A car accident can cause injuries that continue long after the visible bruises and swelling disappear. One of the most difficult conditions I see in serious injury claims is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, often called CRPS. For someone injured in Schaumburg, the condition may begin after trauma to an arm, leg, hand, foot, or another part of the body and then develop into severe, persistent pain that seems far greater than what might be expected from the original injury.
That can be especially frustrating when an insurance company looks at the initial accident report, sees what it considers a routine collision, and questions why the injured person is still experiencing serious symptoms months later. When CRPS develops after a crash, I focus on proving both the medical connection to the collision and the full effect the condition has had on my client’s daily life, employment, mobility, and future medical needs.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a chronic pain condition that can develop after an injury or trauma. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains that CRPS can involve severe pain, sensory changes, swelling, changes in skin temperature or color, and other neurological symptoms. There is no single test that automatically confirms CRPS, so diagnosis is generally based on medical history, symptoms, physical findings, and the exclusion of other conditions.
CRPS can affect the nervous system in ways that make ordinary contact or movement extremely painful. Some people develop burning pain, extreme sensitivity to touch, stiffness, weakness, tremors, swelling, changes in sweating, or changes in the appearance of the affected limb. Symptoms can vary significantly from person to person.
The condition may follow fractures, sprains, surgery, nerve injuries, or other physical trauma. In a car accident case, the issue is often whether the collision caused the initial injury that led to the development of CRPS.
Car crashes expose the body to sudden forces that can injure nerves, bones, joints, muscles, and soft tissues. A person may fracture a wrist, injure an ankle, damage a shoulder, or suffer another orthopedic injury during impact. Even after the initial injury begins to heal, severe nerve-related symptoms may continue or intensify.
For example, someone may suffer a hand or wrist injury when bracing for impact. Another person may sustain a foot or ankle injury when the lower body is trapped or twisted during a collision. If severe burning pain, hypersensitivity, swelling, temperature changes, or abnormal skin changes develop afterward, doctors may begin evaluating whether CRPS is present.
This progression is important in an injury claim because the insurance company may focus only on the first diagnosis. I look at the entire medical timeline, including the original trauma, subsequent symptoms, specialist evaluations, diagnostic testing, and treatment recommendations.
CRPS does not always produce the type of clear imaging finding that people associate with a broken bone or torn ligament. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, no single test confirms CRPS, although physicians may use examinations, nerve studies, MRI, ultrasound, bone scans, and other testing to evaluate the condition and rule out alternative causes.
That can create disputes in a car accident claim. An insurance adjuster may argue that the pain is subjective, that the symptoms are disproportionate to the original injury, or that the condition cannot be directly connected to the crash.
I respond by building the claim around medical documentation. Consistent treatment records, specialist opinions, documented physical changes, therapy notes, pain-management records, and testimony concerning functional limitations can all help explain why CRPS is a serious medical condition rather than simply ongoing discomfort.
CRPS treatment may involve several different medical disciplines. Published medical literature describes treatment approaches that can include physical or occupational therapy, medication, psychological treatment, sympathetic nerve blocks, and, in some cases, procedures such as spinal cord stimulation.
For an injured person, that can mean months or years of appointments, therapy sessions, procedures, medication management, and specialist visits. Treatment may also interfere with work, sleep, household responsibilities, exercise, and recreational activities.
When I evaluate damages, I consider both the treatment already received and the medical care that may reasonably be required in the future. A claim should reflect the actual consequences of living with the condition, not simply the bills incurred during the first few weeks after the accident.
Causation is often one of the central issues in these cases. The insurance company may argue that CRPS developed independently of the accident or that another medical condition explains the symptoms.
I look closely at the timing of the symptoms. If there was a documented injury during the collision followed by progressive pain, sensitivity, swelling, or neurological symptoms in the same area, that timeline can be important evidence.
Medical opinions may also play a significant role. Treating physicians, neurologists, pain-management doctors, orthopedic specialists, or other medical professionals may be able to explain whether the trauma from the collision is medically consistent with the development of CRPS.
A serious CRPS claim may involve much more than reimbursement for initial medical expenses. Illinois law recognizes economic and non-economic damages in personal injury cases, including categories such as pain and suffering and disability.
Depending on the circumstances, I may evaluate compensation for medical bills, future medical treatment, lost wages, diminished earning ability, pain and suffering, disability, and other losses caused by the accident.
CRPS can affect a person’s ability to stand, walk, use an arm or hand, sleep normally, work consistently, or participate in ordinary activities. Those limitations may become especially important when the condition is expected to continue for an extended period.
Illinois generally requires personal injury actions to be filed within two years after the cause of action accrues under 735 ILCS 5/13-202.
I do not recommend waiting simply because the full extent of CRPS symptoms is still developing. Evidence can disappear, witnesses can become harder to locate, and insurance companies may become more aggressive about questioning delayed claims.
Illinois also follows modified comparative negligence. Under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, an injured person who is more than 50 percent responsible for the cause of the injury is barred from recovery, while someone found 50 percent or less responsible may recover damages reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to that person.
Yes, CRPS can develop after physical trauma, including injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision. The condition may follow a fracture, nerve injury, sprain, surgery, or other trauma. The important issue in a legal claim is establishing a medical connection between the crash, the initial injury, and the later development of CRPS symptoms. I review the timing of treatment, diagnostic findings, specialist opinions, and the progression of symptoms to determine how strongly the evidence supports that connection.
Symptoms can include severe burning or throbbing pain, extreme sensitivity to touch, swelling, changes in skin temperature, changes in skin color, stiffness, weakness, and abnormal sweating. Some people also experience reduced mobility or significant difficulty using the affected limb. Because other medical conditions can cause similar symptoms, a physician must evaluate the condition carefully. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes that CRPS diagnosis relies on history, symptoms, examination, and testing designed in part to rule out other causes.
A normal or inconclusive MRI does not automatically mean that CRPS is absent. There is no single imaging study or laboratory test that proves the condition in every case. Physicians may use MRI, nerve conduction testing, bone scans, physical examination, and other diagnostic methods as part of the evaluation. I therefore look at the complete medical record rather than relying on one test.
Potentially, yes. If medical evidence shows that continued treatment is reasonably necessary because of the crash-related condition, future medical expenses may become part of the damages analysis. CRPS treatment can involve therapy, medications, pain-management procedures, specialist care, and other ongoing treatment. The more serious and persistent the condition, the more important it becomes to understand future treatment needs before resolving the claim.
Pain is often a major component of CRPS, but the condition can also produce documented physical and neurological findings. Treatment records may show swelling, temperature differences, color changes, sensitivity, movement restrictions, or other measurable symptoms. Specialist evaluations can also help explain why the symptoms are medically consistent with CRPS. I use the entire record to show how the condition affects daily function rather than allowing the case to be reduced to a simple argument about whether someone reports pain.
Illinois generally provides a two-year limitation period for personal injury actions under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. There can be exceptions depending on the circumstances, so I do not recommend relying on a general deadline without reviewing the specific facts of the accident. Early action also allows important evidence to be preserved while the medical history is being developed.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome can turn what initially appeared to be a manageable car accident injury into a long-term medical problem involving persistent pain, reduced mobility, repeated treatment, and serious disruption to work and daily life. When an insurance company questions the condition or minimizes its consequences, I focus on the medical record, the progression of symptoms, the treatment history, and the full effect the injury has had on my client.
If you developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or another chronic pain condition after a car accident, call our Schaumburg auto accident attorney at SJ INJURY LAW at (847) 434-3555 to receive your free consultation.
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