Nerve injuries can occur in many 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 near 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
Other Causes of Nerve Damage
Nerve injuries can also be caused using 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 using inadequate surgical equipment, which can lead to nervous inflammation.
Where a nerve has become severed the damage is usually permanent. However, often the damage is to the
Making a 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 therefore, if your nerve injury was caused by medical negligence, it is possible to make a claim.
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.