There are three types of nerves – autonomic, sensory, and motor nerves. They play a crucial role in the body’s functionality. If you had an accident that caused nerve damage, it could change your life in many ways. The severity of nerve damage varies from relatively minor issues to permanent damage.

Although injuries affecting the nervous system are not uncommon, you should take them seriously. If you’ve been affected by a nerve injury and you’re wondering how much compensation you’re entitled to, our nerve damage compensation calculator can provide you with the answer. Keep reading this guide for all the information you need when filing a nerve damage compensation claim.

What to Do After an Accident That Causes Nerve Damage

After an accident that causes nerve damage, seek medical attention. Whether it’s an accident at the workplace or in a public place, you can always seek compensation for the nerve damage. Making such a claim requires proving the negligence of the at-fault party.

There are several steps you can take to get the evidence needed to prove fault:

Report the Accident

Depending on where the incident occurred, it’s necessary to report it. For example, you could report the accident to the police if the accident took place in a public place. However, if your accident occurred at the workplace, ensure you inform your employer right away. Also, make sure it’s in written form, as it will help you prove the date and time of the occurrence.

Gather Evidence from the Accident Scene

Take photos of the scene as they play a significant role in proving who’s at fault in the accident. Also, secure video footage, if any.
Gather Evidence of the Injury: Although nerve damage isn’t as visible as other injuries, it could leave you visible signs of ill health. For example, if you suffered cuts or bruises, take photos of them. It could also help show the court the severity of your injury even after it healed.

Collect Medical Reports Together

No worries if you don’t have visible injuries. You can also gather medical reports and other documents to confirm nerve damage and other injuries suffered in the accident. This could include prescriptions, doctor notes, x-rays, and more.

Common Types of Nerve Damage Injuries

There are different types of nerve damage injuries. However, you can find the most common nerve damage injuries below.

Neuropraxia

This type of nerve damage isn’t as severe as the others. It is a condition where the passage of the nerve transmission is blocked despite the nerve fibres being complete. Most times, neuropraxia happens due to stretching or forcible traction.
This could lead to fractures and dislocations in the body. Additionally, you could sustain neuropraxia due to blunt force and continuous pressure on the nerves. Neuropraxia is so common that it can take only a few hours to recover from.

Axonotmesis

Axonotmesis is a nerve damage injury when the nerve axons divide despite the sheath remaining intact. This injury usually occurs due to forcible tractions and crash injuries. The effects of axonotmesis are a loss of autonomic and motor function and nerve sensation. It could take years or months for this type of injury to heal.

Neurotmesis

Another common type of nerve damage injury to note is neurotmesis. This is an injury where the axon and the sheet are severed, resulting in neurotmesis. It is a severe form of nerve damage that usually comes with long-term effects. However, in some cases where it is a clean-cut, the doctors could reattach the nerves.

How Do Nerve Damage Injuries Happen?

The central nervous system runs through the body, which means you can sustain nerve damage or injury from various body parts. However, some of the common accidents leading to nerve damage include:

• Drug Injection Injury: This is the misuse of a needle in a medical environment. Additionally, the careless use of a sharp object can lead to severe nerve damage.
• Focal Confusion: When you receive a powerful blow, it can damage the nerves and other cells in the affected area.
• Laceration: Sometimes, a cut can be all that’s necessary to damage your nerves severely. Most times, it depends on the location.
• Compression: This is when heavy pressure is applied to a part of the body. Sometimes, it could cause severe damage to the nerves.
• Electrical Injury: When an electric current passes through a part of the body, it could cause severe damage to the nerves in that part.
• Traction Injury: This is when there’s forcible traction; it could pull and tug nerves to the limit of their breaking point. It is one of the ways you could sustain severe nerve damage injuries.

Although these are the most familiar ways you could sustain an injury, your accident might not fall into these categories. Irrespective of the cause, you can find out the average payout for nerve damage by using our nerve damage compensation calculator.

Nerve Damage After a Car Accident Compensation

One of the common nerve damage causes is car accidents and other forms of road traffic crashes. When an injury causes nerve damage, the wound usually heals before the nerve damage. An example is a deep cut; while the cut heals within weeks, it takes months or years to recover from nerve damage.

If you suffer nerve damage from a car accident, you can receive compensation if you’re able to prove that someone’s negligence causes your injury. According to The Highway Code , every road user has a duty of care. Therefore, you can receive compensation once you can prove that someone breached this duty of care and caused your injury.

Nerve Damage Due to a Work Accident

Workplace accidents are pretty common and are one of the ways you can sustain nerve damage. Slips or fall accidents at the workplace usually result in compound injuries that can include nerve damage. Injuries like being stuck under machinery can result in potentially permanent damage. An employer has to pay compensation if their lack of following health and safety regulations leads to nerve damage injury.

Long Term Effects of Nerve Damage Injuries

After sustaining a nerve damage injury, one of the most important things to consider is the long-term implication. Usually, the severity of your injury determines if the effects are short-term or long-term.

For children, the long-term effect of nerve damage could be developmental delays and physical or learning disabilities. However, the likelihood of long-term effects of nerve damage is quite rare. Symptoms usually heal and improve over the years.
Specific parts of the body are more susceptible to long-term effects from nerve damage than others. An example is the spinal cord; an injury to the spinal cord usually heals slower than other body parts. Additionally, it could affect the quality of life and lead to long-term health issues.

Finally, you should note that accidents leading to long-term nerve damage usually receive higher compensation than minor issues. Again, our nerve damage compensation calculator will inform you what to expect.Can I Make a Nerve Damage Compensation Claim?

Before using the nerve damage compensation calculator, you need to confirm that you are eligible to file for nerve damage compensation. Below are some of the criteria you need to meet to file a claim successfully.

• The accident occured within the last three years
• A third party caused the accident
• The third party owed you a duty of care which they neglected

Compensation You Could Receive From Nerve Damage

Many aspects are considered when calculating compensation for nerve damage. One of the factors is the after-effects the nerve damage injury will have on your ability to earn and your quality of life.

Below are the factors the nerve damage compensation calculator considers in calculating your settlement.

• Loss of earnings due to the nerve damage
• Medical bills from the nerve damage injury
• Loss of future income
• Cost of future medical expenses
• Pain and suffering and a general loss of quality of life

The following are the possible average amount you can get for nerve damage settlement:

• Compensation for severe nerve root damage to the back: £91,090 to £160,980
• Compensation for less severe nerve root damage to the back: £74,160 to £88,430
• Compensation for very serious nerve damage to the thumb: £12,590 to £16,760
• Compensation for moderate nerve damage to the thumb: £9,670 to £12,590
• Compensation for nerve damage from serious leg injuries: £17,960 to £27,760
• Compensation for nerve damage from severe nose/nasal complex fractures: £10,640 to £23,130
• Compensation for nerve damage due to carpal tunnel syndrome: £2,200 to £23,130

Calculate Your Nerve Damage Compensation Today

Nerve damage can result in severe consequences. Therefore, it is important to seek compensation if you sustain nerve damage injuries. We’ve provided you with all you need to know in this guide, including the common types of nerve damage and the steps you should take after your accident.

If you’re considering making a nerve damage compensation claim, you should find out how much you could receive. 

Read more about Personal Injury claims on our Personal Injury page or read more articles about Personal Injury claims.

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