Whiplash injury news
18/10/2011

Crash victim is incorrectly diagnosed with whiplash

A lorry driver from Warwickshire, who suffered serious personal injuries when his car crashed into a tree, has won compensation after hospital staff mistook his broken neck for a whiplash injury.

The 43-year-old had been driving along the A5 on his way to Atherstone, near Tamworth, when the tyre of his lorry burst causing him to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a tree.

The man was knocked unconscious in the car crash and emergency services were required to cut him free from the wreckage and airlift him to University Hospital in Coventry.

He underwent a series of scans before being told by hospital staff that he had suffered from a whiplash injury and was later discharged.

The lorry driver continued to suffer pain and discomfort for the next three weeks and was readmitted to hospital for physiotherapy.

It was during this time that his CT scans were reassessed and the neck fracture was discovered, despite his medical notes stating that he should be treated for whiplash.

Following the discovery the man was forced to endure three operations to repair his damaged neck and, three years on, he still suffers from restricted movement which has meant he is unable to return to his job as a lorry driver.

The claimant has since received an undisclosed amount of compensation, however he still feels disappointed that he has not been given an apology from the hospital for misdiagnosing him with whiplash injuries.