Fibromyalgia Compensation Claims

Fibromyalgia is a condition causing widespread pain all over the body, as well as a range of other symptoms that can make life extremely difficult to deal with. Amongst the range of symptoms that can affect you are lack of sleep, a feeling of a severe lack of energy and headaches. Fibromyalgia is a condition which can simply develop for no reason, but it is also believed by a body of medical opinion that it can be triggered by trauma, such as an accident.

Fibromyalgia is often very difficult for sufferers to live with.  The widespread pain is debilitating and treatment is very limited.  For the most part, treatment options consist of managing symptoms and aiding sufferers to cope mentally as well as physically with the condition which they are suffering from.  Treatment can include taking medication such as anti-depressants or painkillers, management techniques such as alternative therapies, gentle exercise programmes or techniques to help stimulate relaxation, cognitive behavioural therapy, or similar sorts of counselling.

It is thought that up to one in twenty of the adult population in the UK are affected by some degree of Fibromyalgia.

What also makes it very difficult to treat Fibromyalgia is that the symptoms wax and wane.  Sufferers find that some days there are very limited symptoms present and they are able to cope with most of their daily routine, whilst on other days symptoms are severe and they are able to manage little, other than getting out of bed.  Also, some people suffer from Fibromyalgia at a relatively low, unintrusive level and are able to live a full and normal life without any adverse effects, other than coping with the increased niggles and aches which the illness brings with it. To speak to an experienced solicitor about making a fibromyalgia claim please call 01254606008.

Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia

Even a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is complex.  There is no single means of identifying someone as suffering from it.  This, of course, makes it even more difficult for sufferers to cope with mentally as they are also presented with a lack of certainty in diagnosis.  It is known that psychiatric factors can play a role in the development of Fibromyalgia – in particular, life events, which place the sufferer under severe emotional pressure can help to contribute or cause the development of Fibromyalgia.

There are also other similar conditions which it is important for medical practitioners to rule out, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis or Multiple Sclerosis. These symptoms can be diagnosed through traditional methods such as urine or blood tests and x-rays or scans. However, the fact that a sufferer is diagnosed with one of these conditions does not rule out a possible diagnosis of Fibromyalgia as well.

It is now accepted that a cause of Fibromyalgia can be trauma. This can be any kind of trauma, from an accident at work, to a road traffic accident where your body suffers significant unnatural forces, or even a slip/trip type accident where you are thrown to the floor unexpectedly.

Fibromyalgia Compensation Claims

If you have had an accident that was not your fault then you may well be entitled to compensation. If your accident has resulted in the development of Fibromyalgia, it is vital that you instruct a solicitor with the appropriate expertise to deal with this type of claim. It is essential that the person conducting your case recognises early what Fibromyalgia is and therefore instruct the appropriate medical experts to examine you. The earlier this takes place, the faster it may be possible for you to have access to specialist treatment on a privately paying basis, which would be funded by the Defendant’s Insurers.

It is important to remember that you do not have to simply instruct the Solicitor “recommended” to you by your Insurer. Instead, you are free to instruct the Solicitor of your choice and you should make sure that you take steps to instruct a Legal Team with experience and working knowledge of claims involving sufferers from Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia compensation claims are complex and you need someone who is both appropriately qualified and suitably experienced to fight your corner. The sooner this is done, the better the chance you have of securing appropriate compensation and importantly, access to appropriate treatment.

Our Team here at Farleys, who have many years of experience of dealing with claims for sufferers of Fibromyalgia is headed by Nick Molyneux, a Partner of the Firm, as well as a number of Solicitors and support staff. Our Team have over the years secured hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation for people who have suffered from Fibromyalgia as a result of their accident.