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CRPS After Slip and Falls
Seasoned CRPS lawyers who handle premises liability claims
Property owners generally must take reasonable steps to fix or warn about dangerous conditions they knew about—or should have known about—to protect people lawfully on their property. Falls can cause fractures, soft-tissue injuries, and injuries requiring surgery. These injuries are the types of trauma that can also cause complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
Our CRPS lawyers understand how slip and fall accidents occur and who may be responsible. We can seek compensation for financial and personal damages, including medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Contact us today if you have CRPS due to a slip and fall accident.
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How can we help?
- What are the symptoms of CRPS?
- Why do slip and fall accidents happen?
- How do your CRPS attorneys show that a slip and fall accident causes Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
- What are the treatments for CRPS?
- Who is responsible when a slip and fall accident causes CRPS?
- What compensation can victims receive if a slip and fall accident causes CRPS?
What are the symptoms of CRPS?
CRPS symptoms are usually traceable to another injury, such as a fracture or a soft tissue injury. The symptoms may not appear for days or weeks after a slip and fall accident. Many patients state that CRPS is unbearable. Often, CRPS affects part or all of an arm or leg, including a hand or foot. The Mayo Clinic identifies the following CRPS symptoms:
- Intense pain
- Sensitivity to touch and cold
- Swelling at the site of the CRPS injury
- Changes in skin color, texture, and temperature
- Muscle spasms and joint stiffness
- Mobility difficulties
Generally, early treatments can help.
The specific cause of CRPS is not clear. The medical community believes that damage to the peripheral and/or central nervous systems causes CRPS. There are two types of CRPS:
- Type I. Here, there is no confirmation of a nerve injury.
- Type II. Here, there is confirmation of a nerve injury.
The Mayo Clinic states that most cases of CRPS are of Type I.
Why do slip and fall accidents happen?
Our CRPS personal injury lawyers understand when property owners have a duty to protect people who use their property, the precautions property owners should take, and the types of injuries slip and fall accidents may cause.
In Texas, a property owner generally owes invitees a duty to use reasonable care to protect against unreasonably dangerous conditions the owner knew or should have known about. A common example is the duty of care of a restaurant or a retail store to use reasonable care to keep its floors reasonably safe for customers.
Depending on the state, property owners may owe a duty of care to licensees, people who have a right to be on the property but are not on the property to benefit the owner. Generally, property owners owe a reduced duty of care to trespassers, though some exceptions may apply. These exceptions, which include willful and wanton conduct, known trespassers, and attractive nuisance, vary by state.
Common precautions against slip and fall accidents include conducting regular inspections, hiring maintenance companies, and promptly responding to complaints.
Slip and fall accidents and trip and fall accidents may be due to:
- Wet or slippery surfaces
- Snow and ice inside conditions, particularly where accumulation is unnatural or known and unaddressed
- Loose wires and cables
- Broken tiles
- Torn carpets
- Loose railings
- Debris or inventory on the floor
- Many other causes
Slip and fall accidents may cause fractures (such as arm, leg, and hip fractures), spinal cord injuries, back and neck pain, broken bones, bruises, and other injuries. These injuries may directly cause CRPS, or may trigger CRPS after surgery to treat an injury.
How do your CRPS attorneys show that a slip and fall accident causes Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
According to the Mayo Clinic, physicians diagnose CRPS after a slip and fall accident by asking questions about your medical history and performing a physical examination. Diagnostic tests may include X-rays, MRIs, bone scans, and sweat production tests.
We can work with CRPS doctors who have the experience to diagnose CRPS and explain why a slip and fall accident is the reasonably likely cause of a patient’s CRPS.
What are the treatments for CRPS?
Each person’s condition and treatment options for CRPS are unique. Some of the possible treatments for CRPS include:
- Nonprescription pain relievers for pain management and inflammation
- Prescription medications that are under the strict supervision of the prescribing doctors
- Antidepressants and anticonvulsants for neuropathic/nerve pain
- Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation and improve mobility in the affected limb
- Other medications include blood pressure medications, bone-loss medications, sympathetic nerve-blocking medications, and intravenous ketamine
- Various types of therapy, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, heat therapy, and mirror therapy
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Acupuncture
- Biofeedback
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Intrathecal drug pumps
Psychological therapy may help with the emotional challenges of CRPS.
CRPS may recur under certain conditions.
Our lawyers work to stay current with the latest CRPS treatments.
Who is responsible when a slip and fall accident causes CRPS?
We can help prove that a property owner is responsible by having investigators examine the accident site, review maintenance and repair requests, review local building codes, review any video of the accident, obtain insurance policies, examine contracts that determine who is responsible for slip-and-fall accidents, and more.
The possible defendants in a slip and fall accident may include:
- A property owner
- A parent company
- A tenant
- A maintenance company
- A repair business
What compensation can victims receive if a slip and fall accident causes CRPS?
We understand how devastating CRPS injuries can be. Many victims are unable to work, live with chronic pain, struggle with daily activities, and lose the ability to fully enjoy time with their families. Our CRPS attorneys work with your doctors to verify your CRPS diagnosis, understand how your CRPS is affecting every part of your life, and detail your past and current medical bills. We can work with your employers and other experts, if necessary, to place a value on your financial damages.
Our personal injury lawyers pursue compensation from responsible defendants for all your past, current, and future damages, including:
- Medical bills. These include emergency care, neurologists and other doctor expenses, hospitalizations, surgeries, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological therapy, medications, and assistive devices.
- Income losses. This includes lost wages, salary, business income, and benefits for as long as you cannot work.
- Pain and suffering. This category includes all your pain, hurts, itches, anxiety, depression, and all other physical and emotional trauma.
- Scarring and disfigurement.
- Loss of bodily function.
- The inability to enjoy life’s pleasures.
We may seek punitive/exemplary damages, subject to statutory requirements and caps.
Talk with our CRPS personal injury attorneys now
At The CRPS Law Firm, we understand how stressful personal injury claims can be. We can answer your questions, explain your rights, and calmly and clearly guide you through the claims process. Please contact us to schedule a free consultation. We handle CRPS claims on a contingency fee basis.