Nerve Injury from Medical Negligence Compensation Claims

The nervous system comprises pathways of nerves and specialized cells known as neurons that transmit signals between different parts of the body. It’s responsible for helping to regulate functions in the body that largely take place unconsciously (autonomic nervous system), as well as transmitting messages relating to conscious decisions and the bodies responses, in relation to special awareness, movement, the senses and responses to pain (somatic nervous system). It is essentially the body's electrical wiring.

Damage to individual nerve endings or serious nerve injury that may interrupt or even break important sensory pathways can sometimes occur where medical treatment has an unwanted effect. Treatments like surgery, physiotherapy, Chiropractic care, dentistry, and even some cosmetic treatments have the potential to cause temporary or lasting problems to parts of the nervous system. From time to time, such an incidence may be the result of the negligent behaviour or treatment of a medical professional.

If you or a loved one has been left with nerve damage, whether short term or permanent, you may have grounds to make a medical negligence compensation claim for nerve injury. We can help you to decide if your nerve damage could have been avoided, a key element in proving negligence, and how much compensation you might be entitled to receive.

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors have a proven track record of successful nerve injury claims and many other medical negligence compensation cases. We can generally offer our legal expertise and support of your claim on a no-win, no-fee basis. We go beyond a basic legal service, to support our clients with a sympathetic ear and sensitive guidance at what may be a difficult time for you and your family.

Should I make a nerve injury claim?

No matter what type of nerve injury you have suffered, the first important step is to decide whether or not to make a compensation claim. There are several factors to take into account here, and the Solicitors at Sheldon Davidson can help you to understand:

• Was your nerve injury avoidable?
• Does it have lasting consequences?
• Are you financially worse off because of it?
• Have you suffered pain and distress because of it?
• Can we prove a medical professional was responsible?

If the answer to some of the above questions is yes, there is likely strong case to be made to pursue a compensation claim for nerve injury damage. A successful claim depends on assigning blame and demonstrating the direct negative effects of your injury.

When you speak to Sheldon Davidson Solicitors, we will guide you through these critical aspects of your case and give you our honest, professional opinion on whether we think you have a good chance to receive a payout.

We are one of Manchester’s leading firms of solicitors who provide specialist no-win, no-fee medical negligence claims. We will only take on your claim if we believe there are grounds for making a compensation claim. When we have listened to your circumstances, we will quickly confirm if we can handle your case on a no win, no fee basis and we will have a good idea on the likelihood of your claim being successful.

Our no win, no fee medical negligence claims service means there are no upfront charges and absolutely no fees unless your claim is successful.

What can I claim?

Nerve injury claims typically take two main parts. The first part (general damages) compensate you for pain, discomfort and distress. It's right that if you have been left living with numbness, tingling or chronic pain, along with any psychological impacts, you should receive financial compensation.

The second part of your claim (special damages) relates to compensation you for any direct financial losses, incurred because of your injuries, for example loss of earnings if your nerve damage means you are unable to work, as well as additional costs due to physiotherapy, rehabilitation or any changes you have to make to your home.

We have great experience in nerve injury compensation claims and Sheldon Davidson Solicitors have in-depth appreciation of contributing factors that should be considered in valuing your claim. We can help you to understand exactly what you can claim for.

How we support claimants

At all times, Sheldon Davidson Solicitors work to provide our claimants with the support they personally need. That goes beyond your claim - we are here to listen when you need a sympathetic ear and we will do what we can to ease the stress and doubt for you and your family.

This is an important step on your road to recovery, both physically and mentally. It also allows us to understand your case on a much deeper level, so we can accurately represent your discomfort and distress when presenting your claim.

Initial advice is free so you have nothing to lose – but act quickly in case time limits apply.  If you'd like more detailed information about the claims process you can read our guide on how to start a medical negligence claim.

What is the nervous system?

The nervous system carries signals around your body. These signals perform several different functions. You can think of the nervous system like the wiring in a circuit - you flick a switch and a light comes on. In the human body there are actually two nervous systems working together:

• The central nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.
• The peripheral nervous system from the spinal cord to the extremities.

Depending where your nerve injury occurs, you could lose sensation to all or part of a limb, or you could suffer even more widespread disability, such as paralysis if your spinal cord is injured. The scale of your injury can have an effect on your compensation claim; however, individual impacts can vary, for example if a loss of sensation in your fingertips leaves you unable to continue in your previous job due to a lack of manual dexterity, you could stand to claim more for loss of earnings.

Some of the main nerves that can be injured in the body include:

• Axillary
• Median
• Peroneal
• Radial
• Sciatic
• Tibial
• Ulnar

Any nerve damage in your hands, arms, feet or legs is likely to be quite noticeable. You may experience it as a loss of dexterity or mobility, or as a temporary or persistent pain, or another phantom sensation like hot, cold and tingling sensations.

What does the nervous system do?

So far we have described the nervous system as the body's circuitry, carrying signals from your brain, along your spinal cord, to your limbs and extremities. But what do those signals do?

Nerve signals can serve several purposes, including the following broad categories:

• Control signals from your brain to tell your muscles when to contract and relax.
• Information signals from your skin and other senses to allow your brain to perceive your surroundings.
• Pain signals to provide a warning to your brain and trigger a reflex from your spinal cord.

Pain is an important element in nerve injuries.

When your body detects pain, it can react without you having to think about it. This kind of pain response is triggered directly by your spinal cord, so there is no delay while the signal reaches and returns from your brain.

Examples of this include the knee-jerk reaction, which is why this is used to test lower limb reflexes. An equivalent in the upper body is when you touch something hot and automatically pull your hand away, without having to think about it.

Damage to your nervous system can reduce your reflexes and make it difficult for you to consciously perceive pain. Alternatively, damaged nerves can produce a phantom pain response, leading to physical discomfort or unnecessary muscle spasms.

How does nerve injury happen?

There are many potential causes of nerve injury. Some examples - although this is not an exhaustive list - can include:

• Exposed nerves (e.g. during dental work).
• Injuries to the brachial plexus during labour.
• Oxygen starvation due to interrupted blood supply.
• Side effects from anti-clotting drugs.
• Surgical error leading to damaged or severed nerves.

Nerves are, by nature, extremely sensitive. It is quite possible for permanent nerve damage to be caused by a single needle, which means nerve injury claims can sometimes arise following procedures like acupuncture, anaesthesia or giving a blood sample.

Do I have nerve damage?

Identifying nerve damage can be difficult, depending on the severity of your symptoms. Some things to look out for include:

• Numbness, loss of sensation, loss of movement or dexterity.
• Pins and needles, tingling and burning sensations of all types.
• Unusual temperature sensations - hot or cold, or inability to feel temperature.
• Sudden short-term pain or temporary phantom sensations.
• Persistent pain of any kind, especially in the same part of the body.

Remember, nerves serve multiple functions including control, information and pain/reflex. If you feel like any of those functions have been impaired in your body, especially following recent medical treatment, you may be suffering the lasting effects of nerve damage.

Contact Sheldon Davidson Solicitors

If you would like to know more, and feel you may have grounds for making a medical accident, or medical negligence claim, please contact SDS Solicitors today for more information about how to proceed.

With all new clients, we start by making sure we understand your claim in every detail. From there, we can help you to make important decisions like:

• Whether to pursue a nerve injury claim.
• Who to blame for your nerve damage.
• How much compensation to ask for.

It's important to get the fundamentals of your claim right.

We welcome enquiries from concerned family members, for example if a loved one has been left severely incapacitated due to central nervous system or spinal cord injury. Again, all cases are handled in confidence and our team are experienced in helping all kinds of households at a potentially very challenging time.

Since Sheldon Davidson Solicitors was established in 1997, we have become a trusted Medical Negligence Law Firm in Greater Manchester, representing clients across the local region including Ashton, Bury, Bolton, Middleton, Failsworth, Prestwich, Oldham, Rochdale, Radcliffe and Whitefield. But we work with claimants throughout the whole of England and Wales.

Choosing Sheldon Davidson Solicitors give you access to a Lexcel accredited law firm with highest standards of customer service and practice management. We really care about the clients we represent and we are proud to say that your claim is in safe and expert hands with our team.