nerve damage

Often our work includes catastrophic injuries, affecting the brain and spinal cord.  Peripheral nerve injuries can also be devastating.  These may have profound effects as a result of loss of motor function or chronic pain with abnormal sensation.

Although the individual causes of these injuries are relatively rare, collectively there are a variety of nerve injuries which can result from medical accidents.  Examples would include:

• damage to the sensory nerves of the chest wall, leading to areas of chronically altered sensation and pain
• femoral nerve injury.  This nerve supplies the motor muscles on the front of the thigh.  An injury to the nerve would be expected severely to impair mobility and give rise to chronic pain in some instances
• perineal nerve injury causing foot drop, during surgery or obstetric procedures 
• radial nerve injury, impairing function in the muscles of the arm

Typically these types of injury might occur as a result of:

• positioning of a patient with insufficient care whilst under general anaesthesia
• positioning of a patient with insufficient care whilst under regional anaesthesia such as an epidural block
• intra-operative trauma to nerves, either by direct injury, retraction, stretching, electrical diathermy, suturing or cutting 

To pursue these cases an understanding of the anatomy of the relevant nerves, nursing procedures and surgical techniques is required.  Frequently our clients have been prevented from working because of their injuries and therefore have significant loss of earnings claims. 

For further information please contact Alison McClure in the Clinical Negligence team on 023 8085 7345 or email alison.mcclure@bllaw.co.uk.