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Minneapolis Bell’s Palsy Lawyer

TSR Injury Law cares about your discomfort, pain, and fear of the future — and we want to help. If your Bell’s palsy was sustained in a motor vehicle accident due to the negligence of another, you deserve compensation for medical expenses, therapy, lost wages, disfigurement, and pain and suffering. Contact a Minneapolis Bell’s Palsy Lawyer at (612) TSR-TIME. Our lawyers have years of experience. We will work tirelessly to achieve a fair settlement.

Bell’s Palsy

Bell’s palsy is the paralysis of the facial nerve, called the seventh cranial nerve. An injury to the head or neck may lead to inflammation and swelling of the seventh cranial nerve — which may inhibit, damage, or kill the nerve. Bell’s palsy is usually a temporary paralysis; but if the nerve is killed, there is the possibility for some permanent damage.

The facial nerve has six- to seven-thousand nerve fibers that conduct electrical signals from the brain to the facial muscles, controlling contraction. Nerves have the capability to regenerate. If the facial nerve dies, the problem with regeneration is that there is no mechanism that reconnects the nerve fibers to the same muscle. The nerve fibers may actually implant into the wrong muscles of the face. This is referred to as synkinesis.

With synkinesis, the brain will send a signal for a muscle to contract, but since the nerve fiber is connected to a different part of the face, the wrong area will respond. So, if the eye was supposed to close, the eyebrow may raise instead. This may sound insignificant or even humorous, but in reality, it is frustrating, debilitating, and dangerous (in the example, the eye could suffer damage because it did not get protection from the eyelid).

Bell’s Palsy Symptoms

There are many symptoms of Bell’s palsy. Very few cases exhibit all of the symptoms.

  • Eye-related symptoms: cannot close eye completely, drooping eyelid, excessive tears, inability to produce tears, tears fail to coat and protect cornea, sensitivity to light
  • Mouth-related symptoms: drooping of one side of the mouth, drooling, sense of taste impaired or lost, difficulty eating, drinking and swallowing, difficulty speaking, asymmetrical smile
  • Ear-related symptoms: sensitivity to sound, pain in/near ear, balance problems
  • Nasal-related symptoms: nose either constantly runny or stuffy, sinus problems
  • General symptoms: forehead wrinkles disappear, muscle weakness or paralysis, overall droopy facial appearance, facial swelling, headaches, neck pains, memory problems, facial spasms

There is controversy in how to treat Bell’s palsy. With incomplete paralysis, treatment is usually unnecessary, because spontaneous recovery is common. When the paralysis is more severe, anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and therapy are prescribed.

Minneapolis Bell’s Palsy Attorney

Any impairment to the face is very difficult, stressful, and can affect one’s self-esteem and lead to issues with socialization and depression. If this impairment was due to negligence, legal representation could improve the possibility of fair compensation. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form. Our partners have years of experience handling complex medical cases.

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