California car accidents are associated with a broad range of injuries, from minor cuts and bruises to fatalities. Unfortunately, not all crash injuries are straightforward. After being involved in an accident, some victims go on to experience excruciating symptoms that don't necessarily match the severity of their injuries. Sound familiar? If you were involved in a crash you didn't cause and your doctor brought up complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) as the source of your symptoms, understanding your legal rights and options is absolutely essential.
Here's what you should know about California car accidents, CRPS, and how our dedicated team of Inland Empire personal injury attorneys can help you fight for fair compensation.
Making Sense of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a chronic pain disorder that can develop after a trauma, such as a car accident. Though doctors aren't certain exactly what causes CRPS, it is linked to traumatic force injuries that have an impact on the peripheral and central nervous systems. Potentially triggering injuries include sprains, fractures, crushing injuries, and amputations. The condition usually affects an arm or leg, with intense symptoms that are disproportional to the severity of the primary injury, such as:
- Burning or throbbing pain in the affected hand, arm, leg, or foot
- Sensitivity to touch or cold temperatures
- Swelling and inflammation
- Unusually sweaty or cold skin
- Joint swelling and stiffness
- Muscle spasms, tremors, weakness, or atrophy
- Reduced range of motion in the affected body part
- White and blotchy, red, or blueish skin
- Thin, shiny, or tender skin in the affected area
- Changes in nail and hair growth
There are two types of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome:
- Type 1 – This is the most common type of CRPS, affecting approximately 90 percent of people with the condition. It occurs after an injury or illness, but doesn't cause observable and verifiable nerve damage. CRPS Type 1 is also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD).
- Type 2 – This type of CRPS has many of the same symptoms as Type 1, but develops after a distinct traumatic injury and involves clear evidence of damage to the nerves in the affected limb.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing complex regional pain syndrome can be difficult and often involves a thorough discussion of your symptoms and medical history, as well as diagnostic tools, such as bone scans, X-rays, MRIs, or sweat production tests. Once diagnosed, treatment may include prescription drugs, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling.
Unfortunately, the costs of much-needed care can quickly mount. However, if you developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in response to injuries sustained in California car accidents caused by another person or company's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.
Getting Help for CRPS After California Car Accidents
At the Inland Empire Law Group, our exceptionally skilled legal team helps people hurt in accidents they didn't cause recover fair compensation for their injuries and losses. CRPS personal injury cases require extensive medical and other evidence to show a link between the accident and the development of this incredibly painful disorder. Our Rancho Cucamonga personal injury attorney can work to gather the vital evidence needed to prove that the defendant owed you a duty of care and violated that duty, causing a car accident that resulted in your injuries. Depending on the details of your case, a potential recovery in California car accidents could include compensation for:
- All of your accident-related medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- And other losses
Talk to Our Rancho Cucamonga Personal Injury Attorney About Your Car Crash in California
When California car accidents that weren't your fault results in a complex regional pain syndrome, there's far too much at stake to go it alone. Contact our Rancho Cucamonga personal injury attorney at the Inland Empire Law Group today at (888) 694-3529 to schedule an appointment for a free, initial consultation to discuss the details of your CRPS car crash case.
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