Nerve Damage and Neuropathy Caused by Workplace Accidents

How Injured New York Workers Can Pursue Compensation for Lasting Nerve Injuries

When you get hurt at work, the pain may fade, but nerve damage can linger long after the initial injury heals. For many New Yorkers, workplace nerve injuries lead to chronic pain, numbness, tingling, and permanent loss of function. These invisible injuries can make it impossible to return to your job or perform basic tasks, leaving you struggling to support yourself and your family.

At Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP, we’ve been standing up for injured workers across New York for more than 90 years. Our attorneys understand that nerve damage isn’t just another workplace injury—it’s often a life-altering condition that affects every part of your health and livelihood. Whether your injury stems from a fall, repetitive stress, or exposure to toxic substances, our legal team fights to make sure your workers’ compensation claim reflects the full extent of your pain and long-term needs.

What Is Nerve Damage and Neuropathy?

Your nervous system is a vast communication network connecting your brain to every muscle, joint, and organ. When nerves are damaged through trauma, compression, or chemical exposure, those signals are disrupted, causing intense pain or a total loss of sensation.

Work-related nerve injuries generally fall into two categories:

Traumatic Nerve Damage: Caused by a sudden event such as a crush injury, laceration, or fracture.
Chronic Neuropathy: Caused by prolonged pressure, repetitive motion, or toxic exposure over time.

In both cases, the effects can be long-term or even permanent. Nerves regenerate very slowly, and some never fully heal. That’s why early diagnosis and ongoing treatment are so important—not only for your recovery but also for your workers’ compensation case.

Common Causes of Nerve Damage in New York Workplaces

Nerve injuries can happen in almost any job, but they’re especially common in physically demanding fields like construction, transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing. Even office workers can develop neuropathy from repetitive stress injuries.

Common workplace causes include:

Crush and Impact Injuries: Limbs caught between heavy machinery or struck by falling objects can lead to severe nerve trauma.
Repetitive Motion: Constant use of vibrating tools, typing, or lifting can compress nerves and cause chronic neuropathy.
Lacerations and Deep Cuts: Sharp tools or machinery can sever or damage nerves directly.
Fractures and Dislocations: Broken bones can pinch or tear surrounding nerves.
Burns and Electrical Injuries: High-voltage contact or chemical burns often destroy nerve endings.
Toxic Exposure: Certain chemicals, solvents, and heavy metals can cause nerve deterioration over time.

No matter the cause, these injuries deserve immediate medical attention and legal representation. Employers and insurers often minimize nerve-related claims because the damage isn’t always visible on the surface, but the pain and limitations are very real.

Types of Nerve Damage Seen in Work Injuries

Different nerves control different parts of the body, so symptoms vary depending on where the injury occurs. Common types include:

Peripheral Neuropathy: Damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, often causing pain, numbness, or weakness in the hands and feet.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve in the wrist, common among workers using tools or computers.
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment: Affects the “funny bone” nerve running through the elbow, leading to tingling or loss of grip strength.
Sciatic Nerve Injury: Pain radiating down the legs from lower back trauma or herniated discs.
Radial or Brachial Plexus Damage: Injuries to nerves in the shoulder and arm, common in construction or lifting accidents.
Facial or Cranial Nerve Damage: May occur from head trauma or exposure to toxins.

Each condition requires different diagnostic testing, such as nerve conduction studies, MRIs, or electromyography (EMG), and may involve neurologists, physical therapists, and pain management specialists.

Symptoms That Should Never Be Ignored

Nerve injuries aren’t always obvious right after an accident. Sometimes the damage develops slowly, weeks or even months after the incident. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience:

Burning, stabbing, or shooting pain
Tingling or “pins and needles” sensations
Muscle weakness or loss of coordination
Numbness or loss of feeling in your hands, feet, or limbs
Hypersensitivity to touch or temperature
Difficulty walking, gripping, or performing routine tasks

Prompt reporting and medical documentation are key. If you wait too long to report symptoms, your employer’s insurance carrier may argue that your condition isn’t work-related, which is a tactic we see all too often.

How Nerve Damage Affects Your Life and Work

Nerve injuries can disrupt every part of your life. For some, it’s the constant burning or tingling pain that never fully goes away. For others, it’s the frustration of being unable to return to work, drive, or even hold a coffee cup.

Many of our clients tell us the hardest part isn’t just the pain, but it’s also the loss of independence. Workers who once prided themselves on physical strength suddenly find themselves unable to perform basic tasks. Over time, chronic nerve pain can also lead to depression, sleep disorders, and financial stress.

That’s why the attorneys at Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP fight to ensure your claim accounts for every part of your loss, not just your medical bills, but also your long-term limitations and emotional toll.

Treatment Options and Recovery

Recovery from nerve damage can take months or even years, depending on the type and severity of the injury. In some cases, the damage may be irreversible. Common treatment options include:

Physical Therapy: To maintain strength and mobility.
Occupational Therapy: To adapt to job tasks and daily routines.
Medication: Such as anti-inflammatories, anticonvulsants, or antidepressants to manage pain.
Nerve Blocks or Injections: Used to relieve chronic pain.
Surgery: To repair or decompress damaged nerves in severe cases.

For workers who can’t return to their previous job, vocational rehabilitation may be available to help transition into a new role or career path.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Nerve Damage

Under New York Workers’ Compensation Law, employees who suffer nerve damage on the job are entitled to medical care, wage replacement, and other benefits. These may include:

Full Medical Coverage: Including doctor visits, therapy, surgery, and medication.
Temporary Disability Benefits: Partial wage replacement while you recover.
Permanent Disability Awards: Compensation for lasting nerve impairment.
Schedule Loss of Use (SLU) Awards: For permanent loss of function in a specific body part, such as the hand or leg.
Vocational Rehabilitation: Job retraining if you can’t return to your previous work.

Unfortunately, many injured workers face denials or underpayments when insurers claim the nerve damage was “pre-existing” or not severe enough to warrant full benefits. That’s when our firm steps in to gather medical evidence, challenge independent medical exams (IMEs), and advocate for the benefits you’ve earned.

What Most Injured Workers Don’t Realize About Nerve Damage Claims

Many workers don’t realize that nerve damage can worsen over time, even after the initial wound heals. Insurance carriers may push for a quick settlement before the full extent of your symptoms becomes clear. Accepting an early offer can leave you without coverage for ongoing pain management or future surgeries.

At our law firm, we take a long-view approach. We work closely with neurologists and medical specialists to understand the full impact of your condition before negotiating or litigating your case. Our goal is to make sure your claim reflects not only today’s pain but also tomorrow’s limitations.

Another common mistake is assuming that because nerve damage doesn’t always show up on an X-ray, it can’t be proven. That’s false. Electrophysiological tests, detailed medical notes, and consistent symptom documentation can make all the difference in winning your case.

How Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP Helps Injured Workers

With offices throughout New York City and beyond, our law firm has built a statewide reputation for helping injured workers with complex claims. We’ve represented thousands of clients with nerve damage, carpal tunnel syndrome, and chronic neuropathy caused by unsafe working conditions or repetitive motion.

Our attorneys know how to:

Coordinate with medical experts to prove work-related causation.
Challenge denied or undervalued claims through appeals.
Maximize your Schedule Loss of Use award for partial or permanent disability.
Pursue third-party claims if negligence by another company contributed to your injury.

We’re proud to represent union members, civil servants, construction workers, healthcare employees, and first responders across New York. Whether you suffered a crush injury on a construction site or developed neuropathy after years of repetitive labor, we’ll fight to protect your rights every step of the way.

Don’t Let the Insurance Company Dismiss Your Pain

Nerve injuries are often invisible, but their impact is undeniable. If you’re struggling with chronic pain, numbness, or loss of function after a workplace accident, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to face the workers’ compensation system alone.

For more than 90 years, Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP has fought for hardworking New Yorkers across every industry. We know how to prove nerve damage cases, challenge insurance tactics, and demand fair compensation that truly reflects your injury.

Let us put our experience to work for you. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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