Nerve injury Compensation claim

When surgical negligence occurs, patients frequently sustain nerve injuries. These can occur when surgeons fail to identify the location of a nerve during treatment, or when they slip or make errors and damage a nerve. If you have suffered a nerve injury following a surgical procedure, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation. Solicitors will have to demonstrate that the nerve damage was caused as a direct result of surgery and that a competent surgeon would not have made the mistakes that led to your personal injury.

Clearwater Solicitors can help you succeed in your nerve damage surgical negligence claim – speak to us today to find out more!

What form does nerve damage usually take?

Nerve damage can lead to three different problems, all of which can worsen a person’s quality of life.

Loss of sensation

People often experience a dull ‘pins and needles’ feeling or numbness, as well as coldness. While some people suffer numbness in the face, back or body, it can also affect the limbs. This can lead to paralysis or can make it difficult for the sufferer to pick up items or use tools, significantly damaging the victim’s quality of life.

Heightened sensation

Alternatively, nerve damage can lead to heightened sensation. Many people who suffer from nerve pain describe the feeling as the worst pain possible – even worse than passing kidney stones or enduring childbirth. The pain can occur when pressure is put on the afflicted body part or when the weather is particularly cold, but it can also occur constantly. While painkillers can reduce the intensity of nerve pain, successfully treating the condition can be very difficult and some people experience it for the rest of their lives.

Paralysis

Paralysis is another common feature of nerve pain and frequently occurs with numbness. The legs can feel  heavy, and moving legs, arms, hands, feet, fingers and toes can be difficult or even impossible. Some people suffer life-changing paralysis due to surgical negligence. People can lose all use of an arm or hand, or can be no longer able to walk and forced to use a wheelchair.

When does clinical negligence lead to nerve damage?

There are a range of different factors that can cause nerve injury. Certain drugs are neurotoxic and can destroy nerve cells, while anti-coagulants can be poorly administered. Drugs can be injected into an area surrounding a nerve, which can cause it to become damaged or die. Some of the physical processes that occur during surgery, including cauterisation, compression, cutting and stretching, can cause nerves to become severed. Blood pressure can also lead to nerves becoming ruptured and damaged.

Poor positioning of the body can also lead to nerve injuries. People can be left in stressed positions when anaesthesia has been administered and can be unable to move themselves. Nerve damage seen in birth injury compensation claims frequently involves occasions in which excessive force has been used during childbirth, with this causing long-term problems for the infant.

A huge range of errors can cause nerve damage, but the personal injury can only be considered clinical negligence if a competent surgeon would not have made the same errors. You may also be able to make a claim if you did not give fully-informed consent to the procedure before it took place. In serious cases of malpractice, you may also be able to have the surgeon or healthcare professional removed from the register and forbidden to practice medicine in the UK.

Making a nerve damage medical negligence claim

Making a nerve damage medical negligence claim is simple with Clearwater Solicitors. We have years of experience in dealing with claims just like yours and can give you free advice about the merits of your claim,

We can also help you enter rehabilitation as quickly as possible, helping you recover from nerve damage or deal with paralysis and get your life back on track as quickly as possible. We know how difficult nerve damage can be and are sympathetic and trustworthy to each individual client.

Speak to us now about a nerve injury medical negligence compensation claim. Call us on 08000 430 430 or fill in our online enquiry form to request a call back.