Filing a Claim for Nerve Injuries in Pennsylvania
Nerve Damage and Injured Nerves Rank Among the Most Painful Injuries, Seriously Compromising Daily Activities and Work-Related Obligations.
As human beings, we naturally take a lot about our lives for granted. There are some of us that take the external aspects of our lives, such as our jobs, our cars, and even our houses, for granted. We can do this even though there are some people who may not have any of these things. Not all of us do this, but some of us find ourselves taking other things for granted. For example, we also take for granted our bodies. Things like breathing, walking, working, and performing our daily tasks are all taken for granted, especially if we never suffer an injury affecting any of our basic life functions. What makes us able to go about our normal lives every day are our nerves and nervous system. When our nerves are damaged, we are affected in numerous ways, some of which are temporary, while others are permanent. Nerves are the root cause of how and why we are able to do what we do. Conversely, damaged or destroyed nerves can prevent us from living the lives of our choosing, the lives we once enjoyed, and even the lives that brought us joy and fulfillment.
Fundamentals of the Nervous System in PA
There are three kinds of nerves. The collaboration of these nerves helps us to do everyday things. Some of these things are voluntary, and other things are involuntary. The first category of nerves is known as Autonomic Nerves. Autonomic nerves help us with body functions that we do not consciously conduct. They control our breathing, our heart rate, our digestive system, and other involuntary actions.
The second category of nerves is called Sensory Nerves. Sensory nerves transmit information from our five senses to the brain. These nerves allow us to feel physical touch and allow us to see, smell, hear, and taste. The third category of nerves is the Motor Nerves. It is these nerves that allow us to move our bodies. These nerves communicate with our muscles and extremities in order for our brains to tell our bodies to move a certain way. All of these nerves send messages to and from our brains so that they may function properly.
What is Neuropathy and How is it Identified?
Neuropathy occurs in all three of the previously mentioned nerves. It includes any damage to the nervous system and can affect a single nerve or multiple nerves in different areas of the body. Depending on where the nerve is and in which of the three categories the nerve(s) belong, the symptoms may vary.
For example, autonomic nerves experiencing neuropathy can cause someone to experience rapid heart rate, erectile dysfunction, dizziness, constipation, etc. Someone experiencing neuropathy in a motor nerve can experience poor motor skills, weakened muscles, cramps, atrophy, tremors, and even paralysis. Sensory neuropathy can cause numbness, feeling tingles, losing coordination, or sharp, burning pains. These symptoms are the most common, but there are more that may occur. By no means is this list exhaustive.
Common Causes of Nerve Damage
Being that we use nerves in literally everything that we do, it is very likely for our nerves to become damaged. There are many causes for nerve damage, but the most common include workplace accidents, physical trauma, and medical mistakes. Workplace accidents happen very often, but employers are typically covered by their workers’ compensation policy. This policy usually shields the employer from any type of liability, but not third parties.
Physical trauma includes car accidents, assaults, and even slip and fall accidents. Physical trauma to our bodies always affects our nerves, depending on how severe the trauma is.
Besides the occasional workplace accident and slip and fall, common accidents most definitely include medical malpractice. Medical malpractice ranges in severity but can occur at all stages of a medical issue. Diagnosing someone with the wrong problem can amount to medical malpractice that negatively affects the nervous system. Surgical mistakes can obviously cause nerve damage, especially if the surgeon is basing his course of action on a misdiagnosis. This may also happen if the surgeon is inexperienced.
An anesthesiologist may also commit medical malpractice if they make an error that falls below the accepted standard of care. This can mean using the wrong anesthesia or using the wrong amount. Furthermore, the way the anesthesia is introduced to the body can also cause nerve damage.
Possible Options to Treat Nerve Injuries
Nerve damage is extremely serious and can dramatically decrease the quality of life of someone who has it. Treating nerve damage is expensive and not always effective. The most common ways of treating nerve damage, though, include physical therapy and pain management. During physical therapy, the therapist may use electrical stimulation to rehabilitate the nerves that are damaged.
Pain management is a way to alleviate the pain caused by nerve damage, but it does not repair the actual nerves. The only way to actually repair the nerves is through physical therapy and/or surgery. Surgeons can sometimes repair nerves, but as you can imagine, this is very costly.
Contact Northeast Philadelphia Nerve Damage Attorneys for Help Filing a Claim for Nerve Injuries in Pennsylvania
Nerve damage is a very hard thing to deal with by itself. When nerve damage is coupled with expensive medical bills, not being able to work, and an overall decrease in the quality of your life, it can be overwhelming, to say the least. Having a zealous personal injury lawyer who has had clients like you before is essential to preserving what quality of life you may still have and adequately representing your interests. If you or someone close to you has been injured in an accident causing nerve damage, or experienced nerve injuries due to medical malpractice at Cohen & Riechelson, our legal team in Trenton can help.
We assist clients with nerve damage injury claims related to work accidents, car accidents, motorcycle crashes, slips and falls, medical malpractice, and other events throughout Northeast Philadelphia & Lower Bucks County in towns like Langhorne, Yardley, Doylestown, Fairless Hills, Bristol, Warminster, and Levittown. Contact us at (215) 337-4915 or fill out the online contact form to schedule a free consultation to discuss your options for a lawsuit and find out how we can help.