Can dodgems lead to a successful whiplash injury claim?
Anecdotal evidence provides several stories of people acquiring a whiplash injury from dodgem cars (or bumper cars) rather than from a car accident. However, this type of hyperflexion is, it seems, yet to make an impression on personal injury compensation claims. An investigation of the legal record does not show a single successful compensation claim for whiplash resulting from use of dodgem cars. In fact, more than one firm of solicitors uses the level of impact one would receive from a dodgem crash as an example of where a neck injury compensation claim would not succeed. However, the information-providing website connectmedical.com states clearly that “If you’ve ever been on the dodgems at the fair you will have experienced the same level of whiplash as you would in an accident between a stationary car and one going at ten miles an hour.” This is not to say, though, that the personal injury received in an average dodgem collision will result in costs to the sufferer; compared to a
