Have you suffered nerve damage in a personal injury accident? We can help you get compensation.
Peripheral nerve injuries are a common cause of pain and impairment for many people who have been involved in personal injury accidents. If you plan on filing a personal injury claim against the person or company responsible for your accident, it is very important that peripheral nerve injuries be considered and valued appropriately in your request for compensation.
Causes
All kinds of accidents can cause peripheral nerve damage. However, the most common cause is traffic accidents. An estimated 46 percent of all peripheral nerve injuries are caused by some type of car accident, motorcycle accident, or pedestrian accident. Hard falls can also result in peripheral nerve injuries, as can industrial accidents and syndromes like carpal tunnel.
Types of Injuries
The symptoms of a peripheral nerve injury can vary widely depending on which nerves are affected and how serious the damage is.
There are three main types of nerves: motor, sensory, and automatic. Motor nerves control muscle movements, sensory nerves control sensations like pain and touch, and automatic nerves control vital bodily processes like breathing, digestion, heart function, and body temperature regulation. This means that symptoms may range from minor muscle weakness to complete loss of sensation or mobility in a limb or extremity.
There are five different levels of damage that nerves can suffer:
- First degree: This type of nerve injury involves an interruption of blood flow to the nerve and/or damage to the sheath surrounding the nerve. Symptoms are mild and typically disappear within weeks or months.
- Second degree: When an injury damages the nerve fibers, it will be at least a second-degree nerve injury. These kinds of injuries typically heal well.
- Third degree: When the nerve coverings, nerve fibers, and neural axons are damaged, it is considered third-degree nerve injury. After this type of injury, there is a tendency for the nerves to grow in the wrong directions.
- Fourth degree: With a fourth-degree nerve injury, the damage is so extensive that surgery is almost always required for recovery.
- Fifth degree: The most severe type of injury involves damage to the entire nerve and its covering. Surgery may or may not be effective in correcting this type of injury.
Treatment
The most common treatments for peripheral nerve injuries are surgery and rehabilitation. Depending on the nature of the injury, surgical repair, nerve reconstruction, or tendon transfers may be needed. Muscles will need to be retrained using daily physical therapy exercises.
Compensation
When nerve injuries occur due to someone else’s negligence, it is possible to secure compensation from that party or their insurance provider. This compensation can include payments for any medical expenses that have already been incurred, as well as for the cost of future surgeries and therapy. Victims can also seek compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering. In the case of a permanent disability, compensation for lost earning power may also be appropriate.
If you need help filing a personal injury claim following a peripheral nerve injury, please contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000. As your catastrophic injury attorney, we will fight for you to receive maximum compensation for your injuries and suffering. The initial consultation is always free, so do not hesitate to call now.
