How Much Will A Child Get For A Whiplash Injury?

Unfortunately a whiplash injury can be sustained by people of all ages and children are no exception. Seeing your child upset and in pain can be a very distressing time for you and it is only natural that you see fit to ensure that your child receives compensation for the injuries and suffering they have had to endure. But how much compensation is your child likely to receive for their injuries? This article addresses this question and looks at how a whiplash injury is actually caused, how compensation is calculated, what affects the amount of compensation awarded to your child and how your child’s compensation award will be dealt with financially.

A whiplash injury is caused during the course of a road traffic accident, often when one car collides with the rear of another. The impact of the collision can cause the head and neck of the driver and passengers to be suddenly and forcefully thrown back and forth causing the soft-tissue and ligaments in the neck to be stretched beyond their normal range of movement. It may not be immediately apparent that your child has sustained a whiplash injury but, if they have, then within a few hours or a few days of the accident they may start complaining of neck, back and shoulder pain, restricted movement of the neck, headaches, excessive tiredness, dizziness and pins and needles. If you have any suspicion at all that your child has been injured you should arrange for them to be medically assessed by your GP or local A&E department.

When you instruct a solicitor to deal with your child’s whiplash claim, the solicitor will arrange for your child to be medically examined by an independent medical expert who will prepare a report detailing your child’s injuries. The report will also contain a medical prognosis stating how long your child is likely take to recover from their injuries. It is this medical report that your solicitor will use to help value your child’s injury claim. He will compare your child’s injuries to that of other child claimants whose cases have already been settled and who took a similar time to recover as your child.

The amount of compensation received by your child will depend on how seriously they have been injured. As a rough guide (according to the Judicial Studies Board Guidelines) children who recover from their injuries within a year of the accident can expect to receive up to £2500 for their injury claim whereas children who make a recovery within 1-2 years of the accident can expect to receive up to £4250. If your child has suffered a more serious whiplash injury meaning that their symptoms are still present two years or more after the accident they can expect to receive up to £7750 for their injury claim.

When the amount of compensation has been agreed between the parties it will need to be approved by a Judge at a court hearing. Most of the compensation monies will be placed into a court fund until your child reaches the age of 18, however, you may be able to request that a small amount of the money is released immediately if it for your child’s educational purposes (such as a computer).

It can be seen, therefore, that the amount of compensation your child will receive for their injury claim will depend on how severely they have been injured and long their recovery is expected to take.

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Can We Help You With A Whiplash Accident Claim?

If you ask us to help you with your Whiplash Claim, you will receive all of your compensation and you will pay nothing whether you win or lose your claim. We have helped the clients of both the Co-Op and RAC and have handled thousands of Whiplash Claims over the last few years. We use our specialist experience to benefit you by making a fast and professional claim for compensation for you.

To find out if we can help you please call us on 0808 178 9002 or complete our Online Enquiry Form and we will be in touch with you soon.

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