What is RSD/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Why Don’t Many Lawyers (or Doctors) Understand it?

Since our firm’s beginning, our RSD/CRPS lawyers have provided clients in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Henry, Hall, Forsythe, Cobb, Rockdale, Cherokee, and other counties throughout Georgia with dedicated legal representation.
Nelson Tyrone has throughout his career represented many clients in RSD/CRPS injury cases in the state of Georgia. Our firm’s most recent results include a $5.65 Million Dollar Verdict on behalf of a family where the father and husband was injured by a needle-stick during a blood draw and later developed CRPS Type II. That verdict included $2 Million in damages for his wife for the loss of consortium/ damage to their marriage. In another recent trial, Nelson recovered a $1.25 Million dollar verdict from a jury in one of the most conservative counties in Georgia and an additional undisclosed settlement for punitive damages for his client who has RSD from a hot water burn. This was the largest jury verdict in Cobb County in 2010. Mr. Tyrone has also settled cases on behalf of RSD injury clients for the insurance policy limits of six figures and more. The Tyrone Law Firm is currently pursuing cases in which clients have been injured by medical malpractice, a hot water burn, a fall, and a propane gas explosion and who now suffer from RSD/ CRPS.
RSD/ CRPS is an extremely debilitating and life-changing disease. There are few successful treatments, and many times the treatment goals are just to slow the spread of the condition rather than to stop it entirely; it cannot be eradicated by any means. For this reason, it is crucial that you find a lawyer who specializes in cases involving the disorder and will go to any lengths to help you.
Facts about RSD/CRPS:
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD or RSDS) is also known as CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). It is a chronic pain disorder and is primarily known for its symptoms of:
• severe burning pain
• extreme sensitivity to touch in the affected area
• edema (which is swelling with fluid underneath the skin)
• unusual, excessive sweating
• discoloration of the skin in the affected area
The IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain) recognizes the following distinct criteria for diagnosis of CRPS:
CRPS-1 (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
1. An initiating injurious event, or a cause of immobilization.
2. Ongoing pain, allodynia, or hyperalgesia in which the pain is out of proportion to the triggering event.
3. Evidence at some point in time of edema (which is swelling with fluid trapped underneath the skin), changes in skin blood flow to the affected area, or unusual sudomotor (“stimulating the sweat glands”) activity in the area of the pain.
4. This diagnosis is ruled out by the existence of any other condition(s) that could otherwise adequately explain the degree of pain and discomfort.
Note: Criteria 2 through 4 must be satisfied.

CRPS-2 (also known as “Causalgia”)
1. The presence of persistent pain, allodynia (which is pain out of proportion to the stimulus), or hyperalgesia (increased pain response) after a nerve injury, not always limited to the area of the originally afflicted nerve.
2. Evidence at some point in time of edema (swelling with fluid), changes in skin blood flow, or atypical sudomotor activity in the area of the pain.
3. This diagnosis is ruled out by the presence of any condition(s) that could otherwise explain the degree of pain and discomfort to the area.
Note: All 3 criteria must be satisfied.
Causes of CRPS:
Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome can many times be related back to an injury or accident that has resulted in some type of nerve damage. This injury or accident may perhaps even be as a result of an error made during an operation of some sort. The injury usually occurs in an extremity such as a hand, foot, forearm, ankle, or calf.
Often the patient can’t remember the particular event that caused onset of the RSD/CRPS.
When the RSD/ CRPS can be traced back to an originating event – a burn, an accident, an unexpected fall or an error made during a surgery, and if this original injury was the end result of someone else’s carelessness or intentional act, the CRPS/RSD sufferer might be entitled to monetary damages. The claim has to be made within the statutory time limit allowed by law in order to collect successfully against the person or persons at fault.
Here at the Tyrone Law Firm we specialize in CRPS/RSD cases and have in many instances litigated such cases successfully for our clients. We possess specific and specialized experience in the courtroom as it pertains to CRPS/RSD nurses, doctors, or other experts, that are vital in such cases. When selecting an attorney to assist you with this very crippling and catastrophic condition, you need to be sure that you have confidence in their ability to handle such complex cases, whether in the event of a settlement or in the courtroom.
Nelson Tyrone handles CRPS/RSD cases throughout the United States. He retains only the top rehabilitation, medical, and life-care plan experts in the field. His results on behalf of clients include several of the largest settlements and verdicts on record.
You can reach us at 404-377-0017, or via email at admin@tyronelaw.com. If we cannot help you, we will do our utmost to put you into the hands of attorneys who can.