sportspeople, but for everyone, of maintaining a strong neck and back for general well-being. Best of luck with it anyway.

[Mr Crosby]

No. I have it on medical authority that a few people may have irritated an existing injury during a small car accident. They may not have known about that injury. It’s quite simple; the laws of physics simply wouldn’t allow you to do serious damage in a small knock from behind. So, yes, you may be injured, but you probably had some structural weakness or injury to your neck long before it happened.

I was hit from behind after just overtaking in the outside lane doing 70+mph. This is most definately real, although I agree with you about the other incident I find it very hard to believe you'd get whiplash in those circumstances.

[Mich the Tester]

So because you havent had it no one else has?

No. I have it on medical authority that a few people may have irritated an existing injury during a small car accident. They may not have known about that injury. It’s quite simple; the laws of physics simply wouldn’t allow you to do serious damage in a small knock from behind. So, yes, you may be injured, but you probably had some structural weakness or injury to your neck long before it happened.

[thelace]

whiplash is bulltulip.

Have to disagree with that.

Whiplash comes in many degrees. The majority of your injuries were caused by a sport you play by choice. That you can function with those injuries is credit to yourself in that you dust yourself down and get on with life.

Contrast that so someone who was driving a car in a correct and safe manner and recieved an injury to themselves. This may be severe or it maybe mild. Most true whiplash cases are mere strains or soft tissue damage and recover reasonable quickly. They can be far more severe than that though and many (about 20%) fail to recover to their pre injury state. That the driver didn't chose to have this injury by performing an activity with the potential to harm them is why true claims are just.

However, I agree that in this case, the OP's injured party is likely to be putting it on. About 80% of cases are like this because the injured party can walk away with £2k with a minimum of bother (it's far cheaper than taking it to court).

[Mr Crosby]

is bulltulip

I’ve played rugby for nearly thirty years including a short stint in the English second division and several years as a semi-pro in the Dutch premier division. I also did judo for several years as a teenager. I’ve been stopped in at full speed by an internation nummer 8, been tackled unexpectedly from behind by a very fast, very large professional player while standing still, been squashed at the bottom of rucks more often than I could count and fallen on my head from dangerous tackles more than once. My shoulders are not 100% and my neck doesn’t turn from side to side very easily. I’ve also been hit from behind in car accidents; once by a car travelling 70 km/h, once at a low speed. In fact, my body has had a lot more punishment than a little dent in the back of my car; most of these claims for whiplash are not from hard impacts, but little knocks at less than half the speed of a half hearted veterans 5th XV rugby tackle. There is usually no damage visible to ‘whiplash victims’ in scans or x-rays. There is visible wear and tear to my neck and back. I know of many other senior club players with the same condition, and none of them has the temerity to blame other people or cry out ‘whiplash’. If I am capable of functioning happily and without pain, then whiplash is bulltulip.

So because you havent had it no one else has?

[Mich the Tester]

Whiplash is hard to prove

is bulltulip

I’ve played rugby for nearly thirty years including a short stint in the English second division and several years as a semi-pro in the Dutch premier division. I also did judo for several years as a teenager. I’ve been stopped in at full speed by an internation nummer 8, been tackled unexpectedly from behind by a very fast, very large professional player while standing still, been squashed at the bottom of rucks more often than I could count and fallen on my head from dangerous tackles more than once. My shoulders are not 100% and my neck doesn’t turn from side to side very easily. I’ve also been hit from behind in car accidents; once by a car travelling 70 km/h, once at a low speed. In fact, my body has had a lot more punishment than a little dent in the back of my car; most of these claims for whiplash are not from hard impacts, but little knocks at less than half the speed of a half hearted veterans 5th XV rugby tackle. There is usually no damage visible to ‘whiplash victims’ in scans or x-rays. There is visible wear and tear to my neck and back. I know of many other senior club players with the same condition, and none of them has the temerity to blame other people or cry out ‘whiplash’. If I am capable of functioning happily and without pain, then whiplash is bulltulip.

[Mr Crosby]

I've got whiplash after having my car written off at the end of December.

[Mich the Tester]

Excellent point! Better to spend your money depriving her of an easy payout than bribing her to go away.

Yes, and then sue her for damages afterwards.

[Bagpuss]

Whiplash is hard to prove, that's why it's the favourite bogus claim of scammers.

I remember years ago as a newish driver I a had a golf gti and I hit a crappy old nissan sunny (worth about £300 max) while pulling out of a side road. It was obviously my fault and I offered to get it fixed for him (knew someone plenty cheapness), and wanted to preserve my NCD. Guy said he was going to get a quote form nissan, obviously with the intention of getting it written off.
You can never win when the £ signs start flashing.

Your son will have to take the hit and build up his NCD. Or if that is too expensive go on your insurance and start building it up when the accident details are no longer required.

[Platypus]

If you're really worried, speak to a private detective. Your insurer might even be interested in doing so. One photo of here walking about carrying her shopping normally and you and your insureer could take her to court.

Excellent point! Better to spend your money depriving her of an easy payout than bribing her to go away.