Nerve Damage from Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists in California travel in or around traffic on a daily basis. They’re aware of the perils that they face, but no matter how defensively they ride, they can’t protect against every possible cause of an accident. When a driver is careless and negligent and causes a collision with a bicyclist, a wide variety of serious injuries can be suffered by the rider. One of those injuries can be nerve damage. At the onset, the victim of a bicycle accident might not even realize that he or she has suffered nerve damage. That’s because the injury might not manifest itself immediately, and it might be difficult to pinpoint where it’s coming from.
Nerve Damage Can be Wide Ranging
The brain and spinal cord send messages to nerves, and nerves send messages back to the brain from the spinal cord. Different types of nerve damage can affect the body in different ways, especially when nerve damage can vary from mild to severe. Most often, nerve damage from a serious bike accident affects the rider’s arms, hands and fingers after they extend their arms to try and break a fall.
Neck and Back Nerve Damage
If the nerve damage is located in the neck, the victim can expect severe pain at the site of the injury along with pain, numbness and tingling down one or both of the arms and into the hands and fingers. If the damage is in the lower spine, he or she can expect pain and discomfort across the hips, into the buttocks, and down one or both legs into the arches of the feet and toes. In either case, the symptoms of nerve damage can be debilitating. Other symptoms might include:

Excruciating pain
Extreme sensitivity to touch
Tingling, numbness and pain in the extremities, especially the fingers and toes
Arm and leg weakness

If you experience any of these symptoms after being in a bicycle crash, you should be seen by an emergency room physician right away. He or she will document your condition and complaints, and it’s likely that you’ll be referred out to a neurologist or orthopedist. Be sure to comply with all recommendations from your doctors, and make sure that you attend all scheduled appointments. You don’t want to give the opposing insurance company any reasons to allege that you weren’t hurt as seriously as you claim, or that you were faking or malingering. It will be looking for any reason to say those types of things in order to attack your credibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a nerve damage case worth?

There is no set scale on the worth of a personal injury, and the amount depends greatly on the severity of the injury and the amount of insurance money available. Nerve damage injuries can be serious and cause permanent damage to the victim. If there is permanent pain or disability, then the amount would be higher.

Can I represent myself for a nerve damage case?

By law, it’s ok to represent yourself. However, the insurance companies have vast experience in complex medical cases, and they have deep pockets to pay for high-priced attorneys whose job it is to pay little or nothing for your injuries. Level the playing by at least talking to an attorney who will be on your side.

What if I can’t ride my bike anymore because of nerve damage?

The law entitles you to get compensation for all damages and financial losses reasonably related to the accident. If you can no longer ride your bike without pain or can’t ride it at all due to nerve damage, then you are entitled to damages for loss of quality of life and diminished capacity.

Contact Bay Area Bicycle Law

Any of the above nerve damage injuries can result in expensive medical treatment, pain and emotional trauma. You’ll want them treated professionally and responsibly. You’ll want your California bicycle accident personal injury case treated effectively, efficiently and professionally too.
The attorneys at Bay Area Bicycle Law focus their practice on bicycle related injuries. Years of advocacy for bicycle victims have seasoned our attorneys with the necessary skills, knowledge base and familiarity to handle bicycle accidents cases to the upmost level of professional expertise. Since bicycle accident related injuries present unique legal issues that oftentimes render them completely different from conventional auto accidents or accidents involving other types of vehicles, BABL’s collective expertise in bicycle cases is imperative in helping clients achieve the most favorable settlements possible.
We work with clients in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Oakland, Sacramento and all over Northern California. Contact us today for a free consultation after any bicycle accident.