In most cases, car accidents can cause short-term whiplash injuries involving pain and discomfort to the neck and shoulders, however, in some cases, a car accident can, unfortunately, result in ongoing, life-changing injuries that can impact your ability to work and live in the most severe cases. 

The length of the claim process varies for car accidents, depending on the severity of the injury and the extent of its impact on your health and daily life. 

Here are the most common injuries caused by road traffic accidents: 

• Whiplash injuries – symptoms of whiplash can include pain in the neck, shoulder or back, dizziness, headaches and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Associated pain such as numbness or pins and needles can also be experienced in the arms or legs. 
• Psychological injuries – short and long-term psychological effects are common, including emotional distress, depression, persistent driving anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Common car accident circumstances include: 

• Hit in rear. 
• Another vehicle pulling out of a junction. 
• Collision on a roundabout. 

Whiplash-related injuries following a car accident: What are the new regulations? 

The way in which car accident claims are processed, changed on the 31st of May 2021. The government introduced a tariff for whiplash claims linking compensation awards to the duration of the injury, as well as a new Portal.  

The Portal acts as a go-between for claimants and defendants, making it straightforward to pursue a road traffic accident or personal injury claim.

The changes include: 

• The small claims general damages limit will rise for road traffic accident injuries from £1,000 to £5,000. The effect is people can no longer recover their legal costs from the other side in claims of £5,000 or less.
• Claims for any type of injury suffered in a road traffic accident which can be valued at less than £5,000, and where the total being sought including financial losses is less than £10,000, must now be dealt with via a newly created online system, called the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal.
• Compensation for whiplash injury claims is now fixed, with tariff bands linked to the duration of the injury, and lower than before 
• Claims for whiplash injuries lasting two years or less, and with no or only minor psychological trauma, must now be settled based on the tariff system which fixes compensation at between £240 to £4,345.
• Flexibility for awards to be increased by up to a maximum of 20% in exceptional cases. 
• Claims for whiplash injuries can no longer be settled without obtaining a medical report.