Compression or blunt force trauma during a collision could cause severe damage to nerves, which could cause chronic pain, loss of sensation and other life-altering injuries.

Our Minneapolis car crash lawyers explain the various ways a car crash can cause nerve damage, common signs of nerve damage and whether someone suffering nerve damage can seek compensation.

If you suffered nerve damage from an injury during a car crash in Minneapolis or the surrounding area, our TSR Injury Law legal team may be able to help you recover compensation. Our firm does not charge upfront fees to injured victims and overall we have obtained more than $1 billion for our clients.

Schedule your free consultation today: (612) TSR-TIME.

How a Crash Injury Could Cause Nerve Damage

Motor vehicle collisions are incredibly traumatic for those inside the vehicle. Intense and sudden impacts can cause many types of damage, including nerve injuries.

These are the two most common ways for a crash to cause nerve damage:

Compression

In a car crash where the vehicle gets crumpled by running into a concrete barrier, the driver or passenger could get stuck inside. The intense pressure from an airbag or jammed seat belt could cause nerve damage to your torso, waist or head.

Blunt Force Trauma

The forceful impact of a crash could cause herniated discs, broken bones or dislocations, all of which could press on your nerves. For instance, a fractured vertebra could cause a herniated disc, which can put pressure on nearby nerves.

The trauma of a collision could also cause inflammation of muscles and ligaments. Crashes could even damage the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that goes from the spine into the neck and arm.

In severe car crashes that occur at high speed, some victims may get ejected from the vehicle. This could be serious enough to damage nerves.

Side-impact collisions often occur at intersections and could easily cause your body to whip from one direction to another. This could put a severe strain on your back, causing nerve damage in your spinal cord.

Types of Nerve Injuries From a Collision

These types of nerve damage below could result from a collision:

Neurapraxia

An interruption of blood flow to your nerves or whiplash from a forceful impact could propel your head and neck uncontrollably from one direction to another, resulting in neurapraxia.

Axonotmesis

Blunt force trauma can crush your nerves, sometimes leading to permanent damage.

Neurotmesis

This is laceration of your nerves. Flying debris, such as glass or other sharp objects, blunt force trauma often causes neurotmesis. This condition can lead to a loss of feeling or a restricted range of motion in the affected area where the nerves were damaged.

What Are the Symptoms That May Indicate Nerve Damage?

The following are some symptoms of nerve damage:

• Lack of sweat during exercise or hot weather: Damage to the nerves between your sweat glands and spinal cord can affect your ability to sweat, even when your body is overheated and needs to cool down.
• Muscle spasms or weakness: Your motor nerves regulate muscles in your body, such as your arms and legs. Spasms or weakness can be a sign of damage to these nerves.
• Continuous burning or sharp pain: Your nerves allow you to feel different sensations, including pain. If pain is constant, this could be a sign of nerve damage.
• Loss of motion, numbness or tingling: Your peripheral nerves connect to the brain, spinal cord and the rest of your body. Damage to these nerves can lead to losing feeling or control of body parts.

Some of the other symptoms may include:

• Low blood pressure
• Persistent headaches
• Shooting pains
• Neck or head pain that does not go away

If you are experiencing these symptoms, it is critical that you see a doctor. Prompt treatment may help prevent nerve damage from becoming worse or even permanent.

Compensation for Nerve Injuries

A car crash victim suffering from nerve damage may be able to recover compensation to cover the costs of medical treatment and for their noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering. For instance, compensation could cover the cost of surgery to repair nerves that were crushed or compressed, such as in your spinal cord.

Continuous or long-term medical care may be necessary for treating nerve damage. This may include:

• Physical therapy is often implemented to rebuild strength and flexibility in the affected area.
• Pain management includes prescription drugs to relieve pain and inflammation.

The cost of treatment can quickly add up for car crash victims, especially if they are required to go to physical therapy for several months until they recover.

At our firm, we understand how devastating a car crash injury can be, especially when it causes a loss of strength or function. We have the legal knowledge needed to construct a robust case to pursue full compensation. This may include working with medical experts to explain how the crash damaged your nerves and how your injury affects your life.

Suffering Nerve Damage After a Crash? Contact TSR Injury Law for Legal Help

If another driver’s negligence caused your injuries, we may be able to help you seek compensation for your damages. For more than 20 years we have been committed to securing the justice and compensation injury victims need, and we have the results to prove it.

There are no upfront costs to have our firm represent you. The initial legal consultation is free and without any legal obligation.

Schedule a free legal consultation to learn if you have a case. Call (612) TSR-TIME.