A CRPS compensation claim is a personal injury claim brought by someone who has a diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or another form of chronic pain, after an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. It seeks general damages for pain and loss of amenity and special damages for financial losses, and is handled by Emaari Legal on a no win, no fee basis.
Chronic pain conditions such as CRPS are often invisible on a scan yet disabling in daily life. This page explains what to do after diagnosis, what CRPS is, how much a claim costs, how compensation is assessed, how long you have to claim, and how insurance and funding work.
What should you do after a diagnosis of chronic pain or CRPS?
Act promptly: chronic pain claims depend on early medical evidence and a clear record of how the condition developed. Five practical steps protect a future CRPS compensation claim:
- See your GP or attend NHS pain clinics for assessment and keep every appointment letter.
- Start a symptom diary noting pain levels, sleep, mobility and the impact on work and daily tasks.
- Follow referrals to a consultant in pain medicine (the specialty overseen by the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists) where offered.
- Keep receipts for any private treatment, aids, adaptations or travel to appointments.
- Contact a solicitor before the time limit of 3 years runs, so evidence can be gathered while it is fresh.
Emaari Legal offers a free consultation and, where required, will send a solicitor to visit a claimant at home or in hospital within 24 hours, which matters for anyone whose pain limits travel or concentration.
What is CRPS?
CRPS, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, is a chronic pain condition that usually follows an injury to a limb and causes pain disproportionate to the original injury, together with changes in skin colour, temperature, swelling or movement in the affected area. Clinicians in the UK diagnose CRPS against the Budapest Criteria, the recognised clinical criteria that require a combination of reported symptoms and observed signs across several categories.
UK management follows the Royal College of Physicians guideline “Complex regional pain syndrome in adults”, 2nd edition (2018), which sets out diagnosis, referral pathways and treatment, and the NICE chronic pain guideline, “Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s” (April 2021), which covers assessment of chronic pain generally, including CRPS. The Royal College of Physicians guideline was developed with, and is endorsed by, bodies including the British Pain Society, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
CRPS is classified into two types:
| Feature | CRPS Type 1 | CRPS Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Nerve injury | No confirmed nerve injury | Confirmed nerve injury |
| Trigger | Often follows a fracture, sprain or surgery | Follows direct nerve damage, for example after a crush or laceration |
| Diagnosis | Budapest Criteria applied without nerve injury evidence | Budapest Criteria applied alongside confirmed nerve damage |
Related and overlapping conditions include chronic pain syndrome generally, fibromyalgia, somatic symptom disorder, chronic post-surgical pain and post-traumatic neuropathic pain following fractures. A claim for a fracture that has developed into chronic pain sits alongside, and can be pursued together with, a broken bones and fractures claim where the break is the original trigger. Where chronic pain has caused or worsened anxiety, depression or PTSD, that psychological element is addressed separately as a psychiatric and psychological injury claim.
How much does it cost to make a CRPS compensation claim?
A CRPS compensation claim brought through Emaari Legal is funded under no win, no fee terms, meaning there is no upfront legal fee to start the claim. The firm offers a free consultation to assess whether a claim exists before any commitment is made.
Funding is arranged through a Conditional Fee Agreement, and the full terms, including any insurance needed, are explained before anything is signed. This removes the cost barrier that otherwise deters claimants who are already facing reduced income because of chronic pain.
How much compensation can you claim for chronic pain and CRPS?
Compensation for a CRPS compensation claim is assessed under two heads: general damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and special damages for financial losses. General damages are assessed by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines, according to the severity of the condition, its duration and prognosis, the response to treatment and the impact on function and mood.
Special damages compensate financial loss actually caused by the chronic pain, and typically cover:
- Loss of earnings, current and future, where pain limits working capacity.
- Cost of past and future care, whether from family or paid carers.
- Rehabilitation, physiotherapy, psychological support and pain-management treatment.
- Home adaptations, mobility aids and travel to treatment.
Because CRPS can fluctuate or resolve only partially, future loss is often the largest element of a claim, and expert medical evidence is central to quantifying it. General guidance on how these heads of loss are calculated across serious injury claims is set out on the personal injury compensation amounts page.
How long do you have to make a CRPS compensation claim?
The standard time limit for a CRPS compensation claim is 3 years from the date of the accident or from the date the claimant first knew the injury was significant and caused by another party’s negligence, under the Limitation Act 1980. Missing this limit generally bars a claim, so early advice matters even while diagnosis and treatment are ongoing.
Two exceptions apply. For a child injured before turning 18, the period of 3 years does not start until their 18th birthday, so a claim can be brought up to their 21st birthday. For a claimant who lacks mental capacity, time stops running while the incapacity continues and only resumes if capacity returns.
What funding options are available for a CRPS claim?
Insurance can affect how a CRPS compensation claim is funded, and it is checked during the free consultation. Some claimants already hold before-the-event legal expenses insurance, commonly attached to a motor or home insurance policy, which may cover legal costs. This is a possible funding route to explore, never a guaranteed source of cover, and Emaari Legal checks it alongside a Conditional Fee Agreement before recommending a route forward.
A CRPS compensation claim is most commonly funded under a Conditional Fee Agreement, the regulated form of no win, no fee arrangement. Where a personal injury claim succeeds, the success fee charged is capped by law under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 at 25% of the damages awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity plus past financial losses, and does not apply to future losses. If the claim does not succeed, the claimant does not pay the firm’s fees, subject to the agreement’s terms, which are explained in full on the no win, no fee page before anything is signed.
How is pain and comfort addressed while a claim proceeds?
Pain management does not wait for a CRPS compensation claim to finish. A rehabilitation package, covering physiotherapy, pain-management input or psychological support, can be arranged and funded while the claim is ongoing under the Rehabilitation Code 2015, a framework agreed between claimant and defendant representatives to prioritise recovery alongside the legal process.
This matters because CRPS symptoms can worsen without early, coordinated treatment. Referral to a consultant in pain medicine (the specialty overseen by the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists), or to NHS pain clinics, is often the first practical step, and a solicitor can help identify funded rehabilitation without waiting for the claim to conclude.
What evidence supports a CRPS compensation claim?
Medical and documentary evidence together determine whether a CRPS compensation claim succeeds and how it is valued. Expert evidence is governed by Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules, which requires experts to owe their primary duty to the court, not to the party instructing them, and allows the court to direct that a single joint expert is instructed on contested medical questions.
Core evidence typically includes:
- GP records and referral letters showing the onset and progression of symptoms.
- NHS treatment letters from pain clinics or specialist consultants.
- A contemporaneous symptom diary recording pain, function and mood over time.
- A medico-legal report addressing diagnosis against the Budapest Criteria and prognosis.
Defendants and their insurers may instruct their own pain expert to challenge diagnosis or severity, and in some contested cases may use covert surveillance to test whether reported disability matches observed activity. Consistent, well-documented evidence from the outset is the best protection against that challenge.
Where to go next
A CRPS compensation claim is one route within the firm’s wider serious injury claims work, which covers catastrophic and life-changing injury across England and Wales. Where chronic pain follows a fracture, the broken bones and fractures claims page explains how orthopaedic injury claims are valued, and where pain has caused psychological harm, the psychiatric and psychological injury claims page covers that separately. For a broader view of how compensation is calculated across injury types, see personal injury compensation amounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you sue for CRPS?
Yes, a claim can be brought in negligence where CRPS resulted from an accident caused by someone else’s fault, such as a road traffic collision, workplace accident or fall, provided it is brought within the time limit of 3 years under the Limitation Act 1980.
Is CRPS a permanent disability?
CRPS varies between individuals: some people improve significantly with early treatment, while others experience long-term or permanent symptoms, which is why medical evidence and prognosis are central to valuing a claim rather than assuming a fixed outcome.
How much compensation for chronic pain?
Compensation for chronic pain, including CRPS, is assessed by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines according to severity, disability and prognosis, plus special damages for financial losses such as care and loss of earnings; no fixed figure applies because it depends on each case’s medical evidence.
Is CRPS recoverable?
Some people recover substantially from CRPS, particularly with early diagnosis against the Budapest Criteria and prompt treatment through NHS pain clinics or a pain consultant, while others experience continuing symptoms; recovery prospects are assessed by medical experts on a case-by-case basis.
Free consultation on your serious-injury claim. Call 0330 441 6754 or request a callback. Contact Emaari Legal for a free consultation about your CRPS or chronic pain claim.