Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) claim solicitors
CRPS compensation claims are often complex, and not many lawyers understand the condition – or have even heard of it. We have a team of CRPS specialists, who understand what you’re going through and will treat your situation with sensitivity and empathy.
Call for a free consultation on whether you have a claim
Here to help when you have a claim for CRPS
Our specialist solicitors act on your behalf, where CRPS has been caused due to an injury sustained in an accident which was not their fault.
Over the years, we have helped many accident victims from across England & Wales who have suffered from CRPS.
Early treatment usually increases your chances of improvement, so when dealing with CRPS claims we will try to persuade the Defendant to fund an Immediate Needs Assessment to identify your treatment and equipment needs and ask the Defendant to fund your needs on a private basis. We will also ensure you are supported by leading medical experts and barristers and secure interim payments to place you in funds until your case settles.
In every case our specialist team applies their expert knowledge and understanding to help people suffering with CRPS turn their life around. We offer to deal with personal injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis and are happy to offer initial advice at no cost to you.
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Why do you need a specialist CRPS solicitor?
Due to the imprecise nature of CRPS, this area of personal injury litigation is extremely complex and requires expert understanding and analysis of the medical evidence.
Insurance companies are often suspicious about CRPS cases and will attempt to question the CRPS diagnosis or suggest that it was not caused by the accident. It is, therefore, crucial to instruct specialist experts and solicitors who fully understand CRPS.
We have taken over the conduct of numerous CRPS cases where medical evidence has not been obtained and analysed appropriately. We ensure that specialist medical evidence is obtained from CRPS experts. If this specialist medical evidence is not obtained, clients could be forced to settle their claim for a lesser sum. We understand the complexity of CRPS cases and effectively recover compensation that accurately reflects the impact of CRPS.
You may already have solicitors dealing with your personal injury claim, but not your CRPS. Our expert team can help with both.
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How much compensation might you receive for CRPS?
There are a number of factors that impact upon the value of your claim for CRPS, including the impact on your life, loss of earnings, your age and more.
If you are successful in establishing liability, evidence will be gathered and you will be advised upon the value of your claim. The factors to be taken into account in valuing claims for CRPS include the following:
- the degree of pain experienced
- the overall impact of the symptoms on mobility, ability to function in daily life and the need for care/assistance
- the effect of the condition on your ability to work
- the need to take medication to control symptoms of pain and the effect of such medication on your ability to function in normal daily life
- the extent to which treatment has been undertaken and its effect (or its predicted effect in respect of future treatment)
- whether the condition is limited to one anatomical site or is widespread
- the presence of any separately identifiable psychiatric disorder and its impact on the perception of pain
- your age
- prognosis: the anticipated duration of your symptoms and/or the expected progression of your symptoms (i.e. will your symptoms get better or worse).
In addition, you will be entitled to claim for any out of pocket expenses incurred as a result of the accident, for example:
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of pension
- Care and assistance provided by family and friends
- Treatment expenses
- Aids and equipment purchased to help manage your condition
- Medication costs
In addition to out of pocket expenses already incurred, you can also claim for out of pocket expenses which you can reasonably expect to incur in the future, where such losses are supported by independent medical evidence.
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How long do you have to bring a claim for CRPS?
A claim must usually be submitted to court within three years of the date of the accident.
The court has overriding discretion to allow court proceedings to start after the primary limitation period has passed.
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If you have representation for a personal injury, but think you have CRPS; what should you do now?
You have the freedom to choose who handles your claim. If your current solicitor does not have the specialist expertise, it may be appropriate to think about changing solicitors.
Due to the imprecise nature of CRPS, this area of personal injury litigation is extremely complex and requires expert understanding and analysis of the medical evidence.
Insurance companies are often suspicious about cases where a medical expert cannot fully explain either why a patient is suffering from the symptoms, or conclusively attribute them to the accident.
In the absence of a perceived “orthodox” explanation, insurers may refuse to accept that symptoms have been caused by the accident at all. It is therefore crucial to instruct experts and solicitors who fully understand CRPS.
You can find out more about changing solicitors, should you need to, right here
- Experienced team of specialist CRPS solicitors
- No Win No Fee funding available
- Can help with access to specialist treatment
- Track record of successful claims
Speak with our personal injury team now
“The service I received was outstanding, professional, efficient & empathetic. I will be eternally grateful to Louise Hart & her team who took on my case 4 years ago… Knowing that Louise was always one step ahead has allowed me to concentrate on my rehabilitation.”
“I transferred my CRPS personal injury claim to Louise Hart at RWK Goodman. I am so glad I did. Louise and her team were so thorough, no stone was left unturned, examined, tested for etc. With Louise, everything was personal and she took an obvious interest in not just the case but me as an individual. I would have no hesitation recommending RWK Goodman and Louise to anyone with any legal issue”.
What you need to know about CRPS
CRPS is a condition which can arise following an injury. It has not always been recognised and acknowledged by the medical profession, however it is now understood as a condition that deserves compensation. Our personal injury team has specialist knowledge in this area and a proven track record of helping CRPS sufferers to get compensation.
CRPS is characterised by the following symptoms:
- severe pain often described as a “burning” sensation
- swelling and stiffness in the affected joint
- hypersensitivity of the skin
- changes in skin temperature, texture and/or colour
- changes in nail and/or hair growth patterns
- swelling and/or stiffness in affected joints
- motor dysfunction in the affected limb or body part
- consequential psychological difficulties.
CRPS pain continues long after the original injury has healed.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic neurological disorder caused by problems with the body’s response to an injury.
CRPS is the result of dysfunction in the central or peripheral nervous systems, where signals between an injured limb or body part and the brain are misread. As a result, the nervous system makes the sufferer more sensitive to pain. Sufferers tend to experience pain of a more serious nature than would usually be expected from the type of injury suffered.
Early treatment of CRPS can actually increase the chances of making a recovery. For many though, CRPS is a permanent or prolonged disease.
There is no cure for CRPS. However, the condition can be managed and treatment is usually given to relieve the pain which occurs as a result of the condition. Once diagnosed by a medical expert, treatment can be coordinated through a number of professional providers. This enables relief of painful symptoms as early on in the claim as possible.
For example, for our clients, we frequently obtain early interim payments to fund the cost of additional rehabilitation recommended by medical experts. These can include:
- physiotherapy
- hydrotherapy
- inpatient stays
- sympathetic nerve blocks
- spinal cord stimulation
- psychological intervention.
It is important that treatment providers have sufficient knowledge of CRPS – for example, we work closely with The Specialist Pain Physio, Richmond Stace, to help sufferers understand the most up to date options and techniques available to them for pain management.
Our clients are also put in touch with other CRPS sufferers who can offer support and understanding. We support and work closely with CRPS-UK, a patient-led charity seeking to unite CRPS sufferers.
Our team also has links to the National CRPS Rehabilitation Service, based in Bath.
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