Insurance Companies May Downplay Whiplash for Low Impact Car Accidents
A car accident can happen at any time, even while waiting for a stoplight to change or in a parking lot. It is far too common for whiplash to occur when a car is struck from behind. If it is a low impact collision, an insurance company might try to say that a person didn’t sustain injuries to warrant a claim. However according to the Technology Associates Engineering Experts (TA), whiplash can occur even if there is no substantial damage to either vehicle.
Often insurance companies will try to claim that 1/3 of such cases involving a low impact car accident are fraudulent rather than actual cases of whiplash. Their argument centers around that fact that the force of such a low impact is absorbed by the protection of the bumper and therefore, shouldn’t cause the damaged claimed by the victim. However, based on their findings in low impact cases, the TA states that in fact whiplash is possible when a car is struck from behind at low impact.
Whiplash as described by the Technology Associates Engineering Experts (TA) is the hyper extension of the neck due to impact. The person’s torso is thrown forward while the head stays back resulting in a hyper extension. This can happen in a matter of a seconds, but can cause damage that last for months or longer. Because of the lack of damage to either vehicle, whiplash may be downplayed by the victim and insurance companies because overt signs of damage may not be apparent at first. A victim of a low impact car accident might even avoid a claim for fear of being viewed as a fraud.
Whiplash is real and shouldn’t be dismissed. If your vehicle was struck from behind by another vehicle, you should seek medical attention. Then you should contact a Texas personal injury attorney. You may be entitled to compensation.
