Mercer County Nerve Damage Lawyers
Besides scratches, bruises, and a broken bone, nerve damage is also a common and painful consequence provoked by an auto accident.
When we think about a car accident and the injuries it can produce, we frequently think of broken bones, head injuries, or lacerations. Still, there are a myriad of injuries related to nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy, which can be just as serious, if not more so. Some neurological distress is permanent, even after physical therapy and surgery. If you have been in a car accident and are injured, you should contact a car accident lawyer right away. You may be entitled to damages.
Most Common Nerve Injuries in NJ Car Accidents
The most common injury is whiplash. Whiplash occurs when a car is struck from behind, and the members of the car experience a sudden jerking motion forward and back, causing injury to the nerves in the neck. Besides the nerves, whiplash can produce damage to the muscles, discs, and tendons in your neck. A herniated disc can be caused by twisting the neck and spine. The spine is made of bones, and between them are sponge-like discs. The disc has a soft inside layer covered by a firmer outside layer. A disc becomes herniated when the softer center material breaks through the outer layer, causing nerve damage and pain. A pinched nerve is another common nerve injury. Inflammation caused by an accident puts pressure on the nerves of the neck, back, and shoulder, principally causing nerve damage.
Is Nerve Damage Serious?
There are different grades of severity when it comes to nerve damage. Sometimes after time and therapy, it can disappear, while other times, it is permanent or even worsens. The most important thing is to follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter and keep notes of all diagnoses, prognosis, and epacrises (if you are hospitalized) and share them with your accident attorney. It is of utmost importance to go to all doctor’s appointments and physical therapy.
Types of Nerve Damage in Accidents in NJ
Nerves send messages called impulses throughout the body. There are three kinds of nerves, and they each have a different but equally important function. The sensory nerves carry messages from the sense organs to the brain and spinal cord. An injury to your brain or spinal cord could cause your sensory nerves to be damaged. Motor nerves send impulses from the brain all over the body to facilitate voluntary movement. Autonomic nerves control all of your body’s involuntary actions, such as breathing, digestion, heartbeat, etc. Damage to the autonomic nerves, if irreparable, can lead to death.
Nerves can be damaged by stretching, cutting, or blunt force trauma. There are three kinds of peripheral nerve damage: neurapraxia, axonotmesis, and neurotmesis. Neurapraxia is a minor, severe injury to a nerve. It is caused when nerves are compressed or stretched and managed without surgery. It can present itself with numbness in the extremities, a complete shutdown of the nerve itself, but temporary. Axonotmesis is a somewhat more serious condition. It occurs when severe blunt trauma to a nerve divides it partially and causes loss of some motor, sensory, and autonomic nerve activity. Recovery is possible once the pressure and damage from the trauma subside. The last kind of peripheral nerve damage is neurotmesis, and it is caused when a nerve is split entirely because of a laceration. Cut nerves are challenging to fix, and the recovery can improve the condition but not provide complete healing.
Common Symptoms of Neuropathy in New Jersey
The neuropathy symptoms are numerous and depend on the severity of the accident and the patient’s age. Symptoms include severe headaches, muscular atrophy, dizziness, numbness, tingling, or burning in the extremities. Accident victims have also complained of pain that shoots from the hip down to the foot, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, sweating too much or not at all, and clumsiness.
Neuropathy Treatments
Before it can be treated, it must be diagnosed. X-rays, ultrasounds, CAT’s and MRIs are all used to find the injury. Once the damage is identified, a doctor or a team decides a plan of action, including a physical therapist, neurologist, and orthopedist. Medications, both for inflammation and pain, are vital in the healing process. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) sends electrical impulses in gentle waves under the skin. For the most severe injuries, surgery is sometimes necessary. Technology and medical advancements have made the results of surgery much more successful than years ago.
Have you Suffered a Nerve Injury and want to Seek Compensation?
Several factors determine the size of the settlement you can receive due to the neuropathy you have due to your car accident. First, the gravity of your accident and the amount of damage you have experienced are essential. If the insurance does not cover your medical expenses, including diagnostic testing (x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds) or medical treatment, that should be a part of your settlement. You must be able to prove liability. This means that you need to prove the other driver was at fault and that your injuries resulted from that accident.
Contact an Experienced Trenton NJ Nerve Damage Attorney for Assistance with Your Case
There is a statute of limitations in New Jersey of two years to submit a lawsuit for personal injury in a car accident. The best way to ensure your lawyer from Cohen & Riechelson can give you the best possible result is by contacting us as soon as possible. We know you are struggling as you try to heal but are worried about taking care of your family. We can investigate everything that happened, leaving no stone unturned. We will look for closed-circuit camera footage, talk to witnesses, meet with your doctors, and keep you up to date during the entire process.
A lawyer isn’t just someone who goes to court with you. They become someone you can trust and depend on. The insurance companies do not have your best interests at heart. They are all about the bottom line and will send you lowball offers that won’t scratch the surface of your needs. Let our team negotiate for you and if need be, go to court to get you the best result possible.
Call us at (609) 528-2596 or contact us through our online form. We have the knowledge and experience to represent you and get you the settlement that you need and deserve. We represent victims of auto accidents in Princeton, Lawrence, Ewing, Hamilton, and towns in Mercer County, Middlesex County, Somerset County. We don’t charge you anything if we don’t win money for you.
