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Whether you were involved in a rollover, rear-end accident, head-on crash, or multi-vehicle collision, car accidents are a common cause of serious injuries. One common, yet serious, auto accident injury is nerve damage. When nerves are injured, important functions of the body are also interrupted. For example, some nerve injuries can affect a person’s ability to speak, touch, taste, smell, breathe and hear.
Because there are over 100 types of nerve damage that can occur, victims of auto accidents can suffer damage to autonomic, motor, or sensory nerves—or a combination of any of the three. Nerve damage can affect a victim’s arms, hands, legs, feet, and even face. Unfortunately, any part of an individual’s body is subject to nerve damage because nerves run throughout the human body.
How Does Nerve Damage Occur in Car Accidents?
There are many ways in which accident victims can suffer nerve damage, including:
- Whiplash
- Lacerations
- Broken glass injuries
- Broken bones
- Dislocated joints
- Loss of limb
- Burn injuries
- Skull fractures
- Other head injuries
- Facial injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniated disc injuries
- Internal injuries
- Spinal cord injury
The most common ways drivers and passengers suffer nerve damage includes whiplash and blunt-force trauma. When a motorist hits their body onto a hard surface, nerves can compress. Additionally, when the head and neck are jerked backwards and forwards, nerves can be stretched. If nerves are stretched, cut, or damaged by pressure, nerve damage typically occurs.
The Debilitating Effects of Nerve Damage
Because even a minor car accident can lead to nerve injuries, all car accident victims should seek medical treatment as soon as possible after a crash. When nerves are damaged, a victim will most likely need surgery, rehabilitation, rest, and other treatments. Because nerve damage can take months or even years to fully heal, victims need to be compensated for their medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
Sadly, some victims never regain full functionality in the injured part of their bodies, leading to a lifetime of pain, loss of functionality, and physical and mental anguish. The debilitating effects of nerve damage can cause victims the inability to work and make a living or live life as they knew it.
If your car accident-related nerve damage is causing you not to live a normal life, you should learn about your legal rights. To find out more, order a free copy of our book, What You Need to Know After a Florida Auto, Truck, or Bike Accident.
