We have significant experience handling claims for people suffering from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), sometimes also referred to as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). This is a chronic and painful condition marked, in part, by burning pain, excessive sweating, swelling, and sensitivity to touch. It requires medical treatment and may even affect earning ability, making you eligible for Workers’ Compensation.
CRPS/RSD can spread to various body parts, and symptoms may persist for a lifetime. Some people will improve and recover, but many will not. Although doctors sometimes disagree about facets of CRPS, it is a real condition with debilitating effects. Getting Workers’ Compensation claims approved for this condition can be harder than seeking payment for other workplace injuries, so reach out to our lawyers for help. We have significant experience with these insidious conditions, including how to handle litigation, what testimony to elicit, and which doctors are best suited to treat CRPS/RSD.
For help with your CRPS/RSD case from our Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Specialists, call Cardamone Law at (267) 651-7945.
Do I Need a CRPS/RSD Lawyer in Norristown?
Having CRPS, also known as RSD, is no picnic, and the added stress of trying to navigate the complicated Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation process alone might exacerbate your symptoms and stress levels. Employers and insurance companies do not like to admit that an injured worker has CRPS/RSD, let alone pay for it. To get the benefits you deserve, reach out to our lawyers if you cannot work because of CRPS/RSD.
Do not let your employer or insurer intimidate you into thinking that you don’t have complex regional pain syndrome, or that CRPS or RSD is not work-related. Let our experienced and Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Specialists review your case, including your medical records, to make this determination along with your treating physician.
If you’re looking for a CRPS/RSD lawyer in Pennsylvania, we can help. We specialize in representing clients who suffer from complex regional pain syndrome, also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and have experience handling these cases with difficult Workers’ Compensation carriers in Pennsylvania.
Can You Get Workers’ Comp for CRPS/RSD in Norristown?
If you suffer from complex regional pain syndrome because of a traumatic injury sustained at work, you may get Workers’ Compensation benefits in Norristown. Your Pennsylvania employer needs this insurance coverage, and you can seek no-fault benefits after nearly any workplace accident, unless you intentionally cause it.
If the injury causing CRPS and the painful symptoms you experience stop you from working for at least seven days, you qualify for Workers’ Compensation from your employer’s insurer. Even if you can return to work in a full or limited capacity sometime soon, Workers’ Compensation should continue covering any medical expenses related to CRPS/RSD, such as the following:
- Doctor visits
- Mobility aids
- Pain management medications
- Physical therapy
- Surgery
You don’t have to shoulder the financial burden of a CRPS/RSD diagnosis yourself, and can heavily rely on your employer’s Workers’ Compensation to pay all reasonable and necessary medical expenses, no matter how long you incur damages to treat CRPS/RSD.
You can also get compensation for much of the income you miss out on because of complex regional pain syndrome or reflex sympathetic dystrophy from a workplace injury.
Once your claim is approved, your physicians can bill the Workers’ Compensation carrier directly, and you don’t have to worry about seeing medical bills.
What Medical Records Do You Need to Get Workers’ Comp for CRPS/RSD?
You need comprehensive medical records to get approved for Workers’ Compensation for your CRPS/RSD in Norristown. We can arrange the X-rays, doctor’s notes, diagnostic reports, physical therapy session notes, and other medical evidence that prove an injury and chronic pain symptoms associated with it.
When reviewing claims for conditions like CRPS, Workers’ Compensation carriers may also require much older medical records. The goal is to confirm whether or not the claimant’s chronic pain could be due to a pre-existing condition or injury, not from their workplace responsibilities.
In general, workers initially need medical records from an employer-approved physician in Pennsylvania. Our attorneys can help make sure you see an approved doctor for the first steps of your care so that the Workers’ Compensation carrier approves the claim and pays medical bills without issue.
What Injuries Cause CRPS/RSD?
Sometimes, the cause of CRPS symptoms is unclear. Other times, workers can easily trace their pain back to a specific workplace incident that could cause such chronic pain and discomfort that it affects their ability to work.
CRPS/RSD can be a response to nerve injuries, significant trauma, sprains, fractures, and even burns. Construction workers, manufacturing workers, electricians, and workers in many other trades face a higher risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome symptoms. That said, bad injuries can happen at any worksite, and office workers can also get Workers’ Compensation for CRPS/RSD in Norristown.
Insurers might argue that something other than a workplace injury triggered a claimant’s RSD, such as inflammation or immune system issues. We can obtain evidence that proves your symptoms developed after a workplace accident, such as medical records and witness statements.
Recent Cases Involving CRPS/RSD Handled by Our Lawyers in Norristown
Our lawyers routinely handle Workers’ Compensation claims involving CRPS/RSD. The following examples demonstrate just how extensive our experience is and how we use it to get claimants the results they need.
Getting CRPS/RSD Diagnosis Accepted
For a previous case, our attorneys filed a Petition to Review to expand the claimant’s accepted diagnoses listed on the Notice of Compensation Payable (NCP) letter from the insurer. The NCP listed several fractures, dislocation of the right arm and wrist, and a concussion from a workplace fall, but not CRPSD/RSD symptoms in his right arm. Despite the claimant’s many symptoms, the insurer disagreed, and we proceeded to litigate the case.
After presenting credible testimony from the claimant and their treating physician about pain and tremors in the right arm, including a surgery to his wrist, the Workers’ Compensation judge decided in our favor.
Although the insurer deposed a board-certified and supposedly independent neurologist, our questioning revealed that the physician failed to ask the claimant about hallmark symptoms of CRPS/RSD, such as swelling of the affected limb, unusual sweat patterns, and temperature changes in the limb. The judge agreed with us that the Notice of Compensation Payable should be amended to include complex regional pain syndrome of the right upper extremity, ensuring related medical expenses were covered. In addition, litigation costs were awarded.
Getting Medical Treatments Approved
We also secured a significant victory for a client who suffered from disabling complex regional pain syndrome, whose medical treatments, specifically his ketamine infusions, were challenged by the insurer. The insurer claimed the infusions weren’t reasonable and necessary.
Fortunately, our lawyers successfully convinced the Workers’ Compensation judge that the infusions were, in fact, reasonable and necessary as they provided significant symptom relief to the claimant when administered prior to the insurer lodging its challenge. The judge credited the opinion of our medical expert and also found the claimant’s testimony to be credible.
Call Us for Help Getting Workers’ Comp for CRPS/RSD in Norristown
To have us review your CRPS/RSD case for free, call the Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Specialists of Cardamone Law at (267) 651-7945.
