Often treated as a minor complaint, whiplash injury can have a serious impact on your life - it's important to know what to do if you have suffered from the consequences of whiplash following a car accident that was not your fault.

For some, whiplash syndrome can mean a limited range of movement in the neck, but the condition can present many different symptoms and can have a psychological impact on the sufferer as well as physical. Many victims of whiplash injury feel nervous about travelling in cars, and can experience sleep disturbance as a result of the accident.

Other symptoms may include a lack of concentration and in some cases some depression - it can even impact on your earnings. All of these facets combine to make for a traumatic experience for the sufferer.

If you are suffering from any of the above it is advisable to follow these seven steps to ensure that you are compensated for your difficulties:

1. Make sure you have the details of the third party involved at the scene of the accident, if your injury occurred as a result of a car crash, and that you have taken your insurance details to the local police station within the allotted time of 24 hours after the incident.

2. Notify your insurance company of the accident as soon after it occurred as possible so as to claim for damage to your car as well as your personal wellbeing.

3. If there were any witnesses on the scene, keep their details for future reference as you may need to ask them to testify at your court appearance. Ask them if it is possible to sketch out a diagram of the scene so that no crucial points about the accident are forgotten whilst waiting for your claim to go through.

4. Register your restricted movement or other physical difficulties with a medical professional as soon after the incident as possible. Some symptoms do not present themselves immediately after the accident; it can take hours or days for the victim to feel unwell.

5. Make sure you list all of your symptoms and how they affect your day to day living. For example note down if you are no longer sleeping well, or if you have prolonged fits of depression as a direct result of the accident.

6. Visit or contact your local citizen's advice bureau to find a suitable representative for your case, or search online for a specialist company who can handle your claim quickly and effectively. Many online specialists have a great deal of experience and can often get better results than trying to make a claim yourself.

7. Take all of the above to your specialist claims company or appointed solicitor specialising in personal injury cases. All of this evidence will help to strengthen your case immensely.

There are many personal injury specialists around to choose from but try to find one that is experienced and that has a no-win-no-fee basis. Most of these solicitors come from this standpoint now as the law tries to support victims of personal injury to a very high level. In other words if you provide the evidence, it is likely you will receive some compensation.

If you were unfortunate enough to have been hit by an uninsured driver there are still ways that you can claim compensation for your whiplash injury.