I wanted to claim whiplash cause some lady hit me and my friend at a STOP SIGN. We were waiting for it to clear and she comes up and bashes us in the rear bumper at like 20+ MPH. Whole car jumped. ( Little Ford escort. My friend's car, not mine.) My friend jumps out to see the damage and there isn't any, and the lady in the car that hit us ( giant SUV ) comes out and says, " Sorry.. I wasn't looking.. didn't see you." And my idiot friend gets back in the car and floors it while I was screaming to go back and get the lady's license plate number. My neck actually DID hurt, and my seatbelt slashed my chest near the collar bone. That would have been legit.
Problem with wanting to claim whiplash is that anyone could also do it to you over minor bumps. Depending on the state you're in and the way those insurance agencies cover collision and medical. Also, depends on the other person's insurance carrier. Most won't passionately look into your injury claims, but a few will hunt your ass down and photograph you during the day to see if your injuries were legit.
Sorry about your friend. The best way to make a good claim is to get hit in the crosswalk as a pedestrian. Even if they have the green, they must ALWAYS yield to pedestrians. Maybe you'll get lucky and get some young driver who bunts you a little. And always have some friends nearby to say that you were clearly visible and the driver had a lot of reaction time.