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What Are the Different Types of Nerve Damage After an Accident?

Written by AskTheLawyers.com™

What Are the Different Types of Nerve Damage After an Accident?

Written by AskTheLawyers.com™

AskTheLawyers™

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Nerve damage is a unique type of injury following an accident, as it is not always visible on the outside. However, nerve damage is remarkably common and can range from relatively minor injuries like whiplash to serious nerve damage including paralysis. Nerve injuries occur when nerves are stretched, compressed, crushed, or even cut in an accident, and can be short-term, long-term, or even permanent. Common accidents in which nerve damage can occur include motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, slip-and-falls, and more. Any kind of injury involving potential nerve damage needs to be taken seriously, and every avenue for recovery should be considered, both medical and legal.

The three types of nerve that can be damaged in an accident include:

  1. Motor nerves: Motor nerves allow the brain to control the body’s movement. When motor nerves are damaged, it can seriously affect mobility and may even result in paralysis or total loss of function if the nerve damage is permanent. Motor nerve damage can inhibit an individual’s ability to interact with the world around them in the most basic physical ways.
  2. Sensory nerves: Sensory nerves allow the brain to process feelings of touch, including temperature, texture, and pain. When sensory nerves are damaged, not only can it be disorienting, but it can actually be dangerous. For example, if the sensory nerves in an accident victim’s hands are destroyed, they might not feel it if they place their hand on a hot stove.
  3. Autonomic nerves: Autonomic nerves are perhaps the least talked about but arguably the most important to a body’s vital functions. Autonomic nerves control the automatic functions of the body, like breathing with the lungs and the pumping of blood with the heart. While neither of these bodily endeavors are conscious, they do require signals to continue running. When autonomic nerves are damaged it can seriously affect an accident victim’s ability to breathe, regulate blood pressure, and go to the bathroom.

If you suffered nerve damage in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible to file a claim.

Whenever someone suffers a serious injury as the result of another party’s negligent or intentional conduct, it may be possible for the victim to file a personal injury claim. In a personal injury claim, the injured party or “plaintiff” can pursue the negligent party or “defendant” in court to have their damages compensated. Compensation in a personal injury case involving nerve damage could include medical bills, lost wages, loss of enjoyment of life, and more. An experienced personal injury attorney can sit down with the injured person to assess not only their current expenses and life changes but also expenses and life changes that can be expected to arise in the future as well. The good news is that hiring a personal injury attorney does not typically involve any out-of-pocket fees. Instead, most injury attorneys offer free consultations and even work on contingency, which means clients don’t pay unless and until they win their case.

To learn more about nerve injuries following an accident, or for help filing a claim, reach out to a personal injury attorney in your area.

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