Compensation for Nerve Damage
Nerves that are located in the brain, spinal cord, and throughout the body can become damaged due to trauma, disease or exposure to chemicals or drugs. Damage may occur in a variety of ways and result in a broad range of symptoms.
Nerve damage compensation
You may be able to claim compensation for a medical condition involving nerve damage if it resulted from someone else’s negligence or carelessness. Negligence may arise in a variety of settings.
COMMON TYPES OF NERVE DAMAGE
- Peripheral Nerve Damage: This is very common and usually results from trauma such as blunt force, crush injuries, fractures or deep cuts. Healing can take between a few weeks and a few months depending on the type and extent of the injury.
- Ulnar nerve entrapment: (Cubital Tunnel Syndrome) The nerve traveling from neck to head can become constricted and the nerve is compressed resulting in numbness, tingling in the hand and fingers.
- Sciatica: The sciatic nerve running through the lower back, buttock, and back of each leg becomes pinched causing leg pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.
- Radial nerve injury: The nerve running down the underside of the arm controlling movement of the tricep muscle and responsible for extending wrist and fingers and sensation in the hand can become damaged resulting in difficulty with movement, numbness, tingling or burning pain.
- Peroneal nerve injury: The lower leg nerve which provides sensation and motor function becomes compressed or damaged causing foot drop.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve at the wrist causing numbness, weakness and tingling in the hand.
- Pronator Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve in the forearm resulting in altered sensation in the hand.
- Anterior interosseous nerve syndrome: Partial or complete loss of muscle motor function in the hand; forearm pain due to medial nerve impingement.
- Spinal Accessory nerve injury: Cranial nerve damage resulting in shoulder dysfunction.
- Femoral neuropathy: Damage to the femoral nerve results in loss of sensation in part of the leg.
- Long Thoracic Nerve Palsy: Pain and loss of shoulder movement due to damage or injury to the long thoracic nerve.
- Gluteal Nerve Injury: A damaged superior gluteal nerve usually results in muscle weakness, hip alignment issues, and back pain.
- Paraplegia / Quadriplegia: Severe injury to the spinal cord and nerve roots.
Compensation for nerve damage at work
If you are injured at work, you may be able to claim work injury compensation from your employer. Employers must provide proper and adequate means for employees to carry out their work. This includes:
- providing safe systems of work;
- maintaining safe machinery and equipment;
- maintaining a safe workplace; and
- providing employees with adequate facilities, training, supervision, and instruction.
If you are injured because your employer neglects to provide safe systems of work, equipment or a safe environment, you may be able to sue for personal injury compensation. This includes injuries incurred over a long period of time, late-onset injuries, and aggravations of pre-existing injuries.