The sudden movement of the head backward, forward, or sideways in a car accident is referred to as whiplash. Most simply described, whiplash is caused by a motion or force that makes your neck move beyond its normal range of motion. Many accidents result in minimal damage to the occupant's vehicles. As a result, people often incorrectly assume they are not injured. In the accident below, the van was struck at approximately 8 mph. This was not enough force to cause any obvious body damage to the vehicle. But the driver's body is still placed into considerable distress.