Victims of Serious Sciatica Pain after an Accident May Deserve Compensation
Starting at the hip and extending all the way to the foot, the sciatic nerve is the largest in the human body. When sciatic nerve pain occurs after an accident, victims may need to seek compensation from a Cook County back injury attorney because a variety of symptoms can occur, either alone or in combination with others, including:
- Leg or foot numbness or weakness
- Pain in the lower back or buttocks
- An irritating “pins-and-needles” feeling in the leg or foot
- Moving or maneuvering the leg is difficult
Often associated with bulging or herniated discs in the lower lumbar region, sciatica nerve pain usually occurs exclusively on one side of the body. But in some instances, patients have reported sciatica on both sides. Many times it is an indicator of another spinal or nerve condition. Or it could be a clue to a physical disorder in other parts of the body. Sciatica is associated with work-related injuries but also can be caused by vehicle accidents, assaults and slip-and-falls. On some occasions, sciatica can be associated with medical malpractice.
The Legal Difference between Chronic and Traumatic Sciatica
Just because someone has sciatica pain after an accident doesn’t mean there are grounds for a damage claim. If the affliction is the result of general body degeneration, which happens to all of us as we age, there’s no one against whom to file a claim. But if someone’s negligence caused an accident or you suffered a sciatic injury on the job and can file a workers’ compensation claim, then an injury lawyer could be of valuable assistance in the following instances.
- Vehicle accident-related sciatica: The challenge to your legal claim lies in the defendant’s insurance company questioning the legitimacy of your injuries, often claiming you suffered from sciatica before the accident.
- Premises liability claim for traumatic sciatica: Slip-and-fall accidents at a business or on a homeowner’s property can draw the same objections from the property owner’s insurer. Often, the defendant will correct the problem that caused the accident immediately and claim that the situation you say caused your traumatic sciatica never existed.
- Medical malpractice as a cause of sciatica: Misdiagnosis or improper treatment claims can arise from such events as hip replacement surgery or an improperly administered intramuscular injection in the wrong area of the hip or buttock. Because it is so large, a careful medical professional should be able to avoid the sciatic nerve.
In the above scenarios, one of the greatest advantages of retaining a Cook County back injury lawyer is their team of medical specialists who investigate the circumstances of your injury, as well as your medical history in order to prove sciatica is the result of someone’s negligence and not the result of degenerative sciatica. However, if you are found to have a degenerative spine or nerve condition that causes sciatica and your attorney can prove that the accident accelerated the condition, winning damages is possible.
Work-Related Traumatic Sciatica
A slip and fall accident on the job or lifting heavy objects improperly – or without proper back protection – could lead to sciatica pain after an accident. Because Illinois workers’ compensation is essentially no-fault insurance, by following the proper steps for filing a claim, you could be compensated for medical bills, the majority of your lost wages and for certain levels of disability.
But if a third party not associated with your employer might have created the conditions that led to – say – slip-and-fall sciatica, your attorney can file a third party civil claim against that defendant. Again, the defendant’s insurer could make the same claims as the above three scenarios to dispute your allegations and possibly avoid paying your claim. When this happens, the assistance of an experienced work injury lawyer can be invaluable in collecting fair compensation over-and-above workers’ comp benefits
If someone’s negligence caused you to suffer a traumatic sciatic injury contact an experienced injury lawyer to protect your rights. Buttafuoco and Associates experienced back injury attorneys offer a free consultation. Contact us anytime by calling 1-800-NOW-HURT.
