If you suffered an injury at work and your pain has continued long after the normal healing process should have been complete, you may be suffering from a serious condition called Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This syndrome can cause long-lasting or even permanent disability and is considered a catastrophic injury, but because it is unfamiliar to many, it can be harder to get workers’ compensation to fully cover it. Working with an attorney who understands CPRS can help.
If you believe you are struggling with CRPS or another catastrophic injury, our team at Oktanyan Law, APC, is here for you. You need a Pasadena CRPS workers’ compensation lawyer to advocate for you to help ensure your claim is taken seriously.
What Is CRPS?
CRPS, which may also be called complex regional pain syndrome or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is a serious condition that may occur after a traumatic injury like a broken bone, nerve injury, amputation, or crushing injury. It is believed that inflamed nerve tissue causes intense pain in victims of CRPS, but the exact cause is unknown, making it more difficult to heal. There are some treatments for CRPS that have varying degrees of success, but even with treatment, CRPS can lead to lifelong, debilitating pain that prevents sufferers from being able to work or achieve other daily tasks.
There are two main types of CRPS: CRPS-I and CRPS-II. CRPS-I is characterized by an ongoing, spontaneous pain in a region of the body after any traumatic injury that appears to be unrelated to the injury that the patient suffered. CRPS-II has similar symptoms, but it occurs after the victim has suffered an injury that was known to involve nerve damage.
In either case, the pain may travel from the injury site, growing steadily worse as it travels up and down the entire limb. The pain can become significant, with some patients rating it higher than the pain of amputation. In some cases, the patient may even experience wasting symptoms caused by the CRPS, including muscle contracture and tissue atrophy.
Although there are no specific treatments for CRPS, medical care may help patients manage symptoms through the use of painkillers, corticosteroids, physical therapy, and nerve-blocking medications. Not every treatment will work for every patient, and even when pain does go away, it may eventually recur. A Pasadena CRPS workers’ compensation attorney can help injured workers pursue the benefits they need to manage ongoing medical care and lost income.
How CRPS Affects Workers’ Compensation Claims
If you have been injured at work and are suffering from CRPS, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. You may also qualify if you have CRPS and your work has made the condition worse.
There are some challenges for victims of CRPS who file a workers’ compensation claim. First, it is a lesser-known condition that can be difficult to diagnose. Without accurate medical records, patients may have a hard time producing the right documentation. Secondly, the condition may seem to come and go, and there are no obvious external injuries with this CRPS. Insurance companies may try to deny a claim or pay a reduced amount based on this because they do not believe victims or do not understand the extent of their suffering or disability. Having a Pasadena CRPS attorney on your side can force insurance companies to take your workers’ compensation claim seriously.
Reach Out to a Pasadena Attorney for Help With Your CRPS Workers’ Compensation Case
If CRPS from an on-the-job injury has affected your quality of life, you deserve fierce advocacy to help you get justice and financial compensation for all you have gone through. Workers’ compensation can be one pathway back to financial security for you and your family, but you need an experienced Pasadena CRPS workers’ compensation lawyer to help make your case.
At Oktanyan Law, APC, we are focused on getting you back to your life. With years of experience helping people with catastrophic workers’ compensation claims, we are ready to help you next. Reach out to us today to learn more.