The aftermath of car accidents can introduce any number of stressors into your life: insurance negotiations, medical emergencies, property damage, and mental anxiety and trauma. While all these very real consequences come into play over time, victims notice their physical injuries immediately — and in some severe cases, those injuries last.

Nerve damage sits near the top of the list of the most common car accident injuries in Charleston, and our seasoned attorneys at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC have helped clients from all backgrounds deal with the legal aftermath of these injury scenarios. If you have been in a car crash and you think you might be dealing with nerve damage, here is what you need to know.

Why Is Immediate Medical Attention Important?

In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, always get to a safer area, and seek medical attention by calling 911. Even if you do not feel severe pain initially, nerve damage can start off minor and worsen over time — doctors and physicians can perform tests to determine the extent of your injuries.

Any number of things in the accident itself can cause nerve damage: direct trauma, whiplash, lacerations, fractures, stretch injuries, crush injuries, and even airbag or seatbelt impact can contribute. If the appropriate medical personnel catch your early signs of nerve damage, your prospects of recovery improve drastically.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Nerve Damage?

Here are some ways to tell if your post-accident pain might be nerve damage: if you experience numbness, tingling sensations, muscle weakness, or sharp, radiating pain in any part of your body, make sure to tell medical staff.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Nerve Damage?

If left untreated or undertreated, nerve damage after a collision can result in chronic pain, which those affected have described as burning, tingling, or shooting sensations. Some car crash victims with nerve damage have reported a loss of sensation, muscle weakness, and even partial or complete paralysis in the affected areas, which has led, in some cases, to muscle atrophy.

Even if you retain feeling in the injured areas, you may experience coordination and balance issues, irregular heart rate or blood pressure, and poor bladder control. But the symptoms do not stop there: the physical pain and lack of mobility have led to emotional and psychological challenges, including depression and anxiety, in some car accident victims.

Other long-term effects of inadequately treated nerve damage include the following:

• Hypersensitivity to light touch
• Complex regional pain syndrome, characterized by severe and persistent pain in specific areas of the body
• Hair and nail growth abnormalities
• Digestion issues

How Is Nerve Damage Proven in a Legal Case?

If you believe that another driver caused your car accident — and therefore your nerve damage — you have the legal option of pursuing compensation to cover your medical expenses, emotional damage, and potential loss of income. However, proving nerve damage requires extensive medical documentation, which further emphasizes the necessity of seeing a doctor after your car accident.

Get On the Road to Legal Recovery With the Charleston Car Accident Lawyers at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC

Even if you have this medical documentation, you still have to deal with insurance companies, potential disputes from other involved parties, and the legal labyrinth of the court system. Thankfully, the experienced Charleston car accident lawyers at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC can guide you through the legal process. Fill out our online contact form or call us at 843-727-6500 for a free consultation. Our offices in Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Aiken, and Columbia, South Carolina serve clients throughout the state.