to be annoyed that all of my in-laws seem to sue for whiplash......

[mum2samandalex]

or for anything else when ever they get the opportunity. I cant stand people like that how can they be so dishonest i hope it comes back on her grrrrrrr

[S1ur]

well, without details I could go either

YANBU legisitive society is a terrible route and leads to lack of personal responsiblity and community concern

Or more likely

YABU when injured through fault of a company's negligence (though paying workers inadequately or not training appropriately) then compensation is reasonable.

so more details needed!

[hughjarssss]

How do they get so many opportunities? Are they very accident prone?

[theressomethingaboutmarie]

you're not giving enough detail to enable a YABU or YANBU verdict. I sued for whiplash when I was 21. I was learning to drive and stopped at a roundabout. Some idiot slammed into the back of the car pushing me out on to the roundabout. He was very flippant about the accident which was infuriating. I was in considerable pain, had physio and took medication for 6 months afterwards. that was a genuine reason to sue for whiplash.

What's your in-laws story?

[themoon66]

Is it worth the hassle though? I type up medico-legal reports for doctors and some of the claimants seem to have been wrangling over whiplash since 2004. The insurance companies sneakily follow them around and video them carrying heavy bags etc. Then they have to have orthopaedic reports, psychiatric reports etc.

Not worth the trouble.

[Octothechildherder]

DH and I claimed for whiplash when some guy wrote my car off with all of us in it.

[Octothechildherder]

Yes - it was a long process - some people drag it out to get more money - we managed to settle within 6 months which is quite fast really. We had one specialist appointment. We weren't trying to get as much as we could but if your injuries are really bad then yes - you should get all the money you deserve.

[psychomum5]

YABU

you CLEARLY have no idea what whiplash can do to your body, nor the impact it has on your life.

the reason for insurance is to cover for injuries such as whiplash.

unless this is one of those AIBU-by-stealth, then sorry, you may well be in for a flurry of YABVU from most posters!

[MrsTittleMouse]

Depends if they actually have whiplash or not! My Dad was rear-ended decades ago (before suing for whiplash started happening) and he still has issues with his neck. On the other hand, it has been used by greedy people to get money for nothing when they have no injuries, which is just plain immoral and illegal and causes increased premiums for the rest of us, and more suspicion heaped on people claiming who are genuine.

[georgimama]

"Drag it out to get more money" do you mean by any chance delay settlement until they have fully recovered from their symptoms or their symptoms have reached an end state, so that they are not undercompensated?

OP, if you are saying that they are making fraudulant claims, and have either not been involved in accidents at all, or have not suffered any injury whatsoever, then that is completely different, then I am very surprised that they are able to get away with it. Solicitors (most) are very conscious of the risks to them of colluding (actively or passively) with fraudulent claims and will take pains to avoid them. Medico-legal practitioners (who are usually still in medical practice) can face disciplinary action and the censure of the court if they collude in fake claims.

I don't think you have much of a clue of how personal injury claims work, tbh.

[Cies]

A car crashed into the back of me when I was driving with DH. He had a bit of a sore neck, but nothing bad.

My uncle, a GP, said we should claim for whiplash on the insurance claim. A family friend who is a solicitor said the same. I was very and we couldn´t be bothered to go through all the paperwork etc because it really didn´t cause DH any trouble after 2 days.

But, of course, if you are in pain and it affects your life you should claim for injury.

So, depending on the situation, either YABU or YANBU.

[mum2samandalex]

well this is my mil's wish to be in a car accident so she can sue for whiplash especially as she already has a dodgy neck so whether she has or not i have very little sympathy for.the person whom she had the collission with was dammed from the start. Shes one of these people who siezes an opportunity to sue.Fair enough if she has but i know she would if she hadnt too.

[mum2samandalex]

She doesnt work either so she cant claim loss of earnings.She was on disabillity benefit for a bad neck/back although someone reported her a few years ago as they saw her carrying something heavy or something so this got reviewed and she is now on infilidity allowance i think. Oh and she was apparently pissed when she told dh of her claim obviously celebrating!

[Octothechildherder]

Are you saying that she hasn't had a car accident but wants to have one so she can sue? THAT IS FUCKING OUTRAGEOUS

[mum2samandalex]

she has had one but has always said she wants someone to collide into her so she can sue im not sure if she has other insurance of her own that she can claim a well. All im saying is she has always said she would sue if someone had a collision with her so whether she has whiplash or no. I dont know if she she has whiplash or putting it on bacause of what shes always said previous to her collision. She is what screws it up fo ther people.

[mum2samandalex]

other people why am i so crap at typing

[BouncingTurtle]

Totally outrageous!!

My DH sued for compensation when his car was hit head on by a driver in a Renault Master van who was doing a seriously dodgy overtaking maneouvre. He was considerable pain with his neck and back for months afterwards. He did get compensation, which took months and months as the van driver's insurance company dragged it out as long as they could (they tried to claim DH was on the wrong side of the road ) and luckily he is now fully recovered, but only after months of physio!

[Octothechildherder]

Two friends died in July in separate car accidents - one was 18 and the other 20. You mil really has no idea of the word pain.

[georgimama]

If she was unfortunate enough to be in a car accident, she would only be able to claim for accident related injury anyway, her pre-existing condition/injuries would be noted and an award made for acceleration or exacebation of them only, not as if she had nothing wrong with her in the first place.

Stupid woman (MIL not you).

[more]

Well if she is lying just spend a lot of time with her, along with your trusty video camera/mobile phone camera and get some evidence that she is lying and then send it to the right people.

[freshprincess]

Medical and legal experts can spot a fake claim as can the insurance companies who are paying for it.

Let her sue - if she's not entitled to it then she wont get anything.

[Blu]

(genuine) whiplash made my Mum's life utterley miseable for years. It exacerbated /speeded up her arthritis, made it v uncomfortable for her to sleep, she did get some relief from osteo, physio and acupuncture - but she lives in a sall rural village, so the travelling and fees were onerous - her compensation nowhere near compensated, not for cash outlay, time or pain.

OTOH a casual employee of my organisation tried to claim for a general whiplash type neck injury, claiming all manner of incapacity and inability to move...until she was spotted by another member of staff leaping around energetically at a concert, tossing her head with vigour....

[lizandlulu]

i know people who have tried to claim on false pretenses, i think it is just the way of they world nowadays, people trying to get money for nothing.

if you do have a serious injury then all fine and well, but to be honest, i dont count whiplash as a serious injury.
if you are fine in a few days there is no point to it.

[georgimama]

lizandlulu, with the greatest respect, you have no idea what you are talking about - whiplash can take years to recover from. Often it is resolved in a few weeks or months, yes, but it can take years.

[catweazle]

When DH had a slight accident a few years ago the husband of the woman whose car he hit (who wasn't even in the car at the time) put in a claim for whiplash. 'Bout time people who put in fraudulent claims actually got prosecuted.