Medical literature defines Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, as a progressive pain syndrome, characterized by severe pain that can be burning, electrical, or shooting. Pain is centered around the site of injury. Other symptoms patients with CRPS/RSD experience can include muscle spasms or atrophy, stiff joints, and a decrease in mobility of the affected region. There can be skin changes like color changes, increased sweating, temperature changes ( the area feels hot or cold), or swelling. Hair and nail changes like increased or decreased growth, and nails may become brittle and develop grooves. Patients may experience osteoporosis. The most dramatic symptom is pain. Sensitivity to even the lightest touch can have dramatic pain symptoms. Air blowing over the skin can even trigger this pain. Another component of CRPS/RSD is an immune system response that creates inflammation in the surrounding injured tissues which results in pain.
Some days are better than others for RSD patients. The pain pain triggers and intensity, of the pain have even been referred to as severe as childbirth. Some patients even desire to amputate their affected limb to make the RSD pay to go away, but a respected orthopedic specialist we recently deposed, said that amputating the affected limb would not help.
Types of CRPS/RSD
- Type I: CRPS/RSD, reflex neurovascular dystrophy without any evidence of nerve cell damage
- Type II: Causalgia with evidence of nerve damage
Causes of CRPS/RSD
CRPS/RSD appearing within days or weeks after a collision has a high likelihood of relatedness due to damage to the nerves in the injured area, which results in hyper-excitement of the nervous system and excruciating pain. Recently, a local orthopedic specialist we deposed in one of our CRPS cases, opined on the record that in his professional medical opinion, our client’s injuries were inflicted by the motor vehicle collision at issue.
Early identification and treatment of CRPS/RSD is crucial in preventing further disability, debility, and progression of symptoms, and may facilitate remission.
If you have CRPS/RSD, we may be able to recover money for you.
We are a personal injury law firm in North Carolina, that has successfully recovered money for clients suffering from CRPS. If you’re suffering from CRPS/RSD after a motor vehicle collision, you need a CRPS lawyer who understands just how serious, permanent, expensive, and mentally traumatic CRPS is.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my CRPS case worth?
Valuing a CRPS case is difficult and depends on many factors, including the severity of the CRPS, the amount and type of treatment required, a claimant’s wages, and how significant the economic damages are. Also, it is important to evaluate how likely it is that our client will win the case, and what the client’s doctor will say when asked if the injury is permanent, painful, and disabling.
How long will the CRPS case take?
Each case is different, but in our experience, it is more common for a CRPS case to take about two years on average to resolve versus just a few months, and that is because of the length and amount of treatment CRPS requires. Honestly, claimants who settle CRPS cases too early risk not knowing the full extent of their injuries and not being fully compensated for the severity of their injuries.
How much money will it take to pursue my CRPS case and who pays for those costs?
In almost all our cases, Tien Law Firm agrees to advance all the necessary case costs. CRPS injury cases can be very expensive and can cost tens of thousands of dollars due to expert costs that most likely are required for a CRPS case. Medical experts are paid a flat fee of a few thousand dollars usually and/or a high hourly rate to read medical records, research issues, and consult with the CRPS lawyer. Besides expert consultants, money is generally spent purchasing medical records, paying filing fees, and buying deposition transcripts of the witnesses who are interviewed under oath during the lawsuit. As CRPS lawyers, we understand that most individuals with RSD do not have the monetary resources to invest in a lawsuit, which is why we almost always take care of the costs.
Then how do the CRPS lawyers get paid?
Our CRPS lawyers work on a contingent fee basis, taking a percentage of the amount recovered at the end to pay our fee, meaning all the casework is done upfront. Remember, we never get paid unless you get paid, and we truly want to see our clients succeed. We are proud to fight the good fight against large insurance companies every day for our injured clients throughout North Carolina.