Nerves are an important component of the human body. They send signals from the brain to different parts of the body and are key parts of feeling pain, sensation, temperature, and more. The central nervous system is a system that is composed of the brain and the spinal cord; it is the core of each person alive. The trouble with the nervous system is its fragility when it comes to traumatic incidents and damages. Nerve damage can occur in many forms of accidents, including traffic accidents, truck accidents, dog bites, slip and falls, birth traumas, child birth injuries, medical malpractice, surgical errors, gunshot wounds, and much more. Nerves can be damaged by the application of pressure, stretching, cutting, and laceration of nerve fibers. If you have been injured in accident and you suffered nerve damage, contact the Downtown LA Law Group today.
Causes of Nerve Damage
Nerve damage can generally occur with any kind of trauma, whether blunt force, passive, repetitive, or inflicted. Traffic accidents, such as motorcycle crashes, truck crashes, and automobile collisions, can cause sudden impacts to parts of the back and result in nerve damage. Whiplash and ruptured discs are common precursors to lasting nerve damage.
Dog bites and similar puncture wounds can also damage a nerve beyond repair due to the nerve being severed or cut. This same type of severance can also occur during surgery; a doctor may mistakenly cut a nerve or damage it while performing an operation, but he will deny liability. This can be the firm basis for a medical malpractice claim.
Some children may suffer nerve damage early on in life during the delivery or birth process. Some doctors use forceps too aggressively or try to wrestle a baby free of the birth canal, leading to nerve damages in the head and shoulders.
No matter what the cause of your nerve damage, it is important that you understand who was liable, what kind of damage occurred, and how to take legal action. Your primary goal, though, should be adequate medical treatment to try and counter the pain.
Nerve Pain Information
Nerve damage generally results in nerve pain, which can be unbearable to the victim. There are estimates that more than 15 million individuals suffer nerve pain each year, and many of these individuals do not get the treatment they need.
The main problem with nerve damage is that it is not always central to the nerve. For example, damage to the ulnar nerve, which runs the length of the arm and through the shoulder, can result in extreme pain in the hands. It can radiate down into the fingers and make it almost impossible to move without excruciating suffering. However, there may be pain at all in the elbow or shoulder, which can lead people to believe they actually have the damage in the hand itself, not higher up on the nerve.
This is not uncommon with the various nerves that run through the body. Damaged nerves in the neck can result in arm pain and back pain, while injured nerves in the spinal cord can radiate pain down into the legs and make mobility impossible.
One of the most troublesome forms of nerve injury is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or CRPS (also known as causalgia or reflex dystrophy syndrome). It is essentially an ongoing issue that causes the victim to live with constant, awful pain stemming from nerve damage from a previous incident. The pain may travel or relocate beyond the area that was initially injured. There is no known cure for the condition, and many doctors struggle to diagnose it.
Other forms of nerve damage and conditions include:
- Paralysis, which is the the complete loss of the ability to move most or part of the body. this can be limited to specific sections, like the face; appendages, like the arms; halves, such as in paraplegia, which is the paralysis of the body from the waist down; or the entire body, known as quadriplegia.
- Spinal Cord Injury, or SCI, which is the most common cause of paraplegia and quadriplegia
- Obstetrical Brachial Plexus, also known as Erb’s Palsy, during child birth, resulting in upper arm and trunk damages
- Brachial Plexus Trauma, or a more widespread form of damage to the upper nerves in the shoulder and spinal cord
- Radial Nerve Compression, which may impair the arm; it is caused by a section of the nerve getting pinched or pressed down upon
- Supramaximal nerve damage
- Cauda Equina Syndrome, which is usually caused by herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and more; it results in back and leg pain, loss of bowel control, and other issues.
- Sciatica Neuropathy, in which the sciatic nerve becomes dysfunction and causes foot drop, hip pain, and more
Symptoms of Nerve Damage
Identifying nerve damage can be difficult, especially if you have an underlying condition. It may take months for you to understand that you suffered some kind of damage to the nerve after an incident. There are various symptoms of nerve damage, some of which can be found below:
- Constipation
- Hypersensitivity to light, heat, and touch
- Numbness
- Loss of sensation
- Burning or heated feelings
- Tingling
- Muscle atrophy, or decay of the muscle
- Loss of libido
- Sexual dysfunction
- Bladder dysfunctions
- Sensory damage
- Inability to feel certain parts of your body
- Positional awareness issues
- Hyperhidrosis
- Anhidrosis
- Lightheadedness
- Weakness
- Twitching
Treatments for Nerve Damage
It can be extremely difficult to treat nerve damage, and in many cases, there is no full cure. Severed nerves and permanently damaged nerves will likely never recover or repair themselves, and treatments involve lessening the pain or avoiding triggering motions or actions. Some treatments include:
- Physical therapy and nerve gliding exercises, which strive to get the nerve used to movement and sensation again so that any sudden motions do not trigger pain
- Pain relieving medication and prescription drugs that seek to lessen the constant pain
- Acupuncture and other holistic treatments that target specific points of the body to redirect, alter, open, or lessen energies and blood flow
- Diet regulation to reduce constant inflammation and irritation
- Surgery to either remove a nerve, shorten it, or decompress it
We know the best nerve damage doctors in the city, and we can ensure that you are fully covered for your treatments if you were hurt in an accident. If you were hurt because of a traffic accident, assault and battery, personal injury, construction site accident, workplace accident, a violent crime, or medical malpractice incident, you can contact our law firm today.
Restitution from a Nerve Damage Lawsuit
It is important that your nerve injury attorney understands the extent of your nerve damage and employs the proper experts to determine the extent of your injuries. It is crucial that you receive adequate treatment so that you do not have to live in constant pain any longer.
Your personal injury claim can be worth a fair amount of money if the injuries you suffered were particularly extensive, or if they had a profound impact on your daily life and career. The insurance agent handling your case will make an offer based on these factors, as well as your age, job type, and degree of responsibility for the incident. We will strive to win you the following forms of damages for your nerve damage lawsuit:
- Medical expenses for surgery, hospitalization, prescriptions and medication, physical therapy and rehabilitation sessions, future medical treatments, and much more
- Lost wages for any time you spent unemployed or unable to work, as well as future lost income if you could not return to work because of medical treatments or recovery time; this compensation can include commissions, benefits, tips, bonuses, and more
- Property damage for any personal items or belongings that were lost or broken in the accident
- Pain and suffering damages, which can cover PTSD, anxiety, fear, mental trauma, and depression resulting from the incident
Our Firm Fights for You
The Downtown LA Law Group has handled dozens of nerve damage lawsuits over the years, and we know the best methods for success. We will fight for your fair compensation no matter what, and our aggressive lawyers will not stop until we are satisfied with the results of your case. If we have to go to court to secure you a verdict, we are willing to do so.
Call today for a free legal consultation to discuss your claim. All consultations are totally free of charge and completely confidential. None of your information will be shared elsewhere. We are available to discuss your claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Further, we’ll give you our zero fee guarantee if you hire us for our services. We won’t ask you for any money throughout the claim; we will only get paid if we win, and the money will come from the settlement secured for you. If we lose, we take no payment whatsoever.
If you suffered nerve damage of any kind, get in touch with our expert lawyers at the Downtown LA Law Group.