Nerve Damage
Representing Those Suffering from Nerve Damage
There are few injuries that can do as much lasting damage as those to your nerves. Your nerves allow you to move, feel, and even breathe. When a nerve becomes torn, pinched, or stretched, it could prevent you from moving parts of your body. Sadly, many accident result in nerve damage.
If you have nerve damage as a result of someone else’s negligence, then you are within your rights to demand compensation. However, demanding compensation and actually getting compensation are two different things. The latter will require the help of experienced catastrophic injury attorneys. We have the skillset that your claim needs.
The Types of Nerve Damage
Neurons, or nerve cells, run throughout your body, all eventually leading to the brain. A nerve’s function is to transmit commands from the brain to other parts of the body, such as your arms, your lungs, and even your heart. Nerves also take signals from those body parts and send them back to the brain, providing it with important information, such as temperature and sensation of pain. Different nerves perform different roles, and how you will be impacted by a nerve injury depends on the kind of nerve that is damaged.
Sensory nerves: These are the nerves that allow you to feel. When a sensory nerve is injured, it limits your ability to feel pain, temperature, and even textures in the affected area. With a permanently damaged sensory nerve in your hand, for example, your hand would essentially end up feeling numb, with no sensory input.
Motor nerves: Your motor nerves carry commands from your brain to your limbs. They are what allow you to move. Damaged sensory nerves mean that you will lose the ability to move certain parts of your body. This is why a spinal cord injury, where many motor nerves are located, can result in paralysis.
Autonomic nerves: There are parts of your body that operate subconsciously, meaning that you don’t have to actively think about making them function. Your heart beating, your lungs breathing, and your eyes blinking are all examples of this. The function of these parts comes from autonomic nerves. When these nerves are damaged, it can impact your ability to breathe, regulate your blood pressure, and even respond to temperature changes.
How Nerve Damage Happens
Your nerves run throughout your entire body. This means an injury to any part of you, whether it be your neck, your foot, or your back, could result in some nerve damage. Nerves need to be everywhere in order to perform their duties, which does make them vulnerable. Some of the most common accidents that lead to nerve injury include:
In particular, accidents that lead to broken bones or deep lacerations are often the cause of nerve injuries. That is because these kinds of injuries can lead to nerves being torn or sliced. Burns and road rash are also common causes of nerve damage, as the nerves in those cases can be charred or stripped away from the body, removing them altogether. However, even if you have no visible injuries, you are not out of the woods yet.
Nerves can only be pulled so far. Seemingly minor soft-tissue injuries, such as whiplash, can leave nerves stretched or pinched. While these kinds of injury usually heal with proper treatment and time, they can still cause extreme pain and residual issues, such as dulled senses.
The truth is, even minor nerve injuries can have lasting consequences and be incredibly costly to treat. That is why seeking compensation is in your best interests.
Compensation for Nerve Damage
Nerve damage will require immediate treatment. While severe nerve injuries may never be fully repaired, timely medical intervention could still allow some healing to occur. However, few people have the money to pay for that quick medical treatment. With nerve damage, you will also need to spend time with a physical therapist, working on being able to move and function normally again. All of this treatment will be costly, and without a personal injury claim, you will be the one left to shoulder the financial burden.
However, if your nerve damage was caused by someone else’s negligence, then you can file a civil claim against the liable party. A successful claim will allow you to recover compensation for the damages that you suffered as a result of the accident. Common damages you may recover compensation for include:
Past and future medical bills
Physical therapy costs
Therapy costs
Lost wages
Loss of job opportunities
Lowered quality of life
Loss of enjoyment
Emotional trauma
Pain and suffering
However, receiving compensation will depend on the strength of your claim. Few negligent people are willing to just accept liability, and this is even truer for their insurance company. Insurance providers rarely offer fair settlements, if they offer settlements at all. If you want to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve, your best bet is to work with an experienced nerve injury lawyer.
The Husband & Wife Law Team Is Here to Help
We have years of experience working with victims of negligence who suffered nerve damage. We understand just how difficult this kind of injury can be, as well as how costly treatment is. If your accident was caused by someone else’s actions, then you deserve fair and proper compensation. That is where we come in. If you become one of our clients, we will use our extensive personal injury knowledge on your behalf to get you the settlement that you need. To speak to a member of our team, call us today.