Whiplash Claim Offer - what should I do next? Help please?!!

Lolashowgirl81

Hello, I am hoping there is somebody on here that works for Liverpool Victoria Insurance, or any insurance company really that could give me some advice.

I had a motor accident in Feb 2007 when somebody drove into the back of me....I was initially ok and got out of the car to inspect the damage and decided to call the police to ensure everything was ok, by the time they arrived I started feeling the effects of the crash but got into the back of a police car in order to give all my details. When I had finished I had stiffened so much that I couldnt get out of the car and an ambulance was called.

I was triple immobilised and taken off to hospital, it took them hours to get me from the scene of the crash, and they called clinical ops to request authorisation to remove the roof of the police car but were refused as it was likely to be straitforward whiplash rather than anything more serious thankfully.

On the way to the hospital I slipped on the spinal board and thought my neck was going to snap so they pulled over and re-aligned me (or whatever the term is) and off I went to A&E for neck X-Rays. Anyway, thankfully everything was clear and I was sent home with a bunch of painkillers and bed rest for the rest of the day but to try and keep moving to stop the back and neck stiffening.

Anyway, over the next few weeks I went through all the usual whiplash symptoms and finally returned to work after 6 weeks sickness! I had 8 physiotherapy treatments and was told I could expect to make a full recovery within 6-9 months from the date of my medical examination which was end of March 2007.

Now, the bit I need help with......Liverpool Victoria have sent through an initial offer of £2700 for my injury, including £300 gym fees I paid during the time of recovery......I also have a claim in for lost earnings which comes to approx £400-£500!!

My solicitor has said they estimated my injury to be worth £1850-£2150 so it's over that estimate already.

Should I accept this initial offer, or should I persist and go for more? I know of friends and colleagues that have claimed for whiplash after taking themselves off the hospital or doctor the following day and having 3-4 days off work and they have received £2000 - £2500.

I think the offer is reasonable for injuries that I sustained although I would be a bit happier if it was more in the region of £3000.............but I think the trauma of the whole trip to hospital has to be worth a bit more?

Is this a minimum offer that they hope I accept straight away, and if I hang on for more am I likely to get it or should I take the offer and enjoy a nice holiday out of it and pay off some debts?

Also? How long would a second offer take to come through?

Any advice you have to give would be a great help!!

lisyloo

My solicitor has said they estimated my injury to be worth £1850-£2150 so it's over that estimate already.

Who are "they"?
Did your solicitor estimate this or the other sides?

What does your solicitor advise?
Surely your solicitor should be advising you what to do.

viv0147

My son had whiplash and he was offered £1800, which he turned down, he was then offered £2700 which he excepted.
The advice he received from many people never except the first offer, he was only sore for about a week, so in my opinion you should have over £3000 . good luck

Lolashowgirl81

Hi...the 'they' I mentioned is my solicitor yes!

I will be ringing them 1st thing Monday morning, but I just wondered if anyone could provide any 'inside' info from the insurance company?!!

Thanks for the replies, I will let you know how I get on!!

In the meantime, if there are any 'insiders' with info, please do reply to my post!! Thanks:rolleyes:

MarkyMarkD

I think both your, and others', logic of £3,000 is flawed.

Just because others who basically just had a little bit of pain for a few days got £2,700 or similar - which is far too much - doesn't mean you "deserve" £3,000.

I wouldn't hesitate to say that you have incurred a substantial injury.

But IMHO your compensation should primarily be for your loss of earnings and other costs incurred, with a relatively small amount for general discomfort and inconvenience.

Compensation culture is at the root of the colossal increases we've seen in motor insurance premiums and it's simply not a good thing.

scheming_gypsy

friend of mine was hit from behind and suffered torn muscles and neck pains in October, she was having physio on her neck up until a few weeks back and the physio said that it was badly damaged. she's been made an offer of around £2500 which her solicitor has advised her to take so £2700 isn't too bad. Especially as i got £2250 for saying 'oh my neck hurts'.
Whiplash does seem to have a limit on what they'll pay out.

mattymoo

A couple of years ago (last time I looked) the scale went something like this:-

Up to a month P+S = £1000
Up to a year P+S = £2000
Beyond 2 yrs P+S = £4000 if further suffering expected.

At the lower end of the scale you can get quite a lot of money and those with longer periods of suffering do tend to try and multiply it. i,e. he had 1 months P+S, I had 6 so should get 6 times as much.

£2,400 doesn't seem too bad for 6 months P+S.
They do need to split off the gym fees though. If anything ever goes to court you get a much higher rate of interest on special damages (lost earnings, gym etc) compared to interest on general damages (P+S).

matth36

hello all...my wife has had 2 similar car accidents within 12 months...had just started physio for 1st accident (hit from behind) when got hit from behind again...have been offered £1800 for 2nd accident...does this sound ok as she had existing injury?

Pitlanepiglet

Six weeks off work sounds a lot for a whiplash injury that was estimated to resolve within 6 to 9 months? Have you been assessed by a medical expert? What sort of job do you do?

I was shunted in May, I got ice on my neck within an hour or so and was treated by a chiropractor on the same day. I was also advised that mine was 6-9 months to resolution and it's looking about par for the course but I only had a couple of half days off work.

I've been offered £2.2k which I'm advised is pretty much pay for the course, a friend of mine who deals with PI says it would be around £2.5k if it takes 12 months to resolve.