What Happens if I Suffered Nerve Damage from a Car Accident?
November 18, 2021
Our bodies function thanks to a complex network of nerves that send and receive electrical impulses. When those nerves are damaged, it can interrupt the body’s ability to work properly. Nerve damage can also cause tremendous pain and become a major impediment to living a normal life. When nerve damage results from a car accident, your entire life can be impacted by the physical, mental, and financial implications of your injury.
What Is Nerve Damage?
Nerve damage occurs when injury to a nerve causes physical discomfort and impairment of bodily feeling or function. Compression or inflammation can put pressure on nerves and cause pain and other symptoms. Some of the sensations experienced as a result of nerve damage include numbness, tingling, loss of strength, loss of grip, muscle cramping, and spasms.
How Do Nerves Become Damaged in Car Accidents?
A car accident may cause nerves to become pinched, compressed, stretched, or severed. This damage can be the result of specific injuries such as whiplash, herniated disk, blunt-force trauma, lacerations, or broken bones.
When a car accident victim’s body is thrown about in a collision, they may experience injuries to their neck, back, connective tissues, joints, and other areas. Some of the most devastating examples of nerve damage involve injury to nerves in the head, neck, spinal cord, or brain.
What Symptoms Are Associated with Nerve Damage?
Nerve damage can cause chronic, severe, shooting, or radiating pain as well as sensations including numbness, tingling, burning, or sensitivity to touch or temperature. Nerve damage can cause twitching, tremors, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, or even paralysis.
What Happens When Nerves that Affect the Pathways along the Spinal Cord and Brain Are Damaged?
Damage to nerves along the spinal cord or near the brain can cause neurological issues that trigger debilitating migraines, affect focus, cause dizziness, and may reduce mental acuity. Such injuries can seriously impede a person’s ability to work or lead a normal life.
How Is Nerve Damage Diagnosed and Treated?
Suspected nerve damage should be identified and treated right away to offer the best chance of a full and quick recovery. To diagnose nerve damage, a doctor will perform a physical examination to test reflexes, sensations, and strength. An MRI or CT scan may be utilized as well.
Depending on the severity of the nerve damage, treatment may include simple measures such as rest and pain medication, or it may involve focused physical therapy and months of rehabilitation. Some nerve injuries will require the use of mobility aids or call for surgery.
Why Is a Timely Diagnosis Important for Legal Purposes?
When nerve damage results from a car accident, it is critical to get a clear and timely diagnosis to connect the injury to the collision. Unless you can prove that the injury is linked to the accident, you will not be able to collect compensation to from the auto insurance policy covering the incident.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at Nerenberg Law Associates, P.C. Help Injured People Recover after Devastating Collisions
If you suffered nerve damage from a car accident injury, you should be able to collect damages for your losses. Your claim should cover your medical bills incurred as a result of your accident as well as any financial losses you may have suffered because of your inability to work while you were hurt. The Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Nerenberg Law Associates, P.C. can help you recover compensation from those responsible for your accident. Call us today at 215-569-9100 or contact us online for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.