Whiplash

Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury to the neck. When a car is hit, especially from behind, the head can snap backward and then forward, straining muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, shoulder pain, and trouble moving the head, and they sometimes do not appear until hours or a day after the crash.

The UK's National Health Service describes whiplash as a neck injury caused by sudden movement of the head and says it usually gets better within 2 to 3 months, although some people have symptoms for longer. It most often happens after traffic accidents, but falls and sports injuries can also cause it.

Whiplash is one of the most common auto accident injury claims, and it is where several insurance rules meet:

• In no-fault states, your own personal injury protection pays first, and whiplash alone may not meet the threshold for suing the other driver for pain and suffering.
• In at-fault states, the other driver's liability insurer pays if that driver was responsible, and soft-tissue claims are often disputed because injuries do not always show on imaging.
• If the at-fault driver has little or no insurance, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply.

Getting prompt medical care, following treatment, and keeping records matter both for recovery and for any claim. Class actions in this area generally challenge how insurers handle categories of claims rather than individual injuries. See our pages on underinsured motorist stacking and the Progressive UM/UIM stacking settlement. This page is general information, not medical advice.