CRPS and Chronic Pain Lawyer for Kentucky Injury Victims
CRPS after a crash or fall? How complex regional pain syndrome and chronic pain claims are proven in Kentucky, how insurers fight them and what they're worth.
Reviewed by Larry Forman, Attorney
Some injuries don’t heal the way they should. A sprained wrist or a fracture from a crash turns into burning pain that spreads, the skin changes color and the arm is too sensitive to touch. That may be complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), one of the most painful and most disputed conditions in injury cases. This page explains what CRPS and other chronic pain conditions are, why insurers fight them, and how a Kentucky claim is built.
What CRPS is
CRPS is a chronic pain condition, usually in an arm or a leg, that develops after an injury. It used to be called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), there are two types:
Type 1 follows an illness or injury without a confirmed injury to a specific nerve. Most people with CRPS have this type.
Type 2 follows damage to a specific nerve.
The pain is out of proportion to the original injury, which may have seemed mild. NINDS notes that a broken bone, especially a broken wrist, is the most common cause. Crush injuries, surgery, sprains, burns and cuts can also trigger it. CRPS is more common in women and is diagnosed most often in middle age or later; it’s less common in children.
Symptoms to tell your doctor about
Burning, throbbing or stabbing pain that’s worse than the injury would explain
Pain that spreads beyond the injured area
Extreme sensitivity to touch or cold, even clothing or a breeze
Swelling, or skin that’s warmer or cooler than the other side
Skin color changes: blotchy, red, purple, blue or pale
Changes in sweating, or in hair and nail growth
Stiffness, weakness, tremors or trouble moving the limb
Tell your doctor about every symptom, including ones that seem odd. Many doctors use a published set of clinical criteria (often called the Budapest criteria) that depends on exactly these details being written down.
How CRPS is diagnosed and treated
NINDS says there’s no laboratory or blood test for CRPS. It’s diagnosed from symptoms and a physical exam by a doctor familiar with nerve and pain conditions, often a neurologist, orthopedic surgeon or pain management physician. Imaging and nerve tests are used to rule out other causes.
There’s no cure, but NINDS says treatment tends to work better when it’s started early. Treatment can include:
Physical and occupational therapy and gentle movement of the limb
Medicines for nerve pain, swelling and inflammation
Spinal cord stimulation, a surgically placed device
In some medical centers, low-dose ketamine infusions
Psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which NINDS notes can help people cope with long-lasting pain
Some of these treatments are expensive and may continue for years. That’s why the diagnosis and the treatment plan matter so much to the value of a claim.
Other chronic pain after an injury
Not all lasting pain is CRPS. People also live with chronic pain after injuries such as:
Chronic pain is real even when it doesn’t show on an X-ray. It affects sleep, work, family life and mood. Many people with chronic pain also struggle with depression or anxiety; see our PTSD and emotional distress page.
Why insurers fight CRPS and chronic pain claims
These are among the hardest claims to get paid fairly, because the injury can’t be seen on a scan. Expect the insurer to argue:
“The original injury was minor.” NINDS itself says CRPS can follow an injury that seemed mild. The question is what the injury caused, not how it looked.
“There’s no objective proof.” Diagnosis is clinical. Temperature differences, swelling, skin changes, photos and records from several treating doctors are the proof.
“It’s something else.” Insurers often send you to a doctor of their choosing who disagrees with your diagnosis. That doctor is chosen and paid by the other side.
“You stopped treating.” Gaps in care get used against you, even when they happened because of cost or insurance denials. Tell your lawyer why any gap happened.
“You had pain before.”A pre-existing condition doesn’t bar a claim. The question is how much worse the injury made things.
“Your social media shows you’re fine.” One good day in a photo gets used to suggest you have no bad days. Be careful what you post.
PIP pays first after a crash. Kentucky no-fault coverage pays medical bills and lost wages up to $10,000 regardless of fault. See how Kentucky PIP insurance works.
The no-fault threshold. To recover for pain and suffering after a car crash, you must meet a threshold, such as more than $1,000 in medical expense, a fracture, or “permanent injury within reasonable medical probability” (KRS 304.39-060). Many CRPS cases meet more than one.
Deadlines. Car crash claims generally must be filed within two years of the injury or the last PIP payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230). Many other injury claims have one year (KRS 413.140). CRPS is often diagnosed months after the injury, so don’t wait for a diagnosis to talk to a lawyer. See our statute of limitations guide.
What a CRPS or chronic pain claim can include
Past and future medical care, including therapy, medicines, procedures and devices
Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
Pain, suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life
Future care is often the largest part of a CRPS claim. It’s proven through your treating doctors and, in serious cases, a life care plan that projects the cost of care over your lifetime. See what a Kentucky injury case is worth.
How Forman & Associates helps
We work with your treating doctors to document the diagnosis, the treatment plan and the long-term outlook, and we answer the insurer’s doctor with the evidence. We prepare every case for trial. Larry Forman has tried 50+ jury trials and won 95% of them. See our case results (past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome). We handle CRPS claims arising from car crashes, falls, fractures and other injuries throughout Kentucky.
CRPS and chronic pain FAQs
Can a car accident cause CRPS?
Yes. CRPS can follow fractures, sprains, crush injuries and surgery, including injuries from a crash. NINDS says the triggering injury may seem mild.
How is CRPS proven in an injury case?
Through treating doctors’ records and testimony, documented physical signs like swelling and skin changes, photos, and a consistent treatment history.
How much is a CRPS case worth?
It depends on the severity, the treatment needed, the effect on your work and life, and the insurance available. Future medical care is often the largest part.
What if CRPS was diagnosed months after the accident?
That’s common. A delayed diagnosis doesn’t bar a claim, but filing deadlines keep running, so talk to a lawyer early.
Can I recover for chronic pain without a CRPS diagnosis?
Yes. Lasting pain from nerve damage, spine injuries and other injuries can be part of a claim when it’s documented by your doctors.
Will the insurance company send me to its own doctor?
Often. That doctor is chosen by the other side. Keep treating with your own doctors and tell your lawyer about the exam.
Living with pain after an injury? Let’s talk
Call (502) 931-6788 or request a free case evaluation. No fee unless we win. Our office is at 1139 S. 4th St., Louisville, KY 40203.
This page is general information as of October 2026, not legal or medical advice.
