If you have been in a serious accident, you may have sustained a variety of different injuries. Lacerations, bruises, and even broken bones may be painful, but they will usually heal fully over time. Nerve damage, on the other hand, can have a long-lasting or even permanent effect on your health.

The Nervous System

Nerves comprise the network of the human body’s “electrical wires.” Messages from the brain are transported to and from the rest of the body through your nerves. Like any network, if there are blockages, they can affect not only the location of the obstruction, but also your entire body.

Types of Nerve Damage

The medical term for nerve damage is peripheral neuropathy, which is when signals traveling to and from the brain are disrupted. Nerve damage can occur from many types of incidents, including:

• Slip and fall accidents
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Being assaulted by another person
• Serious sports injuries
• Drug side effects
• Certain medical conditions, including medical negligence

There are 3 basic ways that your nerves can be damaged:

• Stretching
• Pressure
• Cutting

Envision your nerves as a series of rubber tubes. If pressure is applied to a particular tube, it will squeeze shut to create a blockage. If the tube is stretched, the path of the brain’s signals will also be affected. In each case, eliminating the source of the problem (like a tumor or a slipped disc, for instance) is often enough to return the nerve to its proper functioning status.

But if the tube is cut, the signals’ path is completely disrupted. This is the type of nerve damage which usually results in the most serious harm to your body.

Nerve Damage Complications

You probably have already experienced nerve damage in your life. If your arm or leg has ever “fallen asleep,” it was because pressure was applied to your nerves to prevent the brain’s signals from reaching your extremities. When you eliminated the pressure, the “feeling” returned to your limbs.

Unfortunately, more severe nerve damage can have serious consequences for your health. The most severe nerve damage results in paralysis, where you lose function of a part of your body altogether because it is “cut off” from the rest of the body’s network of nerves. This usually occurs when the nerves of the brain and/or spinal cord are damaged.

If you suffer nerve damage as a result of an accident or the negligence of another person or entity, you should contact a Louisiana personal injury lawyer. A personal attorney who has experience representing accident victims suffering from extensive nerve damage or paralysis can help you file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for your medical costs, pain and suffering, and any future earnings which might be lost due to your condition.

Contacting a Louisiana Personal Injury Attorney

After a serious accident, while you are dealing with injuries, medical bills, and insurance companies, it’s important to have someone working on your side.

Speaking with an experienced Louisiana personal injury attorney after a serious accident can help you understand your legal rights and options, and if necessary, help you file a personal injury lawsuit to help you recover compensation for your losses.

The Louisiana personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of J. Price McNamara can help you recover damages for medical bills, ongoing medical treatment, property damage, and other accident-related expenses. Contact us to schedule your FREE legal consultation today – (866) 248-0580.