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?
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