RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) Compensation Information
Alex
In 2004, Alex suffered a fall at work which resulted in an injury to the tendon of his right (dominant) thumb. He was initially treated conservatively with rest, pain killing and anti-inflammatory medication. However, his symptoms did not improve and he was referred to a specialist hand surgeon by his GP who recommended that he undergo surgery to repair the tendon.
Following surgery, he underwent physiotherapy but within a few weeks of surgery, he started to experience what he described as "excruciating pain" in his right hand and the lower portion of his right arm.
On a follow up visit to the hand surgeon, he was diagnosed with possible Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). He referred Alex for the opinion of a specialist in pain management.
By this stage, Alex was suffering fairly constant and high levels of pain, as well as swelling of his hand and hypersensitivity to touch in the affected arm. The specialist in pain management confirmed the diagnosis of RSD (which is otherwise known as RSD, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and CRPS). He advised him that the only treatment that he could offer him was a series of nerve block injections, but told him that there was no guarantee that this would succeed.
The specialist explained that the nerve block was not in itself curative, but it was hoped that during the time that the block had an effect, the adverse nerve impulses would start to correct themselves and after further nerve blocks the condition may improve or even resolve.
Warned that the procedure could be very painful, he was initially reluctant to undergo the nerve block procedure. However, as his symptoms were not improving he eventually agreed to have the procedure. Unfortunately, after three nerve blocks he had noticed no improvement and the specialist advised that there was little if any more treatment that he could offer.
At the time of the initial accident, Alex had been employed as a Building Inspector. It became clear that he was not going to be able to return to his former employment. In fact, with an effectively unusable dominant right arm, Alex was at a significant disadvantage in the job market.
However, after obtaining specialist medical evidence, as well as input from a consultant in employment and retraining, interim funding was obtained to allow Alex to qualify as a lecturer in further education.
Following retraining, he quickly obtained employment at a local college, although his income was marginally lower than it had been previously. When Alex's claim settled, in addition to the award for the injury itself (known as damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity) the main heads of damage included past and future loss of earnings, the cost retraining and damages for the ongoing disadvantage that he would face on the job market.