Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

If you believe that you or someone close to you has developed reflex sympathetic dystrophy due to someone else's negligence, you need to reach out to a knowledgeable Baltimore catastrophic injury lawyer who can help. Life with RSD or another nerve injury can be very challenging because your mental and physical energy are often consumed by simply managing your condition. At Arfaa Law Group, we understand how to navigate complex personal injury cases and have won many settlements and verdicts for victims and their loved ones. Taking a personal injury case to court is a daunting process if you are not represented by counsel, but an attorney can handle all of the nuances and procedures involved to make sure that your rights are protected.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), also known as complex regional pain syndrome, is a rare disorder of the sympathetic nervous system that is characterized by chronic, severe pain. While RSD can affect any body part, it has the tendency to affect the hands, feet, arms, knees, and shoulders. RSD is characterized by a number of symptoms, including skin sensitivity, excessive sweating, swelling, pain that worsens, changes in skin color, and burning pain in the area. RSD can vary in duration and severity. There are three stages of the condition, and in the most severe situations, the "death of the limb" can result.

Unfortunately, RSD is often caused by medical malpractice, particularly in patients who have gone through surgery. Other times, poorly administered medication or nerve damage can result in the condition. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional causes injuries by failing to adhere to the level of care that a reasonably prudent medical professional in the same specialty with the same level of training would have upheld in the same situation. It is important to note that the medical professional's deviation from the accepted level of care must have been a direct and proximate cause of the injury.

RSD often requires extensive treatments, including physical therapy, spinal cord stimulation, prescription medication, psychotherapy, and nerve block. These treatments can be extremely costly for victims and their families. Fortunately, Maryland medical malpractice laws allow you to recover both economic and non-economic damages for your harm. Economic damages include medical bills, loss of income and earning capacity, rehabilitation costs, and therapy costs. Non-economic damages include things like pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of quality of life. Of course, the precise amount of compensation that a victim will be able to obtain will be contingent on the particular facts of the case.

Medical malpractice claims in Maryland, like all other types of claims, are subject to a fairly strict statute of limitations. Claims must be filed within five years of the date of the alleged medical malpractice or three years from the time that the injury was discovered, whichever is earlier. Failing to file within the appropriate time frame could mean losing your right to take legal action altogether. Thus, it is important to work with an attorney who will be vigilant about timelines in your case.

Maryland medical malpractice cases follow general Maryland law by defining a qualified expert as an individual who is a licensed professional or someone of comparable status who is knowledgeable in the accepted standard of care in the defendant's specialty. In addition, among other things, the expert cannot be a party to the litigation or an employer or partner of the defendant. This is because the qualified expert is meant to be an impartial person.

If you or someone close to you has developed reflex sympathetic dystrophy following an incident of medical malpractice or another accident, you may be entitled to compensation. At Arfaa Law Group, our personal injury lawyers are dedicated to holding negligent medical professionals and other careless people or entities accountable for the harm that they cause. We represent people in the Baltimore area and throughout the State of Maryland who are suffering from RSD and other complex conditions, such as soft tissue injuries or quadriplegia. For more information about your legal rights and options, feel free to call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.