How common are neck injuries? Are motorists suscep

How common are neck injuries? Are motorists susceptible to neck injuries in all crash configurations?

In the United States, neck sprains and strains are the most frequently reported injury in insurance claims. In 1997, it is estimated that 66 percent of all insurance claimants under bodily injury liability coverage and 59 percent under personal injury protection coverage -- the two most important insurance injury coverages -- reported a minor neck injury. For 42 and 36 percent of injury claimants, respectively, neck sprains or strains was the most serious injury reported. The cost of just these injury claims where neck pain was the most serious was $7 billion.³

Whiplash injuries can occur in any kind of crash but occur most often in rear-end collisions. A 1999 Institute study found that 26 percent of rear-struck vehicle drivers reported neck injuries.⁴ This was essentially the same as the 24 percent neck injury rate reported in a 1972 Institute study.⁵ Estimates of neck injury rates in other studies have ranged from 7 to 37 percent, depending on whether police or motorists reported the information.^6,7,8

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