Whiplash (medicine)

Common card · No. 323315

Whiplash, whose formal term is whiplash associated disorders (WAD), is a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck associated with extension, although the exact injury mechanisms remain unknown. The term "whiplash" is a colloquialism. "Cervical acceleration–deceleration" (CAD) describes the mechanism of the injury, while WAD describes the subsequent injuries and symptoms. Whiplash is commonly associated with motor vehicle crashes, usually when the vehicle has been hit in the rear; however, the injury can be sustained in many other ways, including headbanging, bungee jumping and falls. It is one of the most frequently claimed injuries on vehicle insurance policies in certain countries; for example, in the United Kingdom, 430,000 people made an insurance claim for whiplash in 2007, accounting for 14% of every driver's premium. In the United States, it is estimated that more than 65% of all bodily injury claims are whiplash related, translating to...

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