Unlike a cut, burn or broken bone, you can’t see nerve damage. So, if you get into a car accident, you may suffer damage to your nerves without realizing it. In fact, due to shock and adrenaline, it may take hours or days until you notice signs of nerve damage. This is why you should always see a doctor as soon as possible after a crash – even if you think you might have escaped the crash without injury. The sooner you are diagnosed and treated, the better off you will be in the long run.
Here, we provide an overview of different types of nerve injuries and the common signs and symptoms of nerve damage after a car accident. Additionally, we discuss how you can prove nerve damage while seeking to recover compensation for the harm that you have suffered.
To discuss the specific facts of your case, contact our experienced Norcross car accident lawyers at R. Alan Cleveland, LLC. We can bring several decades of combined legal experience to your case and a record that includes more than $150 million recovered on behalf of our clients. We will provide a free, no-risk consultation, and we will charge no costs or fees unless we secure compensation for you.
What Types of Nerve Damage Occur in Car Wrecks?
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When you collide with another car, the force of impact can cause a variety of nerve injuries. The damage to one’s nerves can be debilitating. This is because our nerves transmit signals throughout the body that allow us to function and feel sensations. Some of the most common types of nerve damage are:
- Severed nerves – Many people suffer deep cuts in crashes or experience sudden movements. The cut or movement may severe the nerve insulation or fibers within the nerve. If the insulation remains intact, the nerve fibers may regrow. However, if both the insulation and fibers are severed, surgical repair may be necessary.
- Stretched nerves – Whiplash is one of the most common types of injuries that people sustain in crashes, especially rear-end collisions. It occurs when the neck whips violently back-and-forth in a whip-like motion. When it happens, a person’s nerves can easily become stretched.
- Compressed nerves – This type of nerve damage often occurs when bones are broken or dislocated. It can also happen when bones in the spinal column, or vertebrae, are damaged. Some people refer to this condition as a “pinched nerve.”
- Nerve irritation – If the gel-like cushions between the vertebrae herniate or rupture, it can put pressure on nerves and cause severe irritation that radiates throughout the body.
In extreme cases, nerve damage can cause a partial or total loss of feeling and sensation in affected areas of the body, or paralysis. Other types of nerve damage can lead to chronic pain and prevent people from working and engaging in other daily activities.
How Do You Know If You Suffered Nerve Damage in a Crash?
Nerve damage is an injury that can produce a range of symptoms. Some of the most common signs of nerve damage are:
- Bladder and bowel problems
- Prickling, numbness or tingling
- Loss of coordination
- Weakness or pain in the limbs
- Sensitivity to touch
- Full or partial paralysis
- Sharp or jabbing sensations
- Twitching or uncontrollable muscle movements
- Burning sensations
- Heightened skin sensitivity
- Reduced neck motion or neck pain
- Muscle spasms
- Headaches.
Remember: Some nerve damage symptoms do not immediately show up. Some car accident victims may not experience any pain or other symptoms until a significant period of time passes. For this reason, you should immediately see a doctor after a crash. The doctor can examine you, conduct tests and ultimately diagnose the nature and extent of any nerve damage that you have suffered.
The doctor can also initiate treatment of your condition, which may include a combination of surgery, medication and physical therapy. The treatment may repair the nerves, alleviate pain and, ultimately, help you to regain function and mobility.
Additionally, you should see a doctor in order to protect your right to recover just compensation from the party who caused your car accident. If you delay getting medical attention, an insurance company may claim that the crash did not cause your nerve damage or try to downplay the severity of your injuries.
How Do You Prove Nerve Damage After a Car Accident?
You may be entitled to compensation if a negligent driver caused you to suffer nerve damage in an accident. This compensation can include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish.
In order to prove nerve damage to the insurance company, or to a jury if a trial is necessary, your attorney from R. Alan Cleveland, LLC, can present medical evidence such as:
- A doctor’s written evaluation
- X-ray, MRI or CT scan results
- Nerve conduction test results
- A physical therapist’s report.
Establishing the pain and suffering you have experienced due to nerve damage from a car wreck – both physical and emotional harm – can be slightly more challenging. It typically involves presenting your own description of the impact on your life and statements or testimony from medical experts, family members, friends or co-workers. In many cases, pain and suffering damages can represent a major portion of a car accident settlement or verdict.
Get Help from a Norcross Car Accident Attorney
If you suffer from nerve damage after a car accident in Norcross or elsewhere in the Greater Atlanta area, the last thing you should worry about is handling paperwork and dealing with the insurance companies. At R. Alan Cleveland, LLC, our legal team can take care of those matters for you while you focus on your health and your family.
Our primary goal will be to ensure that you are treated with dignity and as fairly as possible. We will handle all aspects of your case and work tirelessly to pursue full and fair compensation for you. To learn more, call or reach us online today for a free consultation about your case.
R. Alan Cleveland
An Athens resident Alan Cleveland grew up in Rockdale County. As a founding partner of the personal injury law firm of R. Alan Cleveland, LLC he proudly serves his community and provides skilled representation to injury victims and their families all around Georgia. Alan earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and went on to graduate, summa cum laude, from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. He is also a graduate of Gerry Spence’s renowned Trial Lawyers College (TLC) in Wyoming. In his free time, Alan frequently speaks at continuing legal education seminars. He also volunteered as a youth baseball coach and assists with Georgia’s high school moot court competition held annually. Alan serves as a Trustee of Historic Athens and is a member of the Development Authority of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County.
