Nerve damage can occur in a few different ways from car accidents. The three main causes of nerve damage are pressure, stretching, and severing. All of these can happen in car crashes and can cause a variety of different nerve damage injuries. In car accidents, nerve damage happens often because any time a bone, muscle, or other soft tissue structure is damaged, it’s possible for the nerves to suffer damage as well.
The most frequent types of nerve damage people suffer from an automobile accident include:
Pinched nerve. A pinched nerve is a compressed nerve that is just what it sounds like: a nerve that has been squeezed. It generally mends with time through stretching and other treatment methods, but until then, it might cause discomfort, pain, or numbness in various parts of the body depending on where the nerve is located.
Whiplash. By far, the most common injury from car accidents, whiplash affects over 2 million Americans each year. While this injury is mostly in the soft tissue of your neck, like the muscles and ligaments, it can also cause nerve damage if nerves are stretched or compressed from the whipping motion.
Neuropathy. Nerve damage or inflammation can occur in the peripheral nervous system, resulting in neuropathy. Neuropathy is the interruption of nerve signals caused by a variety of injuries, including vehicle accidents. Numbness and pain are common symptoms, which range from minor to severe.
Spinal Column Pinched Nerve. A specific form of neuropathy that occurs in the spine is called Radiculopathy. When a nerve in the spine becomes compressed or pinched, there is pain, weakness, tingling, or numbness through the nerve starting from the spine. It is most common in the lower back or in the neck.
The symptoms of these traumas are similar: numbness, tingling, discomfort, weakness, and loss of use. The shock of a vehicle accident might hide these indicators or cause them to appear only days or weeks later. That is why it’s critical to visit the doctor as soon as possible after an accident happens.
After an accident, how is a neuropathy diagnosis made?
One of the most important steps in receiving compensation for nerve damage is a neuropathy diagnosis from a doctor. Neuropathy describes weakness, numbness, and pain associated with nerve damage.
A Neurologist will conduct localized tests including electromyography, nerve biopsy, skin biopsy, and conduction studies – tests designed to locate the specific location of a person’s nerve damage.
More than just the treatment of nerve damage, a neuropathy diagnosis can assist with other issues. It will also aid consumers in determining how much they will recover and which therapy they’ll require. From here, it’s possible to calculate how much compensation a person requires during their personal injury lawsuit.
What compensation is possible after suffering nerve damage?
There are two kinds of compensation you may be eligible for if you’ve suffered nerve damage in an accident: economic damages and noneconomic damages.
In a nutshell, claims for economic damages straightforwardly answer the question, “how much financial loss did the nerve damage cause?” Financial losses include loss of time at work due to nerve damage, medical costs and rehabilitation caused by nerve damage, and even loss of long-term earning ability due to nerve damage.
If you suffer nerve damage while performing precise actions in a high-paying job, for example, you might lose your livelihood. Your claim for economic damages would address this.
Noneconomic damages include emotional losses caused by your nerve damage. This could include loss of your ability to be intimate with your spouse, play with your children, live independently, live without dependence on pain medication, and other damages.
We’ll need information about your case to determine how much money you may get. To figure out how much compensation you might be eligible for, we’ll need details about your situation. Speak with the expert legal team at Harsh Law right now to discuss your case without obligation during a free, no-obligation consultation.
Although nerve damage may result in significant and long-lasting injuries, insurance companies fight aggressively against personal injury claims involving nerve damage. In the state of California, personal injury laws guarantee accident victims the right to financial compensation for their losses, which might include physical and emotional damages.
If you’ve been hurt as a result of an auto accident or other personal injury, speak to an Inland Empire accident lawyer at Harsh Law today to learn more about what compensation you may be eligible for – as always, initial consultations are free and without any obligation.