Nerve Injury Claims
If you have suffered a nerve injury because a medical professional has failed to do their job properly, you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation. At JMW, our expert solicitors are highly experienced in helping people who have suffered due to nerve injury negligence and we are happy to answer your questions regarding any aspect of the process.
We can help in relation to any type of nerve injury, including accidental nerve injury and spinal accessory nerve damage, and can help you secure the compensation to which you are entitled.
To find out more about how we can help you today, get in touch with our knowledgeable and experienced solicitors by either calling us on 0345 872 6666 or by completing our online enquiry form and enabling a member of the team to contact you at a convenient time. We can handle cases we accept on a no win, no fee basis.
How JMW Can Help
Nerve damage is one of the most common problems that can arise from surgical errors or clinical negligence. The very nature of surgery means that a surgeon will often be working very close to nerve endings and any miscalculation or accident can cause damage that can have very serious consequences. If this has happened to you and medical error was to blame, you may be able to make a claim to compensate for the pain and suffering caused.
Damage of this type can occur for all manner of reasons. Among the more common include:
- The accidental injection of certain drugs into or near the nerve, such as steroids, antibiotics, antipsychotics and analgesics
- Bleeding from a punctured artery following the taking of a blood sample, leading to compression of the nerve
- Failure to notice ischaemia (reduced blood supply), often following a fracture
- Tourniquet paralysis caused by applying a tourniquet wrongly or leaving it on too long during certain types of orthopaedic surgery
- Pressure on nerves from poor positioning on the operating table when a patient is unconscious
- Traction during manipulation of the back or neck
- Direct damage to a nerve during surgery from cutting, burning, stretching or compressing
JMW's medical negligence team solicitors help you claim the compensation you deserve following an incident that has left you with nerve damage or injury. Our friendly solicitors are here to help you understand the intricacies of medical negligence law, give you all the advice and guidance necessary and make sure you receive an adequate settlement for your injuries.
The clinical negligence team at JMW is very highly regarded and includes members of the Law Society's specialist panel for clinical negligence, as well as members of the Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) solicitors’ panel. Our team is headed by Eddie Jones, a leading clinical negligence lawyer.
If you suspect that medical negligence is responsible for your nerve injury, get in touch with us today to discuss a potential claim.
Making a Nerve Injury Compensation Claim
Nerve damage can have lasting effects on your quality of life and can affect your ability to work. If the injury was caused by negligence, then compensation could help support you and your family and mitigate the financial impact of your injury.
Even minor nerve injuries can have a big impact on your day-to-day life and this is why, if your nerve injury was caused by medical negligence, it is possible to make a claim. For more information on how to prove medical negligence, read our guide.
Financial compensation can help you pay for various expenses following nerve injury, including:
- Medical care
- Rehabilitation
- Bills incurred during a period spent out of work
It is also intended to compensate you for a loss of quality of life, and can help to pay for any lifestyle adjustments you may need to make following your injury.
FAQS
- How do nerve injuries occur?
Nerve injuries can occur in many different ways and can have very serious consequences, ranging from loss of sensation through to paralysis. Sometimes, nerve damage is caused through surgical error. In fact, this is one of the most common problems faced by patients who are the subject of mistakes during surgery because surgeons performing an operation will often work in close proximity to various nerve endings. This means any mistake can prove very problematic for the patient.
Medical mistakes in surgery leading to nerve damage can include:
- Nerves being cut during knee replacement surgery
- Nerves being damaged during surgery to remove tumours
- Knee replacement surgery resulting in nerves being severed
- The inguinal and genito-femoral nerve being damaged during hernia surgery
Nerve injuries can also be caused by the use of needles by medical professionals, such as taking blood or giving an injection. This could include a caudal epidural and facet joint injection causing a spinal cord injury or the median nerve being damaged when blood is taken from the arm. Also, local anaesthetic errors may be made if the correct precautions are not made when using a syringe or needle.
Damage can also be caused by the use of inadequate surgical equipment, which can lead to nervous inflammation.
- What is spinal accessory nerve damage?
Damage to the spine or spinal cord can be life-limiting, debilitating to a day-to-day routine and can impact almost every aspect of life, from a career to personal relationships.
There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves that lead directly from the brain to various parts of the head and neck. The Spinal Accessory Nerve is the 11th nerve pair and is responsible for movement in a variety of vital muscles, including the upper shoulders, head and neck.
Damage to these nerves can cause severe, long-term problems and if it can be shown that this damage was caused by the negligence of medical professionals, compensation could be an option.
There are various symptoms of spinal accessory nerve damage, and these include:
- Drooping of the shoulder
- Localised shoulder and neck pain
- Limitation in range of movements of arm and shoulder, including difficulty raising arm above the head
- Increased risk of developing a frozen shoulder.
Damage to the spinal accessory nerve can be a result of certain vigorous athletic activities, but it more commonly occurs during surgical intervention in the neck area, including:
- Dissection of a tumour
- Removal of lymph nodes
- Insertion of cannula into carotid artery
- Removal of clot from carotid artery (carotid endarterectomy)
Microsurgical reconstruction of a severed spinal accessory nerve is often successful if the interval between the trauma and the surgical revision is less than six months. Up to 12 months, a partial recovery can be achieved.
Physiotherapy can also be very beneficial considerably improving the range of arm and neck movements.
Talk to Us
If you have any questions regarding the no win, no fee compensation claims process or you are unsure of whether you have a valid nerve injury claim, don't hesitate to get in touch with the team of solicitors at JMW. Either call us on 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form and a member of our expert team will be in touch to discuss your case further.
