LA study on whiplash breaks ground
According to research presented at the World Congress on Neck Pain in Los Angeles, the initial level of pain after a whiplash injury, as well as psychological factors such as having positive expectations for getting better, best predict who will recover quickly from whiplash.
David Walton, a researcher, presented findings at the World Congress where he opined that whether an accident victim recovers from the pain of whiplash or not, is strongly dependent on the level of pain three weeks after the whiplash injury occurred. He reviewed 14 published studies including more than 3,000 whiplash patients and presented his findings at the Congress.
The findings may not please critics of whiplash injury claims who often suggest that most claims are exaggerated and overblown in an effort to gain a higher level of compensation. If whiplash injuries are shown more to be based around state of mind than actual injury, then the likelihood of constantly high payouts will no doubt be constricted.
Updated on 6/30/2008