New York Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Lawyer

If you developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after an injury or surgery, you may be able to seek compensation for your condition through a personal injury lawsuit with the help of a New York City complex regional pain syndrome lawyer from Hach & Rose, LLP. Call Hach & Rose, LLP at 212-779-0057 for a free consultation with an experienced complex regional pain syndrome lawyer in New York City. We’ll review your case, explain your legal options, and help you collect the evidence you need to prove your condition’s connection to your prior injury.

What Is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition that typically affects the limbs, starting with the extremities like fingers and toes and gradually extending upward. CRPS symptoms can vary in severity and duration, progressing through three distinct stages. These symptoms include prolonged severe pain, increased sensitivity (allodynia), and other physical manifestations, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. The pain experienced due to CRPS is proportionally much worse than the initial pain experienced because of the injury that causes it. Symptoms of CRPS include:

• Intense pain
• Inflammation
• Muscle spasms
• Joint stiffness
• Changes in hair and nail growth

Unfortunately, CRPS isn’t well understood, making treatment and compensation difficult. Some of the most common treatment options include injections that block nerves and anti-inflammatory medications. However, these treatments simply manage the symptoms rather than cure the condition.

What Are the Types of CRPS?

There are two types of CRPS, and which one you have depends on the injury that caused the condition:

• Type 1 occurs after an injury that doesn’t directly damage nerves, such as a bone fracture. This type of CRPS is far more common, affecting about 90% of victims, according to the Mayo Clinic.
• Type 2 is rarer and occurs after a specific nerve injury, such as if doctors damaged a nerve during surgery.

What Types of Traumatic Injury Can Cause CRPS?

Any traumatic injury has the potential to cause CRPS. You could develop the condition after a slip-and-fall, a car accident, or an assault. However, there are two primary injury types that most frequently lead to the condition:

• Fractures - Bone fractures have the potential to damage many nerves at once, increasing the risk of developing CRPS. In car accidents, it’s common for victims to suffer broken wrists, arms, and legs. If you experienced a broken arm in an accident and later developed CRPS in that arm, it could be connected.
• Surgeries - Surgery complications can also lead to CRPS without the need for a traumatic injury. Traumatic injuries can cause the condition because high forces can damage nerves through the skin and muscles. However, doctors can damage nerves directly during surgery.

What Parties Could Be Liable for a CRPS Diagnosis?

Before you can recover compensation for your CRPS, you must identify the liable party. Liable parties may include:

• Negligent Parties - This includes any party whose negligent actions led to your initial injury before your CRPS appeared. If you slipped and got hurt in a grocery store, the store owner could be liable for your CRPS, and if you were in a car accident, the at-fault driver could be liable.
• Medical Professionals - Determining the liable party could be more challenging if you were diagnosed with CRPS after you underwent surgery because of an injury. It’s possible that the condition arose from an error made by your treating doctor. Medical malpractice, such as unnecessary surgeries or medical negligence, can be a basis for legal claims if it led to the development of CRPS. This is why it’s important to determine which type of CRPS you have.

How Can a New York City Attorney Help You Prove Liability for CRPS?

After identifying the liable party, you need to collect evidence that connects your condition to their actions. An experienced New York City complex regional pain syndrome attorney can assist you in gathering the following:

• Accident Scene Photographs - If your injury occurred in a car or slip-and-fall accident, photographs from the accident scene can help connect the liable party to your initial injury that led to your condition.
• Injury Photographs - Photographs of your injury demonstrate severity and extent and may be important when arguing you developed CRPS because of it.
• Eyewitness Statements - Eyewitnesses may be able to corroborate your version of events with their statements, making it easier to connect your condition to a specific event.
• Medical Records - Receiving a CRPS diagnosis after an injury is essential. Your medical provider should include this diagnosis in your medical records.
• Medical Expert Testimony - Since CRPS is a rare condition, lawyers often hire medical experts to testify about its causes, symptoms, treatments, and impact on victims’ lives.

Medical malpractice cases involving CRPS require significant legal expertise and access to medical resources to prove negligence and secure compensation.

Compensation Available for CRPS Victims

Through your personal injury lawsuit for CRPS, you can seek compensation for various losses. Some of the most common types of compensation sought include:

• Medical Expenses - Compensation for your past and future medical treatments, surgeries, medical devices, prescription medications, and physical therapy. Since CRPS is a chronic condition, your future medical expenses can make up a significant portion of your compensation.
• Lost Wages - Compensation for the income you lost while recovering from your initial injury.
• Loss of Earning Potential - Compensation for the income you will lose because of your condition’s impact on your ability to work.
• Pain and Suffering - Compensation for the physical pain and emotional suffering you experience because of your condition.
• Long-Term Disability - Compensation for your condition’s impact on your life in the long term. Many people who suffer from chronic pain conditions are unable to stand or walk for extended periods and may require disability accommodations.

Contact an Experienced Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Attorney in New York City

If you developed complex regional pain syndrome after an injury or accident in New York, you may be able to recover compensation for your condition’s long-term impact on your life. However, because this condition is rare, it’s crucial that you work with an experienced New York City complex regional pain syndrome lawyer. Hach & Rose, LLP is dedicated to fighting for our clients’ rights to seek the compensation they need and deserve after suffering from an injury or debilitating condition. Call us at 212-779-0057 or contact us online for a free consultation with a member of our legal team. During your initial meeting, we’ll review the circumstances that led to your condition. Our New York City complex regional pain syndrome attorneys will explain your options for seeking compensation, such as insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits. Our law office will also answer any questions you have about the legal process with our years of experience.