How to select a solicitor to advise you about whiplash

Whiplash Compensation in Ireland

One of the most interesting statistics to be revealed from a recent Injuries Board report was that more women than men claim whiplash compensation in Ireland. Although a misogynist might suggest that this is because women are worse drivers than men, careful reading will reveal the statistic is actually that more women than men are claiming whiplash compensation in Ireland – indicating that the women are the victims and not the perpetrators of the injury. There are three reasons for this:-

  • Physical Strength – First, women are physically weaker than men, and the muscles and ligaments surrounding their necks are not strong enough to cope with the rapid snap of the head when a car hits you from behind.
  • Seating Position – Secondly, studies have shown that women tend to have their seats lower and closer to the dashboard, a position which exaggerates the head movements from a rear-end collision and also increases the risk of an injury from automatically inflating air-bags.
  • Passenger Status – Finally, women tend to be the passenger in an accident situation and have not had the opportunity to brace against an impact that male drivers may have when they see an impending collision

Health is Your First Concern after a Whiplash Injury

Whenever you have been involved in a road traffic accident where you have been struck from behind, your immediate concern should be that of your health and the health of other people travelling with you. It does not matter whether your accident occurs while you are in a car, on a bus or on a train, the force of your head snapping backwards and forwards can cause irreparable damage to the soft tissues at the top of the spine and, in severe cases, cause damage to the nerves in the spinal cord.

Even if you feel okay after the jolt of a collision, you should have any potential whiplash injury examined by a medical professional as soon as possible after the accident has occurred. Whiplash injuries can often take days or weeks to manifest, during which time you could make the injury worse just by performing everyday tasks in which you move your head. Once you have received preliminary treatment for your whiplash injuries, you should consult a whiplash compensation solicitor about making a whiplash compensation claim.

Why you should get advice from a solicitor

Negligence is rarely in doubt in the case of whiplash injuries, but you should still use a specialist whiplash compensation solicitor to process your claim to the Injuries Board for a number of reasons. The most important of these is to ensure that you are adequately compensated for your whiplash injury. Inasmuch as the Injuries Board report referred to above revealed that more women than men make whiplash injury claims, the value of compensation awarded to male victims of whiplash is, on average, much higher.

This is because the financial consequences of a whiplash injury to a male wage earner can be far more substantial than those which affect a female – whether the female is earning or not. Even though many women also contribute to a family’s income, in Ireland it is still the man who is the main income source, and a whiplash compensation claim should reflect any loss of earnings for the duration of the rehabilitation period.

Whiplash Compensation Process

A whiplash injury solicitor will examine every aspect that your injury has made to your health, your quality of life and emotional wellbeing. The whiplash compensation solicitor can prepare and submit your application to the Injuries Board, ensure that their assessment is adequate to your needs and represent you in litigation with the negligent party’s insurance company should the need arise. They will also negotiate with the negligent party’s insurance company to attempt a speedy and acceptable whiplash compensation settlement even before the Injuries Board has made their assessment.

Even though a whiplash compensation claim is the most common type of personal injury claim received by the Injuries Board, there is no reason to believe that you will be assessed on a “standard” level of compensation. Every whiplash compensation claim is assessed on its individual merits, and this is why – according to a report by the University College Dublin – 90 per cent of claimants in a whiplash compensation claim, choose to proceed with the assistance of a whiplash compensation solicitor.

Get Free Advice from a Solicitor

If you would like to know more about making a whiplash compensation claim from an expert whiplash compensation solicitor, you are invited to complete the form at the foot of the page with your contact details and one of our team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have and to provide you with practical and impartial advice.

There is no charge for using our service and no obligation on you to proceed with a claim once you have spoken with a whiplash compensation solicitor. We understand that you may be under pressure from well-meaning family and friends to follow one course of action, while possibly the negligent party’s insurance company is trying to persuade you into accepting an early settlement. Our aim is to provide you with the advice and information you need to make an educated assessment of your own situation and then come back to us should you want to.

All conversations with our whiplash compensation solicitor are naturally completely confidential and we never pass on your details to marketing or promotional companies. You can be sure that when you contact us you receive a professional and courteous service at all times.