Nerve Damage

Nerve damage can have a significant and long lasting affect on a persons’ quality of life. Extreme nerve damage can lead to catastrophic and serious paralysis.

Nerve damage can be caused by a variety of ways, but some of the common causes are:

• Damage to nerves during surgery;
• Injury or accident;
• Diseases, such as cancer;
• Conditions such a Bells palsy and carpal tunnel syndrome
• Failing to spot infection;
• Spinal cord injury/ nerve damage when using needle to extract spinal cord fluid or administer an epidural;
• Nerve damage caused when extracting blood;
• Diabetes and poor foot screening in diabetes patients ( see our recent blog on Diabetes UK “putting feet first” campaign).

Symptoms of nerve damage can include:

• Pins and needles;
• Burning or tingling sensations;
• Changes in skin colour;
• Feet that are hot to touch;
• Arms or legs that feel heavy;
• Feeling of “electricity” running up or down a limb
• Shooting pains

What does a nerve do?

Sensory neurones carry signals from sensory receptors to the spinal cord and brain. Together, the spinal cord and brain make up the central nervous system. Sensory receptors are specialised cells. They detect changes in the environment, called stimuli, and turn them into electrical impulses.

If you suffer nerve damage as a result of a negligence procedure, treatment or a failure to provide treatment, then it is important to consider a legal claim.

Why use Vincents’ Clinical Negligence Team?

It’s important to seek specialist advice. Vincents’ clinical negligence team have over 30 years of dealing with medical errors and negligence claims, including group actions, such as the Alder Hey organ retention litigation and the PIP breast implant group claims. We understand the need to act with sympathy and understanding.

Our goal is to get you answers and where necessary, the correct treatment. We work with some of the countries leading medical experts and barristers to investigate your case.

We aim to recover damages for your pain, as well as losses, such as travel expenses, specialist or private treatment costs, loss of wages, nursing care costs, specialist accommodation and specialist equipment.

What will it cost me?
We will always discuss funding options with you before starting your case. In many cases, we will act on a “no win, no fee” basis and our aim is to ensure that we remove the financial risks of bringing a claim. You should also check any car, household or credit card insurance to see whether you already have legal expense insurance. If you are uncertain, contact us and we will make the enquiry for you.

Will I need to go to court?

In many claims; no. We will investigate your claim and contact the defendants before any court action is taken. We will keep you fully advised and any attendance at Court, if needed, will be at least 2 years after commencement of your claim, if at all.

It’s important to ask your solicitor how long they have been dealing with clinical negligence claims and how many cases they have been involved in.

Olivia Robinson is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Other Vincents’ services you may find of interest are:

• Wills
• Court of protection
• Inheritance planning
• Powers of attorney

For any enquiries regarding nerve damage claims, please contact our Clinical Negligence department or enquire online here.