A Guide To Compensation Claims For Nerve Damage From A Car Accident

The nerves play an important role in transmitting information to different parts of the body. If a person suffers from nerve damage, i.e. peripheral neuropathy, they may experience pain, numbness, tingling, loss of balance or muscle weakness to name but a few. Sometimes, the effects of nerve damage are permanent. If you have experienced nerve damage from a car accident, you may be eligible to claim compensation.

Nerve damage from a car accident

Nerve damage from a car accident claims guide.

In this guide, we will explain how to claim compensation for nerve damage after an accident. We will explain how car accidents can happen. And we will look at the types of nerve injury a car accident could cause. To claim compensation for nerve damage from a car accident, please get in contact with Legal Helpline today. We can offer you free legal advice about making a personal injury claim. What’s more, we can assign a solicitor to start working on your case.

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A Guide About Claiming For Nerve Damage From A Car Accident

A car accident is when two or more cars collide on the road. Or a car collides into a static object such as a lamp post. The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that all drivers owe other road users a duty of care, which means that a driver must act responsibly when on the roads to protect the safety of others. So, what happens if you are injured in a car accident that was not your fault? The other driver may be liable for any injuries caused. Therefore, you could claim compensation against the other driver through their insurance provider.

So, if you have experienced nerve damage from a car accident, you may be eligible to claim compensation. To begin your claim, please call our helpline, and we will be happy to advise you about claiming nerve damage after a car accident compensation.

What Is Nerve Damage From A Car Accident?

First of all, let’s define what nerve damage is. It is when a person suffers an injury to the nerves in their body. This can happen for a multitude of reasons but damage to the nervous system can happen in an accident. Nerves transmit information between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body.

How does nerve damage from a car accident happen? If the casualty experiences deep cuts and lacerations, it could damage the nerves. Or a person with whiplash injuries may experience a pinched nerve. Radiculopathy describes symptoms of a pinched nerve such as pain, tingling, and muscle weakness.

A casualty may experience nerve damage in their leg after a car accident or nerve damage in their arm. These injuries can be debilitating and cause excessive pain. Can a person recover from nerve damage? It is possible to recover from nerve damage. However different forms of nerve damage could be permanent. We will look into different types of nerve damage later in this guide.

Road Accident And Safety Statistics

The latest government statistics on road traffic accidents offer the following insights:

  • It was estimated that there were 1,460 reported deaths on the road in 2020, 17% less than in 2019.
  • There were 115,584 total casualties on the road in 2020, 25% less than in 2019.
  • Of these casualties, 22,069 involved serious injuries in 2020, a 22% decrease from 2019.
  • And in 2020, 92,055 casualties were slightly injured, a 25% decrease from 2019.
  • By road user type, car occupants experienced the highest rate of fatalities. However, this is because there are more cars on the road than any other type of vehicle.

As you can see, the number of people killed or injured on the roads decreased in 2020. Fatalities and casualties may have decreased because the Covid-19 lockdown measures meant that there was less traffic on the roads.

What Are The Three Main Types Of Nerve?

The peripheral nervous system is a complex network of nerves in the human body. We will now look at three of the main types of nerves in the PNS.

The Sensory Nerve

Any nerve that contains predominantly somatic afferent nerve fibres is known as a sensory nerve. The afferent nerves or sensory nerves carry information towards the central nervous system (CNS). The central nervous system is the brain and the spinal cord. The sensory nerves are responsible for pain, smell and sight.

How can you tell if you have sensory nerve damage? If you have damaged a sensory nerve, you may experience numbness, tingling and burning.

The Autonomic Nerve

The autonomic nerves regulate the activity of some important muscles, such as the heart muscle. They also are responsible for blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, respiration, and sexual arousal. It is also responsible for the ”fight or flight” effect that humans experience. They also control the functions of many of our internal organs.

A person may develop autonomic dysfunction if their autonomic nerves become damaged. Autonomic dysfunction affects the function of the heart, bladder and sexual function. The patient may also experience higher blood pressure and problems with their digestion.

The Motor Nerve

A motor nerve is a nerve situated in the central nervous system. Motor nerves can be known as motor neurones. The function of the motor nerves is to control movements and speech. Motor neurons do so by sending impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. How can you tell if you have motor nerve damage? You may experience weakness or tingling in the muscles.

Injuries You Could Suffer

Now let’s look at the types of nerve damage from a car accident that could potentially happen. If you believe you have experienced a nerve damage injury, please get in touch with your GP.

Whiplash And Neck Injuries

Whiplash injuries can happen if a car is hit from behind by another vehicle. The rear-end collision can throw the car occupant’s head backwards and forwards, forcing the neck beyond its usual range of motion. Therefore the soft tissues in the neck can become overstretched and injured. Symptoms of whiplash injuries can include the following:

  • Neck pain
  • Bad headaches
  • Spasms and pain in the upper arms and shoulders
  • The neck becomes stiff, and the casualty finds it difficult to move their head

Unfortunately, whiplash injuries can put pressure on nerves or pinch nerves—a pinched nerve injury may result in radiculopathy i.e. muscle weakness, tingling and numbness.

Herniated And Slipped Disc Injuries

A slipped disc injury is also known as a herniated disc or prolapsed disc. A slipped disc happens when the soft tissue between the vertebrae of the spine slips out of place. As a result, the disc may compress the nerves. How can a car accident cause a slipped disc injury? A back injury caused by a road traffic accident can cause a herniated disc. Or, if the spine is jolted or twisted in a car accident, this can cause a slipped disc injury.

Symptoms of slipped discs include the following:

  • Pain in the neck
  • Pain in the lower back
  • Weakened muscles
  • The patient finds it difficult to bend or straighten their back
  • The slipped disc presses on the sciatic nerve, causing a sciatica injury
  • The patient experiences numbness or tingling. These symptoms can occur in the back, shoulders and arms. Or patients may experience numbness or tingling in their legs and feet.

Pinched Nerve Injuries

As we have mentioned, you can experience a pinched nerve injury if you have whiplash. A car accident can also cause radiculopathy. This is not a condition but a set of symptoms experienced because of a pinched nerve.

Symptoms Of A Nerve Injury

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when the nerves in the body are damaged. Here are the main symptoms of peripheral neuropathy:

  • The patient experienced tingling and numbness in their hands or feet.
  • The affected areas of the patient’s body experience shooting or stabbing pains.
  • And the patient experiences atrophy (muscle weakness). The atrophy mostly occurs in the feet.
  • In addition, the patient experiences a loss of coordination and balance.
  • Organs can become impaired
  • Double version as well as Bell’s palsy.

Early telltale signs of peripheral neuropathy can include a cut or ulcer on the patient’s foot, which doesn’t get better on its own. The patient may experience numbness and tingling may occur in the feet or a loss of balance. If doctors diagnose peripheral neuropathy early, they have a greater chance of limiting the damage done to nerves. So please get in touch with your doctor immediately if you believe that you have peripheral neuropathy.

How Do You Treat Nerve Damage From A Car Accident?

There are different treatments and medications available to those who have damaged the nerves within their body. If you have suffered an accident and are experiencing any of the symptoms related to nerve damage it is vital that you seek medical attention. This cannot only treat the injury you have but possibly prevent it from getting any worse.

What about if a patient has a pinched nerve, compressed nerve or slipped disc injury? If you are unsure about the type of injury you have suffered after a car accident again seeking medical attention should always be a priority. Something that seems only mild may in time turn out to be something a lot more serious.

When is nerve damage permanent? Some types of nerve damage is permanent. Therefore it is important to treat the underlying cause of the injuries to stop it from worsening. Can a person recover from nerve damage? Yes, however sometimes a patient will need surgery to correct a nerve injury.

Calculating Compensation For Nerve Damage From A Car Accident

What is the average payout for nerve damage after a car accident? You can use the calculator below to estimate how much nerve damage from a car accident compensation you could claim. Please bear in mind that these figures are guidelines only. Every single case is different. The nerve damage compensation amounts in this table are taken from Judicial College guidelines. Solicitors use these guidelines and other information to value a compensation claim correctly.

Please be aware that this table does not include any special damages you could claim. If you proceed with your claim, you may receive a different amount of compensation than what is shown.

Type Of InjurySeveritySettlementComments
Back InjurySevere (i)£85,470 to £151,070Instances of severe back injuries. The person will have sustained damage to the spinal cord as well as damage to the nerve roots.
Back InjurySevere (ii)£69,600 to £82,980This might include damage to the nerve roots and cause the person to lose sensation, suffer impaired mobility a loss of correct bowel and bladder functions as well as problems with sexual performance and some scarring.
Back InjuryModerate (i)£26,050 to £36,390Reduced mobility and damage to intervertebral discs with nerve root irritation.
Leg InjuryLess Serious£16,860 to £26,050The bracket includes very serious types of soft tissue affecting either one or both of the persons legs. This could cause cosmetic defects as well as loss of function and nerve damage in the legs.

Would you please call our helpline to speak to a claims advisor? An advisor can estimate how much compensation for nerve damage after a car accident you can claim.

Are There Other Damages You Could Claim?

If your claim for nerve damage from a car accident is successful, what will you receive? You will receive general damages compensation. General damages compensate you for the harmful effects of your injury, also referred to as pain, suffering and loss of amenity. In addition, you may be eligible to claim special damages compensation.

Special damages compensate you for any expenses you have had related to your injuries. In addition, you will receive funds you may have to pay for any future expenses. For example, if your nerve damage requires ongoing medical treatment, you can claim special damages to pay for these.

Examples of special damages you can claim:

  • Mobility equipment expenses
  • Funds to adapt your home or car
  • Travel expenses
  • Medical expenses, including physiotherapy
  • Loss of income reimbursement
  • Specialist care expenses

Steps In Claiming Nerve Damage From A Car Accident

What should you do if you experience nerve damage from a car accident? Firstly, always ensure that if anyone including yourself is injured you seek appropriate medical attention. This not only ensures you get the treatment you need to make a speedy recovery but your medical records can be used as evidence.

You can also collect evidence to support your compensation claim. For example, if you can, please take photographs of injuries that are visible. The accident scene also. It is also helpful to have dashcam footage to prove that you were not at fault for causing the accident. As well as getting contact details for anyone involved in the accident. Witness details are also useful in case a statement is needed later on.

After that, please contact Legal Helpline if you are interested in claiming compensation for nerve damage after a car accident. We can provide you with a skilled lawyer to handle your claim. So call now to get started.

No Win No Fee Claims For Nerve Damage From A Car Accident

If you have sustained nerve damage from a car accident, you may be eligible to claim compensation. We can provide you with a No Win No Fee solicitor to handle your claim. How does a No Win No Fee solicitor handle your claim?

To start, your solicitor won’t ask you to pay for their services upfront. Instead, they will work on your claim and will charge you a success fee if you win. Consequently, there is less risk involved financially. And you also have the advantage of not finding the funds to pay for your solicitor upfront, as your solicitor’s fee is deducted from your compensation payout.

You can read more about making a No Win No Fee claim in our online guide.

Contact Our Team

At Legal Helpline, our team is here to help. You can call our claims helpline if you still have lingering questions about making a claim. Or to begin your nerve damage from a car accident compensation claim, please get in touch with us using the details below.

  • Call Legal Helpline today on 0161 696 9685.
  • Or please write to us, via our website.
  • Alternatively, you can contact us directly using our chat widget on your screen.

Useful Links

We hope this guide to claiming for nerve damage from a car accident has been helpful. Please feel free to read these resources to learn more on the subject.

An NHS guide to peripheral neuropathy

An NHS guide to slipped disc injuries

A guide to whiplash from the NHS

FAQs About Nerve Damage From A Car Accident

Now, let’s answer some questions about claiming compensation for nerve damage from a car accident.

Do MRI scans show nerve damage?

Nerve damage is not visible to the naked eye and is usually identified by the patient’s symptoms. When a doctor diagnoses you with nerve damage, they may use an MRI scan to look into your condition further.

What evidence do I need to make a claim?

You will need to present medical records that prove you were diagnosed with certain injuries. Moreover, you will need to present evidence to prove that the other driver caused the accident, which led to you being injured.

How long will it take to recover?

Some nerve damage injuries are permanent.

How do I know if nerve damage is permanent?

A specialist doctor will be able to diagnose your injuries and let you know if you have permanent nerve damage.

Thank you for reading our guide to nerve damage from car accident claims.

Written by AL

Edited By IE.