Nerve Damage from an Accident
Nerve damage is known to cause some of the worst pain a human being can experience, along with disability that can result in an inability to work temporarily or permanently. However, proving in a personal injury case that disabling nerve damage has occurred can be difficult. Why is nerve damage so challenging to document?
Type of Nerve Damage
The initial obstacle in proving nerve damage is that several types exist; you may suffer from any of these types if you are injured in an auto accident, and they all involve different symptoms and recommended treatments. Nerves can be damaged due to pressure, cutting or stretching. In a car accident, nerves commonly are injured in several ways:
- Blunt-force trauma, including hitting your head, legs or arms on a surface either inside or outside the car, which can compress your nerves.
- Lacerations, which are deep cuts to your skin that can slice nerves.
- Whiplash, or a harsh jerking of your head and neck, which can stretch or pinch the nerves in the surrounding areas.
Symptoms of Nerve Damage
How do you know if you have nerve damage following an injury? If you’re suffering from the following signs and symptoms, there’s a strong possibility that you have damage:
- Pain or weakness in muscles.
- Complete or partial paralysis of fingers, toes or limbs.
- Uncontrolled muscle movements.
- A prickly feeling, tingling or numbness in your limbs or skin.
- Greater sensitivity of your skin to cold or hot.
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, you should be examined by a doctor immediately to determine if you have nerve damage. If you believe you may have nerve damage or receive a diagnosis, contact an experienced personal injury lawyerimmediately to help secure compensation to cover your current and future medical needs.
Options for Treating Nerve Damage
Nerve damage treatment methods can include medication, physical therapy and surgery, and they’re used depending on the severity and prognosis of the injury. An experienced medical professional should evaluate your injury to determine what method of treatment will work best for you.
This type of damage can result in significant long-term effects, including substantial medical bills and time lost from work. Even with appropriate medical treatment and time for rehabilitation, you may never completely recover from your injuries.
Damages for ‘Pain and Suffering’
In a personal injury case for severe nerve damage, a jury may award you financial compensation for your pain and suffering. Such damages often go beyond compensation for your immediate physical pain and can also attempt to compensate you for the mental and emotional anguish serious physical injuries can cause. You also can receive financial compensation for the severe deterioration in your quality of life that your injury causes.
Awards of financial compensation for pain and suffering in Massachusetts can be significant when you have nerve damage that reduces the functioning or your organs or limbs. In addition, living with such diminished capacity and related disability can mean you’re awarded compensation for serious psychological issues, including depression.
Assigning Value to Pain and Suffering
What is pain and suffering worth? Estimating can be difficult, and juries award damages based on their own subjective judgments of evidence, including testimony from victims and expert witnesses. To maximize your compensation for pain and suffering, it’s critical to work with a personal injury attorney who has significant experience in presenting evidence convincingly to juries.
While it’s not possible to establish an exact dollar amount that your injury is “worth,” you can prove objectively that you suffered nerve damage and that it is significantly impacting your quality of life in a negative manner. Your personal injury attorney will determine how best to present evidence, including the results of diagnostic tests and expert testimony that injuries such as yours commonly or always result in nerve damage.
Speak with an Experienced Worcester Attorney
To receive immediate advice regarding your legal options if you’ve suffered nerve damage, contact our Worcester office. Personal injury attorney Peter Ventura uses his 25 years of litigation experience to present effective evidence of the harm caused by your nerve damage injury and ensure that you receive just compensation.
