Don't let whiplash strike twice

There is some evidence to suggest that having once suffered from a whiplash injury can make a person more prone to future whiplash injuries as well as slowing recovery time with the subsequent whiplash injuries.

For those suffering whiplash injuries it can be useful to look at the experiences of people who have made successful bids for whiplash injury compensation and then gone on to suffer further, or relapse, whiplash injuries. In doing so, some people might just avoid sustaining a second whiplash injury just as they have recovered from the initial one.

Car accidents and whiplash
Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash injury compensation claims so many people will be aware of the risks of sustaining a whiplash injury in a road accident.

However, there are certain things that can be done to lessen the chance of suffering a second whiplash injury in a car accident:

• Try to avoid travelling in a car as much as possible - driving a vehicle will put inevitable strain on an existing whiplash injury. Being a passenger too is not without its risks as even if you are in the care of a safe and accomplished driver there are things one simply cannot plan for on the road. Even a small and sudden motion, such as breaking to avoid flattening a road-crossing rabbit, can set you back considerably in your rehabilitation from a whiplash injury.

• Adjust your head restraint properly - this can make a real difference to the severity of a whiplash injury. By having it correctly aligned you can reduce your chance of sustaining a whiplash injury in a car accident by as much as 60%.

• Be careful while getting in and out of the car - it is surprising how many physiotherapists report seeing patients who have aggravated existing conditions such as whiplash and back injuries by bending uncomfortably to get in and out of their cars. It is not uncommon for this aggravation to be caused by a person bumping their head against a car ceiling. So, in short, watch your head!

The story of a Shropshire woman aptly demonstrates these points:

"I'd been in a car accident and won some whiplash compensation. It seemed to be healing pretty well, though I was still getting dizziness. Then I just became so bored. I thought I'd go insane if I drunk another cup of tea home alone. So I decided, that's it, that's enough - I'm going out to have a cream tea somewhere near civilisation. But on the way there I suddenly felt very dizzy so I pulled into the local garden centre but reversed into the fence. It was the most minor of knocks but I knew at that moment I was back to stage one in the whiplash recovery process."

Avoid playing any kind of sport while recovering from a whiplash injury
Admittedly, this seems self-explanatory, but it is common for people to just think that they'll be alright. However, the truth is that until your whiplash injury is full rehabilitated and you have had the go-ahead from your health professional, you should not risk returning to the sports field - however good you feel.

This need for caution is not exclusive to traditionally whiplash prevalent sports such as rugby and boxing. It even applies to more gentile sports such as croquet, golf, fishing and snooker. In all of these sports, the neck and spine are asked to contort in to difficult to hold positions which can easily aggravate an existing whiplash injury.

The story of an East Sussex recreational fisher should serve as a lesson to others:

"I'd made a car accident claim for whiplash compensation five months before the incident and the physio had timetabled me to be back in full working order in a month's time. I felt alright, so I thought what could be better and less harmless than a spot of fishing. The problem was that I didn't reckon on getting such a monster on the end of my line. My competitive instincts just kicked in and I tried to reel the blighter in. I felt my neck go. Not too bad, I thought. But that night I was in the most terrible pain with really acute headaches. The neck injury was back and this time it was my own fault so there could be no whiplash compensation claim."

Avoid gardening while recovering from a whiplash injury
This piece of advice will undoubtedly cause anxiety in the hearts of UK gardeners who are suffering whiplash. But the truth is that unless you give the gardening a rest while you give your whiplash injury a rest, you risk aggravating the neck injury and being forced to neglect your flower-filled pastures for even longer.

Gardening may not be an extreme pursuit but there are plenty of ways you could aggravate a whiplash injury while gardening such as:

• Crouching, bending or reaching uncomfortably.
• Moving suddenly to avoid a branch or insect.
• Falling or tripping over uneven ground.
• Performing physically demanding gardening activities such as digging or scything.

The experience of a 57-year-old Dorset gardener neatly encapsulates this whiplash injury aggravation risk:

"I'm such a green-fingers that I was back in my garden before you could even say 'whiplash'. I thought I was being really clever, taking it so slowly. After I'd received my whiplash compensation I was coached in some Alexander Technique exercises, so I suppose I thought I was doing enough. Then one day I just let the ivy get to me. It had turned rampant in the garden and I thought I'll just give it a little pull to stop it encroaching on the petunias. My gosh it was a stupid thing to do. I haven't been back in the garden since. I know that if I had just let that Ivy off the hook for a few weeks more I'd be completely over my whiplash now."

Making a no win, no fee claim for whiplash compensation
If you've suffered a whiplash injury in a car accident you will probably need expert treatment to help you manage and rehabilitate your whiplash injury. But chances are that you will need compensation to obtain this specialist care.

Here at Car Accident Advice Line we have a wealth of experience in helping people do precisely that. In fact, we have so much expertise that our panel of personal injury solicitors have an excellent success rate in dealing with whiplash compensation claims.

We do this on a no win, no fee basis which operates at absolutely no risk to you. If you win you will keep 100% of your compensation cheque. And even in the event that your whiplash claim is unsuccessful you will not incur any costs or fees either. That is a guarantee.

So why not get in touch with us today as the sooner you make your claim the greater its chance of success. You can fill out an online claim form, request a call back or call us now on 0808 143 43 42.