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CRPS After Car Accidents
Compassionate representation when car accidents cause Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Car accidents can cause many different types of injuries. Some of these injuries (such as fractures, sprains, soft tissue injuries, and other injuries) can, in some cases, be associated with the development of Type I or Type II CRPS, depending on medical findings.
Type II CRPS occurs when there is a specific nerve injury. We can work with investigators, police, other witnesses, and through the formal discovery process to show how car accidents happen and who is responsible. We can work with your doctors and our own network of CRPS doctors experienced in diagnosing and treating CRPS, such as neurologists and pain management specialists, to help show that car accidents cause CRPS.
At The CRPS Law Firm, we can work to pursue the compensation that you deserve.
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How can we help?
- Do car accidents cause CRPS?
- What causes car accidents?
- How do you help car accident drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders confirm that their CRPS is due to a car accident?
- What are the treatments for CRPS?
- Who is liable when a car accident causes CRPS?
- What compensation can I receive for CRPS due to a car accident?
Do car accidents cause CRPS?
Yes. When head-on crashes, rear-end collisions, broadsides, and other types of car accidents happen, they can injure drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. We can work with neurologists and other doctors to obtain the correct diagnosis for your injuries. If your doctors confirm that you have CRPS, we can review with your doctors whether your car accident directly or indirectly caused your CRPS condition.
The occupants of a vehicle may suffer fractures, soft tissue injuries, and injuries that cause nerve damage (which, in some cases, may be associated with CRPS) when they hit a dashboard, debris from broken windows strikes them, airbags malfunction, they’re ejected from the car, or they suffer these injuries for other reasons.
Pedestrians and bicycle riders don’t have the frame of a car to protect them from the different types of physical trauma that can cause CRPS.
What causes car accidents?
Our CRPS personal injury lawyers work to show how car accidents happen. Common causes of car accidents include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Driving while distracted (such as by texting, using a mobile phone, eating, drinking, or looking at a GPS)
- Driving while tired
- Speeding, failing to yield, and other traffic violations
- Driving too fast for the weather or traffic conditions
- Many other causes
How do you help car accident drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders confirm that their CRPS is due to a car accident?
The diagnosis of CRPS is not easy. According to Cleveland Clinic, experts believe CRPS may be due to a disorder of your peripheral or central nervous system. The disorder may include “an overreaction to pain signals that your nervous system can’t shut off.” Symptoms may start immediately or may take weeks to appear.
CRPS may be temporary or long-lasting, and in some cases becomes chronic when symptoms persist despite treatment. In many cases, “CRPS is due to nerve trauma or injury to the affected limb that damages the thinnest sensory and autonomic nerve fibers. These small fibers transmit pain, itch, and temperature sensations. They also control the small blood vessels and the overall health of surrounding cells.”
Bone fractures (a common car accident injury) are associated with many cases of CRPS. A displaced or splintered bone or pressure from a tight cast can damage nerves. Even sprains, cuts, abrasions, burns, and strains (common car accident injuries) can cause CRPS.
What are the treatments for CRPS?
We discuss the treatment options for CRPS in detail here.
The main goals of CRPS treatment include pain management, improving function, preventing or reversing damage (such as skin changes, muscle damage, and joint stiffness), minimizing further symptoms, and improving a victim’s quality of life.
The treatment options for CRPS include medications, physical therapy, interventional treatments, and psychological care. Generally, CRPS treatments involve a range of healthcare professionals, including neurologists and pain management specialists. Car accident victims with CRPS may need months or years of medical help. Some victims may live with CRPS for the rest of their lives.
Who is liable when a car accident causes CRPS?
Our CRPS lawyers file personal injury claims against everyone responsible for a car accident that causes injuries. The responsible defendants may include one or more of the following, depending on what happened and where you live:
- A driver
- The driver’s employer
- An owner of a car, in limited cases, such as negligent entrustment or when the driver was acting as the owner’s employee
- A manufacturer of defective car parts
- A seller of alcohol who unlawfully serves a minor, or who serves alcohol to a person who is obviously intoxicated to the extent they present a clear danger to themselves or others (in some states)
- A governmental agency or entity, such as a state department of transportation agency, subject to immunity limits and special notice/procedure requirements
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What compensation can I receive for CRPS due to a car accident?
The compensation that CRPS victims can receive depends on what type of CRPS you have, the severity of your condition, the medical care you will need, what you can and can’t do because of your CRPS, and the cost of your medical care. We can work with your doctors to understand the full scope and severity of your CRPS condition. Your right to compensation depends on the state you live in and many other factors.
We generally pursue compensation for all your damages so far and all your future damages, including the following (again, subject to any state requirements):
- All your medical bills. These include ER care, hospitalizations, doctor visits, rehabilitative therapy for CRPS, psychological counseling, medications, and assistive devices and technology.
- Loss of income. This amount normally includes lost income (such as wages and business income) and lost benefits, for as long as you can’t work.
- Your daily physical pain and emotional suffering. This includes the times you have pain, can’t function, feel anxious, and experience other physical and emotional trauma.
- The damage to your car. This type of damage normally includes the cost to fix or replace your car, depending on the amount of damage.
- Other damages. These may include loss of bodily function, any scarring or disfigurement, the inability to enjoy life’s pleasures, and the loss of consortium.
Some states may also allow punitive/exemplary damages.
Get help from our CRPS Law Firm today
At The CRPS Law Firm, we have the experience and working relationships to handle car accidents that cause CRPS. We understand just how upsetting and traumatic CRPS is. To schedule a free consultation, please contact us. We handle CRPS cases on a contingency fee basis.