Physical trauma from car accidents can cause of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) – Severity of your injury, Financial effects of your injury A car accident can lead to numerous traumas and injuries. Some of these damages may be long-lasting and permanent, resulting in a lifetime of treatments and difficulty living. Others are short-term and do not cause you discomfort for more than a few weeks. Injuries that affect the nerves are often more debilitating and are not as easily fixed. The nerves are complicated and complex parts of the body, and any errors in treatment can have worsening effects. Thoracic outlet syndrome is one such nerve condition that can arise from car accidents. If you have been afflicted by the condition, you should take appropriate legal action against the driver who caused the accident. Our expert group of attorneys at the Downtown LA Law Group can ensure that your rights are preserved and that you win the compensation you deserve from the incident.

What are causes of car accidents?

Car accidents occur for many reasons. Too many individuals are negligent while on the road and do not pay attention to other drivers. They often do not drive defensively and they place others at risk all the time. You may be involved in a car accident for the following reasons:

• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Running red lights
• Running stop signs
• Texting while driving
• Drunk driving
• Failure to yield properly
• Failure to merge
• Turning without signaling
• Turning in front of oncoming traffic
• Driving without lights on

Of course, there are some situations in which no driver can be held totally responsible. If there is a defect with the vehicle, such as a broken brake line or a faulty axle, the car could lose control and the driver may not have any way to correct it. Further, the environment could play a part in the accident. Often, the weather, like snow, rain, and fog, can cause people to get lost or not see the road in front of them. There may also be pot holes, sharp turns, sudden hills, hidden driveways with no signs, and more on the road. It is thus possible that you could hold other parties responsible besides the fellow driver.

How do car accidents cause thoracic outlet syndrome?

Thoracic outlet syndrome is when there is pressure or compression on the area near the clavicle. This section, which is above the top rib and is comprised of the brachial plexus, subclavian artery, and subclavian nerve, connects the thorax to the arm. Physical trauma can cause the area surrounding the clavicle to get compressed. For example, a T-bone accident can cause you to be hit on the side of your car, which is a direct impact to your clavicle. The sudden trauma can cause the bone to press against the nerve or may even break or fracture your collarbone and shoulder. In these cases, thoracic outlet syndrome can arise.

What are symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome?

Because thoracic outlet syndrome affects the nerves, the symptoms can be greatly magnified. Nerve damage is among the most painful to undergo, but the actual injury may not be as impactful as it feels. This is evidenced in conditions like CRPS, in which the pain response is greater than the physical damage itself. If you experience the following symptoms, you may have thoracic outlet syndrome:

• Degeneration of muscle near the fleshy area of the thumb
• Loss of color in the hand or fingers turning blue
• Loss of sensation in the arm due to blood clots
• No pulse or weak pulse
• Weakened grip and finger strength
• Swelling or inflammation in the arm or collarbone
• Pain in the arm and shoulder, often radiating
• A throbbing lump that forms near the clavicle
• Numbness in the hand or fingers

Your doctor can determine what kind of thoracic outlet syndrome you have. Most commonly, it will affect the brachial plexus; less often will it affect the subclavian artery or nerve. Nerve compression is extremely painful at times and can lead to great difficulty with life.

What are the financial affects of thoracic outlet syndrome?

If you have been in a car accident and the end result is thoracic outlet syndrome, you could face a lot of financial losses. For one, you will have to pay for the repairs to your vehicle, which may total thousands of dollars, especially if the damage were severe. You also may have lost plenty of items and belongings, and if you want to replace them, that will cost even more money. Because you do not have a vehicle, you may find it difficult to go to work or to go to your treatments. This means that you will have to spend money on transportation. You may not be able to use your arm, and thus won’t be able to cook food – leading to a lot more nights spent eating out instead of making something at home. You could also lack the ability to go to your job if you cannot commute there, or you may not have the ability to complete your work duties because of your injury. You may have reasonable accommodations and be able to go on disability pay, but you could have wages withheld to a certain percentage. You may even be terminated if you cannot reasonably fulfill your duties, even with accommodations. These are only a few of the vast financial burdens you can experience after suffering thoracic outlet syndrome from a car accident.

What can I do after a car accident?

A car accident can be frustrating to suffer through, especially if you were seriously injured or had some kind of nerve damage in the incident. It is important that you take tese steps to have the best chance of success with your claim and so that you do not risk your health. First, it is important that you go to the doctor. You should call the paramedics or go to the doctor yourself to get treated. You can be evaluated and keep the medical receipts and doctor’s notes to submit. The doctor may suggest that you get physical therapy or surgery, as well, if necessary. If you do not go to the doctor quickly, the insurance agent handling your claim can look at it suspiciously, as the gap can indicate that you were hurt elsewhere. Next, you should take photos of your injuries, the scene of the accident, the damage done to the vehicles, and more. If you can get videos as well, it will benefit your claim. You should then interview passengers and eyewitnesses who saw the event so you can write down their statements. You will also benefit if you take a copy of the police report after the cops have conducted an investigation. Lastly, it is important that you reach out to a lawyer who has experience in thoracic outlet syndrome lawsuits. Even though the condition may not show up for a few ways, you should still hire a relevant attorney as quickly as possible. If you wait too long, you will not be able to get the compensation you deserve. You should also avoid handling the claim by yourself, as you may not have any legal experience and any negotiations you try to do may fail.

Learn more about your legal options: Call (888) 649-7166 to speak with a representative now.

What can I earn from a thoracic outlet syndrome claim?

The value of your thoracic outlet syndrome claim will depend on many factors, such as your age, the impact the accident had on your life and career, the level of responsibility you had in the incident, and more. The agent will make an offer and our lawyers will negotiate with him. We will strive to win you compensation for the following:

• Medical treatments from the past and future for the condition, including hospitalization, therapy, surgery, and more
• Lost income if you could not go to work, as well as future income if you need treatment or recovery time
• Property damage if your personal belongings were broken or lost in the incident
• Pain and suffering to cover emotional anguish, fear, anxiety, PTSD, psychological trauma, and more

We will not hesitate to work around the clock to win you what you deserve. You should not be expected to pay off these debts if you were not the reason the accident happen. Thoracic outlet syndrome can be troublesome and it can completely control your life. You should not add to the list of worries.

Why Choose Us

The Downtown LA Law Group has years of experience handling car accident claims and we have recovered millions of dollars for individuals who were affected with thoracic outlet syndrome. We know that you need the best medical treatment available, and we can help get you the coverage you deserve. We will not stop fighting for your rightful restitution. If we must go to court to prove your case, we are willing to do so. For a free legal consultation, call our law offices at (888) 649-7166 today. We invite you to ask us any questions you want and we will look over your case and tell you what we think it’s worth. If you want us to represent you, we will give you our zero fee guarantee. This says that you won’t have to spend a dime of your own money on the case – we will cover all the costs. If we win, we get paid from taking a portion of the settlement. If we lose, we don’t get anything at all. Let our firm, the DTLA Law Group, help you with your thoracic outlet syndrome lawsuit if you were involved in a car accident.