Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

The direct cause of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is not fully understood. Some people experience CRPS after a medical event like a stroke, an infection, or a heart attack, or after undergoing surgery. Others develop CRPS after being involved in an injurious accident. 

Typically, people with CRPS develop intense, chronic pain in one or more of their extremities. CRPS can also spread to different parts of the body, such as the limb opposite to the one initially experiencing pain. 

While there is still much to learn about why some injured survivors of traumatic accidents go on to experience symptoms of CRPS and others do not, the chronic condition is believed to be related to abnormalities in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Because of a dysfunctional relationship between these systems and an inappropriate inflammatory response in the body, accident survivors whose injuries have triggered CRPS could experience chronic pain for months, or even years. 

Common Symptoms of CRPS

The symptoms of CRPS can change over time and either increase or decrease in severity. However, in certain cases of irreversible CRPS, the affected limb can go cold and turn pale, undergoing changes to the impacted limb’s skin and nails. Other symptoms of CRPS include:

• Continuous throbbing or burning pain
• Swelling
• Skin alternating between cold and sweaty
• White, blotchy, blue, or red skin
•  Sensitivity to coldness or touch
• Joint stiffness
• Muscle spasms
• Tremors
• Weakness, atrophy 
• Difficulty moving the affected limb
• And more

Even people who are only moderately injured as the result of an accident can develop symptoms of CRPS that could persist throughout their entire lifetimes. Because of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, an injured person’s ability to participate in the same activities they always enjoyed can be curtailed. Their use of their limbs could be seriously impeded, impacting their daily routines and their experience in the workplace. Depending on the severity of the pain they experience, CRPS could prohibit certain accident survivors from working altogether, leading to financial instability. 

Potential Options for Financial Recovery

People suffering from CRPS may be eligible for various forms of compensation. Those who have sufficient insurance coverage through their employer’s group insurance plan or a privately held policy may be able to collect long-term disability (LTD) benefits if their pain is so severe that they are no longer able to perform the duties of their job. 

However, not all claims for LTD benefits are approved by insurance providers. In fact, it is extremely common for insurance companies to deny LTD benefits claims for so-called invisible injuries like CRPS, since the condition’s severity cannot be proven with objective, observable proof. The experience of chronic pain is subjective; it is unique to the person experiencing it, and not measurable using medical testing.

If your CRPS symptoms prevent you from working in your chosen profession and you have adequate insurance coverage, our Ontario long-term disability lawyers may be able to help you appeal a denied LTD benefits claim. By doing so, our long-term disability lawyers serving all of Ontario may be able to help you recover compensation for previously denied benefits, damages you incurred because of your claim’s initial denial, and even punitive damages, depending on the circumstances.

Victims of accidents caused by someone else’s negligence who are experiencing symptoms of CRPS may be eligible to pursue compensation from the party or entity responsible for causing the accident to occur. To learn more about how our Ontario personal injury lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation by taking legal actions against the at-fault party, call 1-800-JUSTICE.

Contact Preszler Injury Lawyers for a Free Initial Consultation

Injured accident survivors who develop CRPS could find themselves haunted by the traumatic events that led to their initial injury for the rest of their lives. Our personal injury lawyers serving all of Ontario are passionate about helping injured members of the community experiencing chronic pain in their search for some physical and financial relief.

To learn more, take advantage of a free initial consultation with our Ontario personal injury lawyers by contacting us today.