Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Your nerves send electrical signals between your brain and the rest of your body. They’re what allow you to move, talk, think, and feel. In a slip and fall accidents, nerves in different parts of your body can get damaged, which can lead to numbness, pain, and mobility issues.
If you’ve suffered nerve damage or any serious injury in a slip and fall accident in a store, park, office, or anywhere else, contact Flaxman Law Group for a consultation with a South Florida slip and fall claims attorney. In a free consultation, our team can explain whether you may have a claim and what pursuing your claim might look like.
How Does Nerve Damage Happen in a Slip and Fall Accident?
When you fall, your nerves can:
- Stretch and tear from the sudden movement, especially in the arms, shoulder, and neck area.
- Be directly damaged by the impact of a fall on a hard surface.
- Be damaged by fractured bones.
- Get pinched or compressed if contusions cause swelling.
There are nerves in every part of your body, so any part of your body can be affected by nerve damage. However, since during a fall you’re likely to instinctively put out your hand to stop the fall, your hands, arms, and shoulders are especially vulnerable. In slip and fall incidents, the brachial plexus network of nerves in the shoulder is especially likely to suffer injuries. The peripheral nerves in the hands, arms, and even legs and feet can be injured, too.
Nerve injuries in the back are also common—and dangerous—injuries in slip and falls. Injuries to the nerves around the spinal cord, for example, can cause mobility issues or even paralysis. In the lower back, the sciatic nerve can be damaged in a fall, which can affect leg mobility.
How Do I Recover from Nerve Injuries?
If you’re in a slip and fall, it’s important to see a doctor and get a medical evaluation right away. You want to rule out injuries such as head trauma, which may require life-saving intervention right away. Time is of the essence with nerve injuries, especially. If you wait too long for medical care, the connection between muscles and a nerve is lost permanently, and no further healing can happen.
If you have nerve damage, getting a diagnosis can help you get started on treatment, which can include:
- Pain medications and injections.
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy to help you improve your range of motion, your strength, and your ability to tackle daily activities.
- Surgery to repair nerve damage.
As you recover from nerve damage after a slip and fall, you may experience a dulling of senses, chronic pain, and limited mobility. This can not only affect your quality of life, but it can be emotionally challenging, leading to depression, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and anxiety.
Nerve damage can also affect your ability to work, care for yourself, exercise, or take part in everyday life. You might have to make significant changes to your lifestyle and every part of your life.
With nerve damage, recovery time can take 12 weeks or improvement can happen gradually over months. In some cases, nerve damage can’t be fixed and the injury is permanent.
Working with a medical team can help you heal from a nerve injury, especially since new treatments are being developed all the time. However, medical treatment and especially long-term therapies are expensive. In addition, your slip and fall injuries may prevent you from working, which can take a big bite out of your income. You’ll want to make sure you protect your financial future.
One way you can do that is by booking a free consultation with a South Florida slip and fall claims attorney by calling Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626. Our boutique law firm has already recovered over $100 million for thousands of clients and we’d be happy to review your injuries and your options for seeking compensation. Just reach out to our compassionate, bilingual team to get started.