Amputation is a catastrophic type of injury that you could suffer in an accident. You are likely only beginning to deal with the effects of losing a limb. Financially, there is a large cost involved between your medical expenses and the effects on your life going forward.
The person or company responsible for the loss of your limb can be made to pay for the harm when you can prove that they were negligent. Our Alabama amputation accident lawyer at Steve Morris Law is ready to go to work for you when you need us.
Causes of Amputation Injuries
Trauma causes almost half of the amputations in the United States each year. Tens of thousands of people will lose limbs in accidents each year.
Globally, some of the leading causes of amputation are:
- Falls
- Road accidents
- Other transportation accidents
- Mechanical forces
The accident victim may come into contact with a sharp object, such as a defective piece of work machinery. They could suffer a fall that results in severe trauma to a body part. In a traffic accident, the patient may suffer the following injuries that could require amputation:
- Crushing injuries
- Loss of blood flow to an affected area
- A severe fracture that cannot be repaired
- Traumatic impact severing a body part
Body Parts That May Be Amputated in an Accident
Amputation can affect any limb or extremity in the body, including:
- Arms
- Hands
- Fingers
- Legs
- Foot
- Toes
Some accident victims may lose more than one limb, depending on the severity of the incident.
Doctors May Choose to Amputate a Body Part
Saving an accident victim’s life is more important than saving a particular body part. In the immediate aftermath of an accident, doctors may need to amputate a body part when they know that they would not be able to repair it, and its continued presence could endanger the patient’s life. Doctors may need to make a quick decision when they are performing emergency surgery whether to amputate a limb, and they may err on the side of caution.
Alternatively, doctors may decide that they need to amputate a body part in the days after an accident.
They may have tried to do everything possible to save the body part, but there are current dangers, such as infection.
Some accidents could destroy so much tissue that it is impossible for the patient to recover. The patient may have blood flow cut off for a substantial enough period of time that it could cause tissue death. Then, it does not make sense to keep the body part, since it would be at substantial risk of infection in the future.
Your Damages in an Amputation Claim
In the wake of an amputation, you are dealing with a long road ahead of you. There is a possibility that you may be able to use a prosthetic, but these devices are expensive, and they require extensive therapy for you to be able to use them. In the meantime, you may not be able to work or do your job as well as you did before the amputation.
Your damages after an amputation injury can be considerable, as you are left with a permanent impact.
The amount of damages would depend on the body part and how it affects the rest of your life. It goes without saying that losing an arm or leg would change the course of your life.
Amputation damages can include:
- Medical bills
- The cost of prosthetics
- Outfitting your home to accommodate your disability
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Embarrassment and humiliation
It is difficult to provide an “average” settlement for an amputation injury, nor should you focus on what someone else may have gotten. Your attorney should fight for every dollar that you are due based on your own current situation.
How Our Law Firm Can Help
Before you can even qualify for a dollar in financial compensation, you need to prove that someone else was to blame for the injury. Your attorney would gather proof that could show liability in your case.
Your lawyer can then estimate the value of your case. They would file an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the responsible party. They would either negotiate compensation or try to persuade a jury to award you damages.
After suffering an accidental amputation, there is not much that you could do to advance your own legal process alone. Hiring an attorney gives you a determined advocate who will make your cause their own from start to finish.
Contact an Anniston Amputation Injury Attorney Today
If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic amputation in the wake of an accident, Steve Morris Law can help. We will investigate your accident and work to put you in a position where you may qualify for payment for your injury. We can then fight to ensure that you get everything possible that you deserve.
It costs nothing to speak with an attorney in a free initial consultation. You can message us online or call us today at 256-357-9211 to speak with a lawyer. You pay nothing unless you win.
