A pensioner whose car struck a mattress as he drove down a motorway has been awarded £3,770 in damages.

Thomas McKenna, 71, was driving along the motorway between Edinburgh and Glasgow when the mattress fell off another vehicle onto the road in front of him. The driver of the other vehicle, Thomas Aitchieson, had not secured it properly. Mr McKenna was unable to avoid colliding with the mattress.

Mr McKenna suffered a whiplash injury and this caused neck pain radiating into his shoulder. The accident also further aggravated an injury he had sustained in an earlier road traffic accident.

It is expected that Mr McKenna’s injury will take at least two years to heal fully. Meanwhile, he has been prescribed painkillers to alleviate his symptoms.

Mr Aitchieson admitted liability for the accident. In court it was found that his negligence had caused the accident which resulted in Mr McKenna’s injury.

Whiplash injuries are very common, even as a result of accidents that occur at relatively low speeds. The symptoms include restricted movement of the neck, stiffness and pain. More serious cases of whiplash can also result in back pain, swelling and even nausea and lethargy.