An insurance claim should account for what an injury has actually done to your life. If you develop CRPS after an accident, the cost may extend well beyond your initial treatment. Our San Francisco complex regional pain syndrome lawyers can help you pursue compensation for those continuing losses.
At Sweet James, we focus exclusively on accident and personal injury cases. Before founding our firm, James Bergener represented insurance carriers, gaining insight into how they evaluate and defend claims. We use that perspective when addressing disputes over your injuries and the care you need.
You do not need to have every medical record ready before calling. Contact us for a free consultation with a California complex regional pain syndrome lawyer about your potential claim.
Understanding CRPS After an Accident
CRPS is a pain condition that can develop after fractures, sprains, surgery, or other injuries. It commonly affects an arm, leg, hand, or foot. Pain may be much more severe or last longer than expected from the original injury.
Symptoms may include:
- Burning pain or pain from light touch.
- Swelling and changes in skin color or temperature.
- Joint stiffness, weakness, or difficulty moving the affected limb.
- Changes in sweating, skin texture, or hair and nail growth.
There is no single test that confirms every CRPS diagnosis. Your medical provider evaluates your history, symptoms, and examination findings while considering other possible causes. Our complex regional pain syndrome attorneys use medical evidence to explain how the condition developed and how it affects you.
When You Can Pursue a CRPS Injury Claim
A diagnosis alone does not establish someone else’s liability. In a negligence claim, we must show that another party owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused injury and losses. That may involve a careless driver or a property owner who failed to address an unsafe condition.
Our San Francisco personal injury lawyers investigate both the accident and the medical connection between your initial injury and CRPS. A delay in diagnosis does not automatically defeat your claim, but we need evidence explaining that connection.
Workplace injuries require a separate review. Workers’ compensation generally provides the route to benefits through your employer, while an injury caused by an outside party may also support a civil claim. CRPS following medical treatment does not, by itself, establish malpractice.
How Our San Francisco CRPS Lawyers Document Your Claim
An insurer may dispute whether the accident caused your symptoms or whether you need continuing treatment. Our complex regional pain syndrome lawyers in San Francisco build a documented account of your injury, diagnosis, and limitations so we can respond with evidence.
Medical Records and Treatment History
We review emergency care records, follow-up visits, therapy notes, and evaluations from providers treating your CRPS. These records can show when symptoms appeared, how they changed, and why your providers recommended particular treatments. We also address relevant prior conditions rather than leaving unanswered questions in your medical history.
Work and Daily Activities
Pay records, employer statements, and medical restrictions can help establish lost income and changes in your ability to work. Your notes about sleep, walking, dressing, or household tasks can also help explain limitations that bills alone do not show. Keep those notes specific and accurate, including changes between better and worse days.
Compensation for CRPS-Related Losses
Your claim should reflect the losses supported by the evidence, including future needs. Depending on your case, we may seek compensation for:
- Reasonable medical expenses, including treatment, medication, and rehabilitation.
- Future medical care you are reasonably certain to need.
- Lost earnings and reduced earning capacity.
- Necessary assistive equipment or home modifications supported by your condition.
- Physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Our San Francisco complex regional pain syndrome attorneys work to document future losses with medical opinions and, when needed, financial analysis. We cannot base a settlement demand on assumed lifelong treatment; the evidence must support the claimed care and costs.
California generally allows you to recover damages even if you share responsibility for an accident, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. We examine the facts before accepting an insurer’s assertion that you caused or contributed to your injury.
California Deadlines for Filing a Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Lawsuit
Most California personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury. A later CRPS diagnosis does not automatically restart that period. Exceptions may apply, so we review your injury date and medical history before determining your deadline.
Different rules apply in some cases:
- Government claims: An injury claim against a California public entity generally must be presented within six months before a lawsuit can be filed. Separate deadlines govern filing suit.
- Medical malpractice: The usual deadline is the earlier of three years after injury or one year after discovering, or reasonably being expected to discover, the injury, subject to exceptions. Separate advance-notice requirements also apply.
Contact a CRPS attorney in San Francisco while you are still receiving care. Waiting until treatment ends can put your right to pursue compensation at risk.
What to Do While Your Claim Is Being Evaluated
Follow your providers’ treatment recommendations and report new symptoms. If cost, transportation, or side effects interfere with care, tell your provider so the difficulty is documented and possible alternatives can be discussed.
To help preserve evidence:
- Save accident photographs, witness details, bills, and insurance correspondence.
- Keep records of missed work and changes to your duties.
- Ask us to review settlement releases and requests for recorded statements before you respond.
A settlement release can prevent you from seeking additional payment later for the same injury. We review the offer against your documented losses and expected needs before advising you about it.
Discuss Your Claim With a San Francisco Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Attorney at Sweet James
If your claim has been valued solely on the original fracture or sprain, we can assess whether the offer accounts for your CRPS diagnosis and ongoing limitations. Our team includes more than 400 legal professionals, and we use data from thousands of injury cases to help evaluate claims alongside your individual evidence.
Speak with a San Francisco CRPS lawyer at Sweet James for a free consultation. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means you pay no fees or costs until we win. We are available 24/7 to receive your call and offer assistance in Spanish.
