Car accidents happen for a lot of different reasons, and they result in a lot of different types of injuries. One of the most devastating is long-term nerve damage. Any accident that affects the nerves can make it difficult to use your hands, arms or legs to complete even the most basic of everyday tasks. Facial injuries can also lead to nerve problems that can result in permanent disfigurement.
If you or someone close to you has suffered this kind of horrible injury, the car accident attorneys with The Eberst Law Firm may be able to help. We know how to hold negligent drivers accountable, and we know how to help our clients obtain the money they deserve. You’ve suffered greatly due to no fault of your own. You deserve justice, and that’s exactly what we’ll try to achieve on your behalf.
Don’t hesitate to contact us whenever you like to schedule a free consultation. You can give us a call at 1-888-CALL-JON, or you can use our online contact form.
How do Car Accidents Cause Nerve Damage?
A car wreck will often lead to violent whipping of the body due to the strength of the impact. Blunt force trauma, glass and metal can all do incredible harm to the body. This will often mean nerves are damaged so badly that they can leave a victim with a lifetime of pain and debilitation.
Types of Nerve Damage Caused by Car Accidents
Any part of the body can be at risk for significant nerve damage when a car wreck occurs. These are just a few of the more common nerve-related injuries that can happen.
- Whiplash. This is probably what most people think of first when it comes to nerve damage suffered in a collision. As the name implies, the impact of a car wreck will oftentimes result in the neck and head whipping violently back and forth. While seat belts and airbags do an excellent job of protecting the rest of the body, they can’t protect drivers and passengers from whiplash. This results in the neck stretching far more than normal. Not only are the nerves in the neck damaged as a result, but nerves in the spine can be affected as well.
- Herniated disc. If you’ve ever had a back injury, you know how excruciating it can be. Vehicular collisions can result in a herniated, or slipped, disc. This happens when the disc is suddenly knocked out of place, putting an extreme amount of pressure on the nerves in your back as a result. Rear-end collisions are among the most common causes of herniated disc injuries.
- Pinched nerve. A pinched nerve is somewhat similar to whiplash in that it can affect the neck as well as the back. Not only can the impact of an accident lead directly to a pinched nerve, so can inflammation that takes place whenever any muscles or soft tissues are damaged.
How is Nerve Damage Treated?
If a doctor suspects nerve damage, the injury victim will usually undergo several types of tests to confirm the initial diagnosis. These can include nerve conduction studies, electromyography, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computed tomography) tests. After the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will then recommend the best course of treatment to try and restore the nerves back to their normal function.
There are some cases where nerve damage can at least be minimized – if not completely fixed – through prompt medical treatment. This could involve extensive back surgery, such as a laminectomy or a discectomy. Once the surgery is complete and the patient has had time to rest and recover, a doctor will likely recommend extensive physical therapy to help the victim’s quality of life.
Will Nerve Damage Affect Your Everyday Life?
Unfortunately, some of the more common injuries suffered in car accidents, such as nerve damage, can definitely impact a victim’s day-to-day life. Nerve damage in the arm, for example, can lead to permanent numbness, weakness or tingling. Not only are these problems incredibly painful, they can rob a person of their ability to do something as simple as gripping a fork or a glass.
Long Term Effects and How to Cope
When nerves are compressed, cut or completely severed, the impacts can obviously be devastating. Nerves play a vital role in the way the body functions. While surgery and physical therapy can often help, there are times where the damage is so severe that nothing can be done.
The consequences can be horrible. A victim may have to go the rest of their life without being able to feel a part of their body, or will have to deal with excruciating pain for decades to come. Some will even experience partial or total paralysis of the affected area.
As you can well imagine, suffering this kind of injury can also have profound emotional and mental effects. Victims will often require the help of mental health professionals in order to find a way to cope with their new way of life.
Receiving Compensation for a Long Term Injury
The tests, treatments and therapy (both physical and psychological) that are often required to address nerve damage and its long-term effects are incredibly costly. Victims will also probably have to miss a long period of time from work. Since they only have so much sick time and vacation time, they will eventually start to lose wages. If they’ve been hurt badly enough, they might not ever be able to work again.
This is why it will be so critical to hire a car accident attorney as soon as possible. You would like to think that the negligent driver’s insurance company would do the right thing, and pay a victim the fair and full compensation they deserve. But reality is far different. Insurers typically do everything they can to keep from paying that compensation.
A skilled attorney can force them to do just that, by uncovering the evidence needed to prove that an injury victim deserves every penny they’re trying to obtain. An attorney can investigate the crash site, interview witnesses, and perform several other tasks to gather compelling proof.
Eberst Law Firm’s Team of Talented, Experienced Attorneys are Here to Help You
Don’t let an insurance company adjuster try to convince you not to hire an attorney. Get the help of an experienced legal representative so that you can obtain the compensation you have coming to you.
The Eberst Law Firm not only has that experience, but has also achieved a long track record of success in cases just like yours. Put our knowledge and skill to work by scheduling a free case review. Contact us online or call 1-888-CALL-JON as soon as you can.
