Permanent Nerve Damage After a Motorcycle Accident

When the Pain Doesn’t Go Away, You Deserve More Than Just a Payout—You Deserve Justice

When you lay down your bike—or worse, get hit by someone not paying attention—you expect some road rash, maybe a broken bone. What you don’t expect is pain that doesn’t go away. Tingling, burning, numbness, or weakness that lingers long after the crash. Maybe you’ve got foot drop and can’t lift your toes. Maybe your fingers don’t grip like they used to. Maybe the pain wakes you up at night, every night. If you’re dealing with permanent nerve damage after a motorcycle accident in Wisconsin, this page is for you.

Let’s be real: nerve damage is one of the most frustrating and life-altering consequences of a motorcycle wreck. It doesn’t always show up on an X-ray. It can be invisible to everyone but you. And yet it can affect everything—how you work, how you ride, how you live.

At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we’re proud to be considered Wisconsin’s Motorcycle Law Firm. We don’t just understand motorcycle injuries—we fight for real riders who suffer real consequences from someone else’s negligence. If you’re living with permanent nerve damage from a motorcycle crash in Wisconsin, we’re here to help you get the justice, care, and compensation you deserve.

What Is Permanent Nerve Damage?

Your nerves control how your body moves, feels, and functions. When they’re damaged in a crash—whether from a direct impact, stretch, crush, or laceration—they can cause a wide range of symptoms. And when the damage is permanent, those symptoms don’t go away.

Common Signs of Permanent Nerve Damage:

  • Chronic burning or shooting pain

  • Tingling or “pins and needles” sensations

  • Loss of sensation or numbness

  • Muscle weakness or paralysis

  • Lack of coordination or balance

  • Clumsiness or foot drop

  • Difficulty gripping or holding objects

If it’s happening to you, you’re not alone. And no, you’re not crazy. Nerve damage is real—even if some insurance company doctor wants to dismiss it.

How Motorcycle Crashes Cause Nerve Damage

Unlike a car, your bike doesn’t give you airbags, seatbelts, or a steel cage to absorb impact. That means your body takes the full brunt of any collision. Nerve injuries can happen in a number of ways:

1. Blunt Force Trauma

A direct blow to the body—say, your leg hitting the side of a car—can damage the peripheral nerves under the skin. Brachial plexus injuries (to the nerves in your shoulder/neck area) are common in high-speed impacts or ejections.

2. Compression or Crush Injuries

If your arm, hand, or leg gets pinned under the bike or between vehicles, the pressure can crush the nerves—especially in areas like the wrist, ankle, or thigh.

3. Stretch Injuries

Being thrown from your bike can stretch nerves beyond their limit. Think of your body as being yanked in one direction while your limb gets pulled in another—this can tear or overstretch nerve tissue.

4. Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal injury can disrupt nerve signals from the brain to the rest of your body, resulting in paralysis, loss of function, or intense nerve pain.

5. Surgical Complications

Sometimes the nerve damage doesn’t come directly from the crash, but from the surgery afterward. Scar tissue or poorly placed screws can compress nerves and cause chronic issues.

Types of Nerve Injuries We See in Motorcycle Cases

There are three main categories of nerve injuries—each one with different degrees of severity:

  • Neuropraxia: A temporary injury that typically heals with time.

  • Axonotmesis: A more serious injury where the nerve fibers are damaged, but the outer sheath is intact. Recovery is possible, but it takes months.

  • Neurotmesis: A complete tear or severing of the nerve. This is often permanent without surgery—and sometimes even surgery can’t fix it.

In short: not all nerve injuries are the same. But if yours has lasted more than a few months, it could be permanent. And it deserves serious legal attention.

How Permanent Nerve Damage Affects Riders

The truth is, nerve damage doesn’t just hurt—it changes who you are.

  • You can’t work like you used to. Whether you’re a tradesperson, mechanic, or someone who types all day, losing feeling or control in your hands or legs can derail your career.

  • You can’t ride like you used to. Clutch control, braking, turning your head—all of that depends on fully functioning nerves.

  • You can’t live like you used to. Even everyday tasks—like cooking, lifting your kid, or holding a cup of coffee—can feel impossible.

And worst of all, the pain doesn’t go away when the lights go out. Many riders with permanent nerve damage deal with neuropathic pain—a relentless, burning agony that even opioids can’t touch.

You Deserve More Than a Quick Payout

Insurance companies know how devastating nerve injuries can be—but they’re counting on you not realizing your rights. They’ll say your pain is temporary. That you should be healed by now. That your case isn’t worth that much because you “look fine.”

That’s where we come in.

We understand the medical science behind nerve injuries—and we work with top neurologists, pain specialists, and life care planners who can help prove:

  • The injury is permanent

  • The condition limits your work and daily life

  • You’ll need future medical treatment

  • You’ve suffered serious emotional and psychological harm

What Damages Can You Recover for Permanent Nerve Damage?

If someone else caused your motorcycle crash, you may be entitled to significant compensation, including:

  • Medical bills (past and future)

  • Lost wages and future loss of earning capacity

  • Pain and suffering

  • Loss of enjoyment of life

  • Physical therapy and assistive devices

  • Disfigurement or permanent disability

In the case of catastrophic injuries, we also fight for compensation that reflects lifetime costs—because nerve damage doesn’t just go away when the case settles.

We Know the Roads—and We Know What Riders Go Through

From Milwaukee to Madison, from the Driftless hills near La Crosse to the back roads of Door County, we know what it’s like to ride in Wisconsin. We’ve seen the way a careless left turn, a sudden rear-end crash, or an aggressive driver can change a rider’s life in an instant.

But we also know this: you don’t give up.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably been through hell already. The crash. The ER. The endless appointments. Maybe some doctors have been helpful. Maybe some haven’t listened. Maybe you're still waiting for someone to take your pain seriously.

We will.

Why Wisconsin Riders Choose McCarthy Motorcycle Law

We’re not a billboard law firm. You won’t see us on TV with cheesy commercials. And we don’t hand your case off to some junior associate who’s never been on a bike and just wants a quick settlement to cover the ad budget. When you call us, you get an award-winning trial lawyer who knows what it means to ride—and fights like hell for people who still can..

  • We know bikes. We understand how motorcycles handle, how crashes happen, and how riders get hurt.

  • We know medicine. We work with neurologists and pain experts who help prove your case.

  • We know the law. And we don’t back down—whether it’s negotiating with the insurance company or taking your case to trial.

Most importantly, we treat you like a person, not a case file. We’ll answer your calls, explain your options, and fight for every dollar you’re owed—because we know what you’ve lost, and we know what’s at stake.

What to Do If You Suspect Nerve Damage After a Motorcycle Crash

  1. Get medical care—now. Nerve injuries can worsen if untreated. Make sure you’re seeing a neurologist or a specialist who takes your symptoms seriously.

  2. Document everything. Keep records of your symptoms, treatments, and how your life has changed.

  3. Don’t talk to the insurance company alone. They’re not your friend. They’re looking to minimize your payout.

  4. Call a lawyer who understands nerve damage and motorcycle law. You need someone who gets both.

Let’s Talk—No Pressure, No B.S.

We offer free, confidential case evaluations. It’s not some automated form that goes into a black hole—it goes straight to John McCarthy’s inbox. He usually responds the same day. And if we can help, we’ll set up a free consultation. If we can’t, we’ll point you in the right direction.

You’ve already been through more than enough. You deserve answers. You deserve respect. And if someone else’s mistake left you living with permanent nerve damage, you deserve justice.

Reach out today. We’re ready when you are.