Complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS, is a condition that causes intense and often permanent pain after an injury or medical procedure. Healthcare providers can cause or worsen this condition if they fail to meet accepted medical standards during treatment or fail to catch it early enough to limit the damage. Either way, affected patients deserve answers and fair compensation for preventable adverse outcomes. If you know or suspect you may have a CRPS malpractice case, contact The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam, PC, for a free consultation.
What Is CRPS?
CRPS is a chronic pain condition that typically develops in the arm, leg, hand, or foot after an injury or medical procedure. Many patients with CRPS describe symptoms like burning pain, swelling, changes in skin color or temperature, and extreme sensitivity to touch.
Doctors classify CRPS into two types: Type I, which occurs in the absence of confirmed nerve damage, and Type II, which results from a distinct nerve injury.
CRPS can develop after fractures, surgeries, or even routine injections. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can make a significant difference in patients’ quality of life, and medical errors in this area can have consequences that affect patients for years.
How Medical Negligence Can Cause or Worsen CRPS
Medical providers who miss early warning signs of CRPS or fail to provide appropriate care can turn a manageable injury into a lifelong struggle with CRPS. Some of the most common causes of preventable CRPS that we see in our practice include:
- Delayed Diagnosis or Treatment: Doctors ignoring early symptoms or waiting too long to refer patients for specialized care
- Surgical Errors or Nerve Damage: Surgeons nicking, compressing, or otherwise injuring nerves during operations
- Improper Casting or Splinting: Medical staff applying casts so tightly that they cut off circulation and damage nerves
- Anesthesia Errors: Anesthesiologists administering injections too close to nerves or providing incorrect doses
- Failure to Refer to a Specialist: General practitioners continuing to treat patients instead of sending them to specialists who could have caught the CRPS early
How to Prove a CRPS Medical Malpractice Claim
To win a CRPS malpractice case, you must present evidence that demonstrates each of the four following elements:
- A formal doctor-patient relationship existed between you and your provider.
- Your provider failed to handle your care in the same way that a careful, competent doctor would have handled it.
- Your provider’s failure directly caused or worsened your CRPS.
- You suffered measurable harm or losses as a result.
At The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam, PC, we prepare each malpractice case by gathering medical records and working with relevant medical experts to show exactly how your provider fell short. We handle all the legal details so you’re free to focus on your health.
Compensation Available in CRPS Malpractice Cases
CRPS often forces patients into years of treatment, therapy, and time away from work. In situations where a patient’s CRPS is a preventable consequence of malpractice, New York law provides ways to pursue compensation for everything patients have lost, including:
- Medical and Rehabilitation Expenses: The costs of past and future treatment, physical therapy, and pain management related to the condition
- Lost Income: Any income lost during recovery and future losses in earning capacity
- Long-Term Care: The costs of hiring home health aides or ongoing nursing support
- Physical Pain and Emotional Suffering: The daily toll CRPS takes on the patient’s life
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: The loss of the ability to participate in hobbies, relationships, and activities like before
Why Choose The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam, PC?
At The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam, PC, we bring decades of courtroom experience to every medical malpractice case we accept, and we treat each client with the personalized attention their situation demands. Here’s why you should choose us to handle your case:
- More than 25 years of litigation experience in New York courts
- Direct, personal representation from consultation through resolution
- No legal fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf
- A strong track record in complex medical and surgical malpractice claims
- Responsive, compassionate communication throughout your recovery
Frequently Asked Questions
CRPS malpractice can introduce a lot of uncertainty into your life. Below are straightforward answers to some of the most common questions we hear from clients in similar situations.
How long do I have to file a CRPS malpractice claim in New York?
New York law gives most medical malpractice victims two years and six months from the date of the negligent act, or from the end of continuous treatment for the same condition, to file a claim. If you received treatment from a public hospital, you must also file a formal notice of claim within 90 days, or you could lose your right to sue. These deadlines can come up fast, so reach out to our office as soon as you have reason to suspect that malpractice may have played a role in your CRPS diagnosis.
Will I have to go to trial to get compensation for CRPS malpractice?
Not necessarily. CRPS malpractice cases typically settle before trial once we present strong medical evidence of the ways in which the provider fell short and the harm our clients suffered as a result. That said, we prepare every case we handle as though it were headed to trial, since we know insurance companies and opposing attorneys tend to take negotiations more seriously when they know we’re ready to go to court.
How much does it cost to hire a malpractice attorney?
Many malpractice law firms, including The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam, PC, charge no upfront fees to take on your case. Our firm works on contingency, which means you pay nothing out of pocket to get started, and we only collect fees if we recover compensation for you.
Contact a New York Malpractice Attorney Now
If you think you may have a CRPS malpractice claim, contact The Law Firm of Lawrence M. Karam, PC, now for a free consultation. Let us answer your questions and investigate what really happened during your care. We charge no fees unless we win your case.