Have you suffered nerve damage in a motor vehicle crash or another accident in South Carolina? Nerve injuries can lead to life-altering impairments, unforeseen medical expenses, and lost income. You may suffer permanent disabilities that prevent you from earning a living or participating in activities you enjoy. While no amount of money could make up for the harm you have suffered, compensation from a nerve damage settlement can cover your medical expenses and help you live your life to its fullest.
Since opening our doors in 1968, the attorneys at Joye Law Firm have helped injury victims overcome some of the most difficult challenges in their lives. Joye Law Firm’s is consistently listed in U.S. News & World Reports’ Best Law Firms, and multiple attorneys are listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the categories of personal injury – plaintiffs and worker’s compensation.
Our attorneys have handled many personal injury cases involving nerve damage. We can understand what compensation you may seek as part of a settlement. Keep reading to learn more. Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation about your case.
What Are Nerve Damage Injuries?
Nerve cells perform a wide range of functions in the body, including controlling the muscles, regulating bodily functions, and providing sensations of heat, cold, touch, or pain. Nerve damage injuries occur when nerve cells or nerve bundles are compressed, pinched, or stretched. This trauma prevents the transmission of nerve signals to and from the brain.
There are three basic types of nerves:
- Autonomic nerves – These cells control the involuntary or partially voluntary bodily functions like body temperature, respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure
- Motor nerves – These relay signals from your brain and spinal cord to the muscles in your body
- Sensory nerves – These cells communicate pain and sensations from your skin, muscles, and other tissues to your brain
Degrees of Nerve Damage Injuries
Nerve damage injuries are often classified by the severity of the injury. The degrees of nerve damage injury include the following:
- Neurapraxia – The least severe type of nerve injury, neurapraxia occurs when the structure of the nerve remains intact, allowing for a full recovery.
- Axonotmesis – Axonotmesis is a more severe type of nerve injury involving damage to the nerve structure, resulting in long-term or permanent loss of sensations or motor functions controlled by those nerves.
- Neurotmesis – The most severe degree of nerve injury is neurotmesis, in which the nerve is completely severed, resulting in permanent, irreversible loss of sensation or motor function.
Accidents That Cause Nerve Damage
Various types of accidents can lead to nerve damage or nerve injury. The most common accidents that cause these injuries include:
- Motor vehicle accidents such as car crashes, truck crashes, motorcycle accidents, and bicycle or pedestrian accidents
- Boating and maritime accidents
- Aviation accidents
- Construction accidents
- Industrial and manufacturing accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Nursing home abuse
- Medical malpractice, especially surgical errors
- Defective medical devices
These accidents can lead to nerve damage in many ways, such as through the following injuries or circumstances:
- Whiplash in motor vehicle accidents can cause a sudden jerking movement of the head, which can strain and damage nerves in the head and neck
- Lacerations from vehicle crashes or workplace accidents can damage or sever nerves
- Blunt force trauma from crashes can crush, pinch, or shear nerves throughout the body
- Falls that cause crushed vertebrae and damage the spinal cord
