Whiplash occurs when your head is hurled backwards violently and then forward with as much force. This winds up injuring your neck. Whiplash can harm the nerves and muscles in the neck. It can last a few weeks but sometimes it can have long term effects on your life giving you neck problems off and on throughout your life.

Many times this injury occurs in a car accident but can happen other ways too. About one million people yearly have a whiplash injury in the United States. About a fourth of these have lasting pain and some level of disability from the whiplash. So whiplash is a serious injury and should not be taken lightly.

Insurance settlements for whiplash is a big issue. With so many people getting them each year in car accidents more and more money is being paid out in settlement money. Billions of dollars are paid out from insurance companies each year in the US for whiplash claims.

It does not have to be a major car accident for you to get whiplash. It can happen with the minor fender-bender accidents too. So make sure you get checked out for whiplash no matter what kind of accident you have. You do not want to ignore the possibility.

You should also be concerned over getting a settlement for whiplash. Since whiplash can cause you lasting problems in some instances, you deserve some kind of settlement through the insurance claim process. You can get from several hundreds of dollars to several thousand dollars. This usually depends on whether you have a lawyer involved in your case or not. Even though you have to pay a lawyer a certain amount of money to help you with your claim, they often can get a higher settlement for you. They just know how to negotiate with the insurance companies better than you do.

You have to have medical attention given to you to prove your claim. Diagnostic X-rays and other testing need to be used to confirm that you have whiplash. The doctor may even prescribe some physical therapy for you. All this is figured in on how much settlement you should get.

It is always wise to at least consult an attorney before settling with the insurance company. This way you will know if your settlement is the amount it should be. The insurance companies usually offer you a low amount at first, hoping that you will just settle with them and go away. But you need to be aware of what you can get if you get a lawyer and go for a higher settlement.

So with any accident make sure you are checked out thoroughly at the emergency room or doctor, to make sure you have no whiplash or other injuries. File your claims correctly with the insurance company and consult an attorney for help in your claim process. Then you will be doing everything you can do to get the best whiplash settlement you can get.