Many Americans today do not realize that stepping into their vehicle is one of the riskiest things that they do each and every day. This is due to the likelihood of a car accident, especially when you consider that not all car accident injuries seem as severe as they might be. If you are experiencing consistent pain, numbness, or tingling in your fingers (or anywhere else on your body) after a car accident injury, this can be indicative of a serious nerve injury.
Nerve damage is a common car accident injury, which can leave car accident victims with permanent complications that can have a significant impact on the rest of their lives. Here at The Law Place, we help accident victims who have suffered nerve damage to gain the compensation they deserve for their injuries and complications. We start with a free consultation to assess the extent of the damages, and then a personal injury attorney will talk you through the path to maximizing your compensation. This is all done in a completely free, no-obligation environment, with your confidential information fully protected by the attorney-client relationship.
For more information on how to raise a personal injury case to seek compensation for nerve problems, call us today on (941) 444-4444!
Why You May Be Experiencing Numbness and Tingling After an Auto Accident
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident recently and you are feeling numbness, tingling sensations, radiating pain, burning, or persistent pins and needles, these are common symptoms of nerve damage or soft tissue damage. Other symptoms of nerve damage include having difficulty with cold temperatures or warm temperatures or other types of increased sensitivity.
If this is the case, it is important that you seek medical attention quickly. If left untreated, nerve damage can potentially lead to permanently decreased nerve function, various disabilities and impairments, and chronic pain. It is also important if you are planning to make a claim for your medical bills, pain and suffering, or other damages, as Florida Statute 627.736 requires you to seek medical care with 14 days of an accident if you wish to raise a personal injury claim.
Does Experiencing Tingling in Your Hands Mean This Is Where the Nerve Damage Is Located?
Just because you experience numbness or tingling in your hands alone does not mean this is where the nerve problem is located.
It could be that nearby nerves or peripheral nerves are affected, so the injuries may be located in your upper arm, leg, or your spinal nerves, for example. This is why it is so important to seek prompt medical care when you feel discomfort in this way.
How Does Nerve Damage Work?
Nerves carry information between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. Unfortunately, these nerves are fragile and can easily be damaged – especially by the blunt force trauma involved in many car accident injuries.
In short, nerve damage may make it difficult to control your body in the same way you did before the car accident. You may now feel leg pain while walking, suffer from muscle weakness, be unable to put too much pressure on certain body parts, or even struggle walking at all.
The good news is that nerve damage is not always permanent and that early diagnosis goes a long way in addressing long-term complications. This is why it is so important to see a doctor immediately. If you are worried about medical bills, your attorney can help you seek compensation for these financial damages further down the road.
What Are the Treatment Options for Nerve Damage?
If your nerves have not been completely destroyed by the damage after a car accident, they are able to regenerate. However, leaving too much time after a car crash before seeking medical treatment can allow nerves to die, so seek a physical examination as soon as you possibly can.
Treatments for nerve damage usually involve physical therapy, as this may be able to work the trauma or compression out of your nerves. Some surgeries are also possible if the nerve damage is located in your back, neck, or hands.
However, it is important to remember that nerve damage is a serious injury and that no treatment option is 100%. Often, your doctor will be working to limit nervous system damage after a car crash, so severe cases may still experience pain, tingling, or numbness after treatment. It is also possible that your medical practitioner may prescribe painkillers for this.
What Types of Compensation Are Available to Those Who Have Suffered Nerve Injuries From a Car Accident?
Nerve damage after car accidents not only causes pain and medical expenses, the pain, muscle weakness, and other symptoms can lead to permanent impairments and loss of the ability to enjoy work or hobbies as much as before the accident.
All of this will be reflected in the level of compensation you seek. There are different categories of compensation your lawyer can help you to claim for, and the amount of money you can expect to receive will scale with the severity of the consequences of your nerve damage.
The most common types of compensation for nerve injuries include:
- Medical bills – As you will need to promptly seek medical assistance, the cost of this and further treatment can be sought by your attorney. To ensure the best chances at success, retain copies of all bills you receive.
- Lost wages – The symptoms of nerve damage may prevent you from working, either permanently or while you recover. Often employers will not pay the full amount during this time if anything at all. Your attorneys can seek compensation for this lost income if you retain all copies of correspondence with your employer.
- Pain and suffering – Pain and suffering is the legal name given to damages that seek compensation based on the length, pain level, and any permanent consequences of your injuries. If you are suffering from long-term complications from your nerve injuries, this could be a large sum.
If you would like to know for sure which of the above categories apply to your case, you can get in touch with our firm today for a free consultation and no-obligation legal advice on the next steps to take following your car crash.
Is There a Limit on How Much Time Can Pass Before You Are No Longer Eligible for Compensation for Nerve Damage?
Unfortunately, all personal injury claims in Florida are constrained by the statute of limitations as per Florida Statute 95.11.
This Florida statute states that all personal injuries stemming from car accidents are subject to a statute of limitations of four years. Simply put, you have four years from the exact date of your accident in which to apply for compensation.
While this may sound like a long time, the sooner you get in touch and begin your claim, the better. Statistically speaking, claims that begin promptly after the accident occurs stand a better chance at maximizing their compensatory payout. This is due to the possibility of evidence becoming lost, eyewitnesses becoming unavailable, and rival legal teams working the case. So, do not delay, call The Law Place as soon as possible.
Dealing With Your Insurance Company When Claiming for Damaged Nerves
While insurance companies would love us to believe that they are on our side, nothing could be further from the truth. As for-profit businesses, their ultimate interest is in paying the smallest amount possible to protect their earnings.
This is why your insurance company may try many tricks to lower your total settlement amount. Even worse is the fact that you are obliged to contact them if you hope to raise a claim.
Many insurance companies will try to take advantage of your anxious post-accident state to pump you for unnecessary information in the hopes of impacting your claim amount. Your attorney will be able to brief you on exactly what is the required minimum information to disclose. Similarly, you should never sign anything given to you by your insurance company before your attorney has given it a thorough lookover.
Your insurance company will often also try to low-ball you with their first settlement offer, hoping to goad you into accepting a settlement that is below the worth of your claim. With the help of a lawyer, you will not be intimidated into this submission, and your lawyer can use their wealth of negotiation experience to win you a fair settlement.
Insurance companies also often try to blame administrative delays or legal complexities for slowing down your claims process, hoping to discourage you. Again, your lawyer will handle all of the legal complexities and paperwork and make your case move as fast as possible.
Will a Lawyer From The Law Place Be Expensive?
The common myth is that any worthwhile legal representative will cost a fortune. Again, nothing could be further from the truth.
Here at The Law Place, we are committed to making Florida a fairer place. We do this by operating all of our accident and personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means totally no-win-no-fee. If you are unsuccessful, the process will cost you nothing but time. If you are successful, the fees will only be subtracted from your final settlement once you have won it.
All our contingency work is monitored by The State Bar Association for your peace of mind.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you have received nerve damage in your hands, feet, spinal cord, or anywhere else due to an accident that happened in the past four years, you could be entitled to a compensatory sum for your injuries, costs, and complications.
For the best chance at maximizing this compensatory settlement, you need the help of an attorney with a wealth of experience in personal injury law. Here at The Law Place, our legal team has 75 years of experience in the car accident personal injury field and is willing to pour their wisdom into ensuring you receive a fair payout for your injuries. To secure our help, all you need to do is make a phone call to our office as soon as possible and arrange a free consultation. We will give you free legal advice, all at no obligation, in an environment of complete confidentiality. We also ensure our phone lines are always open for your convenience.
For more information on how we can help you to maximize your compensation for a nerve damage claim, give our Florida office a call today on (941) 444-4444!