SEPs test prove reality of suffering in a whiplash claim

In some quarters, there is still a stubborn belief that people sufferering from car injuries are malingering if they choose to make a whiplash claim. However, this belief is undermined by a recent study that finds demonstrable neurological effects in whiplash sufferers.

The Canadian and Swiss scientists involved used SEPs measurements on 20 subjects reporting whiplash symptoms, half of whom had been involved in an accident less than six months before the test. These were compared with each other, and with a group of healthy subjects. The subjects in the first group showed a measurable difference in their neurological response.

SEPs, or somatosensory evoked potentials, measure electrical signals within the spinal cord, including the neck. The Swiss-Canadian study above found that the latency was increased in the 'recent' group of whiplash sufferers, meaning that the signal is travelling more slowly through their spines. This indicates a neural problem. Fortunately this was shown to normalize within three to six months from the accident that caused the neck injury.

This experiment demonstrates that there can be a neurological aspect to whiplash. It does not suggest that the other aspects - muscle pain or fatigue, for example - are explained by this, or that they are also likely to vanish by the end of the period within which the SEPs abnormalities tend to.

The place of SEPs in a whiplash injury compensation claim
While the SEPs results demonstrate that whiplash is not an imagined condition, it is not normally necessary for a person making a whiplash claim to undergo this test. Whiplash is legally and medically recognised in the UK.

If you have suffered a whiplash injury, and you are looking into the possibility of making a personal injury claim, YouClaim are ideally placed to help you. As whiplash experts, we will be able to discuss your situation sensitively, help you decide whether you have a claim to make, and find the best no win, no fee solicitor for your case.

You can rely on the skills of every personal injury lawyer we use, as we only work with firms governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Every whiplash injury claim that YouClaim takes on is handled on a no win, no fee basis. If your case is successful - as most of our claims are - we will charge all our costs to the losing side, meaning that the process is free to you, win or lose. We also guarantee that 100% of the compensation awarded will be passed to you.

Our expert team of whiplash advisors is ready to help you begin your compensation claim, or just offer free advice, right now. Simply complete our claim form, chat to us online or call our free number, 0800 10 757 95, and we will set your whiplash claim in motion.