Chronic Pain Compensation

Chronic pain, also known as Chronic Pain Syndrome (CPS), refers to any type of pain which lasts for longer than three months. Normal, or ‘acute’ pain is your body’s way of telling you something’s wrong – without it, injuries and illnesses could go completely unnoticed. But chronic pain carries on for longer than it needs to – sometimes even for years after the injury which caused it.

Chronic pain can cause symptoms such as shooting pain, aching, or feelings of tightness in the muscles. Sometimes it can go away for a while and then return, or there can be a gap between your injury and chronic pain developing.

Chronic pain can be devastating to live with. Because it lasts so long, it can have a huge impact on your life as well as those around you. Apart from suffering from physical pain on a daily basis, it can also have a serious effect on your mental wellbeing – leaving you feeling depressed and alone.

It’s likely you’ll have needed to take time off work, and you may have missed out on hobbies and been unable to spend much time with your family.

A specialist solicitor will push for you to get compensation to cover the effect your pain has had on your life. Although no amount of money can take away what you’ve been through, the compensation you receive can help to cover the costs of your injury so far, as well as any future treatment you’ll need. For example, you may need to see a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, or pain consultant. The costs of this treatment can really start to build up, especially if you’re away from work at the same time. That’s why an expert solicitor will make sure you’re able to pay for the treatment you need without being left out of pocket.

To find out whether you could make a claim, or for more information about compensation, you can speak to a trained legal adviser for free on 0800 234 6438.

Sometimes it can be difficult for you to tell exactly what caused chronic pain because of the gap between your injury and the condition developing, but it’s often triggered by a serious injury.
We’ve listed some examples of types of accidents which can sometimes lead to chronic pain:

• Back injuries
• Amputations
• Spinal cord injuries
• Head injuries

If your injury type isn’t listed above, then don’t worry – there are many things that can lead to chronic pain, so it’s likely you can still seek help.

If your accident was caused by somebody else’s negligence within the last three years, then we know this can feel especially unfair. A legal adviser will be able to let you know whether they think somebody else is liable for your accident and can help you start the process of making a compensation claim.

All types of chronic pain have one thing in common: long-lasting discomfort, which can have a major effect on your day-to-day life. But there are a few different conditions which are associated with chronic pain:

• Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS): can sometimes be triggered by emotionally traumatic experiences, such as the death of a family member. It can cause pain, fatigue, headaches and difficulty concentrating
• Myofascial pain: often caused by an injury to a muscle, ligament or tendon
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RDS): usually affects the arms and legs and often develops several months after the injury

We know that chronic pain can be a very individual experience, and that’s why an injury solicitor will look at each case as different and unique – they’ll take all the impacts and expenses caused by your condition into consideration when working out your compensation.

If you’re thinking about making a chronic pain claim, you might be feeling unsure whether you could be eligible. Generally, it’s likely you can ask for help if:

• Your accident happened in the last three years
• It was somebody else’s fault

But if you’re at all unsure, the best thing to do is get in touch with a trained lega adviser for free on 0800 234 6438. They’ll be happy to answer your questions, and have the training and expertise to be able to tell you whether you can claim.

After speaking with a legal adviser – and if you decide you’d like to go ahead – they can find the right solicitor for your case and put you in touch with them straight away. Usually, your claim will then be settled without having to go to court. But if your case does need to go to court, then it’s nothing to worry about – your solicitor will be on-hand to help you every step of the way.

They’ll also be able to do most of the paperwork on your behalf and will make your claim on a no win no fee basis, so you won’t be left out-of-pocket.