Whiplash Claims
Before we go on to to discuss the apparent increasing numbers of UK car insurance claims being made citing whiplash injuries as the cause for compensation it is wise to offer a Wikipedia definition of the term:
Whiplash: ‘a non-medical term describing a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck[1] associated with extension.
[2] The term “whiplash” is a colloquialism. “Cervical acceleration-deceleration” (CAD) describes the mechanism of the injury, while the term “whiplash associated disorders” (WAD) describes the injury sequela and symptoms.
If you are actively searching for a new cheap car insurance quote, and looking to SAVE money on your next policy then click through to the HomeApproved home page (see link above) and you will find the relevant get a quote banner at the top of the page. The Quotezone click and compare service is entirely free to use. It is a totally independent and impartial insurance comparison site, already helping over 1 million drivers across the UK to get the best deal.
As many if not all the readers of the HomeApproved pages will be drivers and motorists it is worth asking the question ‘how many of you have received the following, possibly through a text message, e-mail or even direct contact’?
“Had a Whiplash Injury? – Make a Claim for Whiplash Today”
In addition we have through the Internet easy access to tools that enable us to calculate how much our claim could potentially be worth. It seems that many of us, immediately after suffering trauma and shock of a road traffic accident (RTA) are figuring out how much one could make from a claim for whiplash.
There are also a plethora of UK companies and ‘whiplash solicitors’ who will be prepared to take your case on the basis of ‘No Win No Fee’. Many see this as a win-win scenario. You win as the injured party claiming whiplash injuries (with nothing to lose) and the claims company wins by taking a cut of your payout. Happy days!
Well not quite. This compensation culture which has come to spread through society like a rash has now got out of all control. Motor insurers are wary now of all whiplash claims filed – even genuine ones where injury has occurred. There are cities and locations across the British Isles where the instances of claims are way out of proportion with the rest of the country.
Surveys from Doctors and Physiotherapists suggest that as many as 75% of all whiplash claims are fraudulent. A quite staggering figure! According to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries ‘Whiplash-like claims account for 85% of the number of third party motor injury claims and just under half of the cost’.
The continuous year-on-year rises in car insurance premiums over the last 5-10 years have in-part been a result of the massive rise in whiplash claims. We might as individuals benefit in the short term from monetary compensation but one thing is for sure – in the long run we will ALL be paying more for our car insurance cover because of the actions of some motorists who make a habit of claiming whiplash fraudulently.