Handling your CRPS claim with sensitivity
CRPS compensation claims are often complex, and not many lawyers understand the condition – or have even heard of it. We have a team of CPRS specialists, who understand what you’re going through and will treat your situation with sensitivity and empathy.
We will be able to put you in touch with the very best medical experts, as well as with other CRPS sufferers who can offer support and understanding. CRPS is often a life-long condition, and we will work with you and your medical team to help you secure the help and rehabilitation to improve your quality of life in the longer term.
How we can help
Royds Withy King are committed to raising awareness of CRPS and can give specialist legal advice on CRPS cases as we understand the condition.
Over the years, Royds Withy King have helped many accident victims nationally who have suffered from CRPS. We have specialist solicitors who act on behalf of people suffering from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) across England and Wales, where CRPS has been caused due to an injury sustained in an accident which was not their fault.
Early treatment usually increases your chances of improvement, so when dealing with CRPS claims we do a few things to help you get what you need:
- we work with the leading experts in the field to get you the specialist medical help you need
- we frequently obtain early interim payments to fund the cost of additional rehabilitation and pain management recommended by medical experts, including physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, inpatient stays, sympathetic nerve blocks and spinal cord stimulation
- we also frequently arrange for our clients to have psychiatric treatment as it can be very difficult to accept how life-changing CRPS can be.
In every case our specialist team applies their expert knowledge and understanding to help people suffering with CRPS turn their life around.
Why you need a specialist CRPS solicitor
Due to the imprecise nature of this illness, this area of personal injury litigation is extremely complex and requires expert understanding and analysis of the medical evidence.
Insurance companies are often suspicious about cases where a medical expert cannot fully explain why a patient is suffering from the symptoms or conclusively attribute them to the accident. In the absence of a perceived “orthodox” explanation, insurers may refuse to accept that symptoms have been caused by the accident at all. It is, therefore, crucial to instruct experts and solicitors who fully understand CRPS.
We work closely with the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases which is a national treatment centre dedicated to the treatment of CRPS. Many of our clients have benefitted from an inpatient stay at this leading hospital which has been funded by defendant insurers.
You may already have solicitors dealing with your personal injury claim, but not your CRPS. Our expert team can help with both, find out more about changing solicitors here.
How can you determine whether there’s a claim for CRPS?
Contact one of our specialist Solicitors to discuss your circumstances.
We offer to deal with personal injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis and are happy to offer initial advice at no cost to the CRPS sufferer. In the first instance, we will establish the facts of your case:
- How did the accident happen?
- Was the accident a result of breach of duty or negligence?
- Details of your injury and the effect it has had on your life.
- Details of your financial losses.
- You will need to keep a record of your symptoms and expenses and losses as they arise and keep documentary evidence (receipts/invoices etc.).
Once we have all of the facts surrounding the accident, your injuries and your current position, we will provide clear and concise advice in respect of whether you are entitled to bring a personal injury claim.
Find out more about the process of making a claim for CRPS here.
How much compensation might you receive for CRPS?
There are a number of factors that impact upon the value of your claim for CRPS, including the impact on your life, loss of earnings, your age and more.
Find out more in our guide to making a CRPS claim here.
How long do you have to bring a claim for CRPS?
A claim must usually be submitted to court within three years of the date of the accident.
There are exceptions:
- Date of knowledge;
- Where a claim involves a child, court proceedings must be started three years from their 18th Birthday.
The court has overriding discretion to allow court proceedings to start after the primary limitation period has passed.
If you think you have a claim, it is best not to delay. Enquiries need to be made and proceedings issued in Court within three years of the date of the accident.
Can you change your current solicitor?
Yes. You have the freedom to choose who handles your claim.
Insurance companies are very quick to sell information about clients who have been involved in an accident. Their details are sold to Claims Management Companies who do not have specialist CRPS knowledge and expertise.
Royds Withy King have taken over the conduct of many cases where medical evidence has not been analysed appropriately. We ensure that specialist medical evidence is obtained from CRPS experts. If this specialist medical evidence is not obtained, clients could be forced to settle their claim for a lesser sum. We understand the complexity of CRPS cases and effectively recover compensation that accurately reflects the suffering of CRPS.
Find out more about changing solicitors here.
Our credentials
“What the team is known for:
Somerset-based practice that comes recommended for its focus on spinal cord and brain injuries. Also offers niche expertise in areas such as fatal accidents and animal cases. Demonstrates further skill in the area of asbestos-related diseases.
Strengths:
“I feel there is a strong culture within the firm that fosters excellence delivered in a friendly, approachable way,” reports a source.
Another interviewee states: “They are the best local firm for me to deal with as their whole focus is professional and efficient.”
Work highlights:
Represented a claimant who suffered serious brain injury, in a Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority case worth £15.8 million.
Notable practitioners:
Stuart Brazington (Band 1) leads the brain injury team and possesses notable expertise in serious spinal cord injury claims. One source highlights: “He’s a brain injury specialist; it’s a tricky area and he’s very good at it. He knows a lot about medicine as well as litigation tactics.”
Senior associate Mark Hambleton (Associate to watch) offers particular strength in severe injury cases arising from accidents involving animals, sports and motorcycles.
Louise Hart is Recognised Practitioner.”
Chambers 2018 Somerset
“What the team is known for:
Outstanding personal injury practice adept at handling an impressive breadth of claims, including industrial disease cases, cycling accidents and equine matters. Notable expertise in chronic pain and fatal accidents as well as catastrophic injuries, with a focus on brain and spinal injuries.
Strengths:
Interviewees praise the lawyers’ involvement in each case: “They are very supportive of clients, you get the feeling that it’s not just business to them. They work well in teams, are responsive and quick to get back to you.”
Others agree, and attest the success of this ethos: “We were never made to feel like a case, we were treated with open communication as we if we were in a partnership. The attention to detail and professionalism of the lawyers led to great results.”
Notable practitioners:
The “tenacious and excellent” Ian Carrier (Band 1) focuses on catastrophic injury work, primarily spinal and brain injuries, as well as fatal accident claims. One client states: “He has strong communication skills, and excellent and far-reaching technical knowledge. We could not have asked for a better partners, it was just superb case management.”
Tracy Norris-Evans (Band 1) is highly reputable in claims of high complexity and severity including paediatric cases as well as those with complex neurological issues. One interviewee states: “She is very thorough and has an exceptionally good manner with clients. She is someone who inspires trust.”
Helen Childs (Band 2) is a specialist in industrial diseases and is especially noted for asbestos litigation. One client attests: “She is an expert in this field, which was paramount. She worked tirelessly and went to the moon and back for us. She was empathetic and genuine, nothing was too much trouble.“”
Chambers 2018 Oxford and Surrounds
“Royds Withy King’s personal injury team has ‘a wealth of experience and a very client-focussed approach’. It is ‘very strong on brain injury claims’ and provides an overall ‘excellent’ level of service. Particular areas of expertise include spinal injuries, chronic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, amputations, asbestos-related diseases, fatal accidents as well as claims arising from accidents involving animals, in particular horses. The ‘vastly experienced’ team is jointly led by Louise Hart and Stuart Brazington. The ‘tenacious’ and ‘knowledgeable’ Hart has ‘unrivalled’ experience in acting for clients who have sustained a personal injury with subsequent chronic pain’ while the ‘highly competent’ Brazington is ‘a very good strategist’. Senior associate Mark Hambleton, whose specialisms include sports-related injuries, is ‘client-focused’. The practice’s recent caseload includes representing a client who had suffered a severe hypoxic brain injury in a multi-million-pound claim before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) First Tier Tribunal, the High Court and the Court of Appeal.”
Legal 500 2017 South West
“The ‘excellent and forward-thinking firm’ Royds Withy King in Oxford, which ‘strikes the right balance through quality advice and great client care’, was created through a merger between law firm Royds and the Bath-based Withy King in September 2016. Team lead Tracy Norris-Evans specialises in brain injury and paediatric claims and also acts as a professional deputy, while the ‘experienced practitioner’ Ian Carrier is known for his spinal injuries and fatal accidents work and has ‘impressive attention to detail and case preparation skills’. Other notable individuals are Richard Brooks, who regularly handles animal-related claims and ‘knows equine matters inside out’, and industrial diseases expert Helen Childs. As a result of the merger, James Millar Craig, who gained experience in permanent health insurance cases, was added to the team. The ‘highly organised, knowledgeable and approachable’ associates Jennifer Seavor and Rachel James joined from Boyes Turner and Irwin Mitchell, respectively. Especially recommended in ‘asbestos-related claims’, Seavor represented a client who had developed mesothelioma through his occupation at a railway company from the late sixties to the early seventies; he wanted the claim to settle during his lifetime and accepted an offer of £230,000.”
Legal 500 2017 South East
