I have a friend who is a physiotherapist. She says that 'whiplash' doesn't exist, and it's often a squished trapezius muscle that causes the pain. Back in the day, it was called railway or railroad spine, because it was associated with train crashes instead.

I do resent paying that sizeable chunk of insurance to people who are preyed upon by 'accident managment companies'.

A former colleague of mine destroyed his lovely Mondeo ST220 on the motorway, and claimed that he had a 'little bit of whiplash'. Oh, really. Unspeakable. Wouldn't mind but he hit someone else...

Perhaps whiplash claimants should be offered a session of brutal chiropractic with Frau Schmidt, formerly of the East-German olympic shot put team rather than cash. I bet 90% of the claims would evaporate immediately!

"Having been struck by a car from behind at nearly 90 mph when stationary I can asure you that whether you call it whiplash or whatever it is it can be very debilitating !"

No doubt.

It's the 9mph whiplash claims I am concerned about.

It all depends on the severity. It is basically a sprain, i.e. torn ligaments between the neck bones, and just like a sprained ankle can take anything up to three months, or even longer in severe cases in the elderly, to heal. It obviously doesn't hurt that much over the whole period. Headrests usually preclude an actual 'whiplash' injury. The minor ones are merely strains which resolve over just a few days.

People should not be making claims after impacts of less severity than one might enjoyably sustain in a fairground dodgems car - and these weren't fitted with head restraints the last time I looked.

The end 50cm or so of modern cars are designed to crumple easily, reducing the sudden accelerative and decelerative effects on the two or more cars involved in a 'shunt'. I would contend that if they remain driveable after a typical rear-end shunt, no significant injury will have occured. Even if they don't, most people walk away from such crashes.

Insurance companies don't seem to care - whatever happened to the role of the loss adjustor?

21 years ago the car I was driving was hit by a lorry. I was stationary at the time & was completely un-injured.

I had legal protection on the insurance so they sent me off to a local solicitor. He asked me "how is your neck feeling after the accident?"

I told him I was absolutely un-injured but he was pushing me to see a friendly doctor "who will confirm you have whip-lash" & he (the solicitor) will get me about £500 compensation.

I declined

JohnF

" It obviously doesn't hurt that much over the whole period. Headrests usually preclude an actual 'whiplash' injury. The minor ones are merely strains which resolve over just a few days.

My seat was sheared off at the base including the seat ripped out the floor and the car folded in half and I can asure the head restraint was of no use whatsoever.

As for not hurting I seem to remember it was about 2 years before I could sleep as the pain in my kneck and spine and shoulders was so bad I didnt know whether to stand up-sit down-lay down as I just couldnt get away from the pain !

I suffered serious soft tissue injury as well as 4 fractures and one complete shattered vertebre and permanent serious shoulder unjury with only 30% movement since so it can take more tha a few days! so dont tar all of us with the same brush.

Compensation never makes up for the fact that I am never able to return to my original line of work ! so being hit from behind is no walk in the park !