Loss of Limb or Amputation
Imagine waking up in the hospital after being in a car accident or an accident on the job to find that your left leg is missing.
What would you do?
Unfortunately this is an all too common circumstance for many people.
Loss of a limb is not as uncommon as people might think.
There are approximately 2.1 million people living with limb loss in the US alone.
Over 45% of those that have lost limbs lost them due to trauma such as an accident or military service.
Many more people who lose limbs in traumatic accidents are living because of the advances in technology and medicine.
But losing a limb is no joke and can cause a dramatic life change that can affect a person forever.
Full Amputation or Partial Amputation
When you are involved in a traumatic accident regardless of how the accident happens, if you are injured and taken to the hospital the doctors main job is to keep you alive.
If you are severely injured including extremity injuries( legs, arms, digits) the doctor may elect to amputate the limb to save your life.
Now, doctors don’t do this lightly and will do everything to save your limbs but in some cases the damage is too great and they have to amputate a limb.
There are two types of amputation that the doctors can perform:
- Full Amputation – This means that the limb has been fully severed at the soft tissue and cannot be reattached. If the soft tissue heals properly and is cared for then a stump is created and a prosthetic device can be made and attached. For example a lower leg amputation can have a lower leg and foot prosthetic attached at the knee. There are so many advances in prosthetics that legs can be made of anything or for anything. For example if a runner loses their leg in an auto accident a titanium leg can be made the runner can run even with a prosthesis.
- Partial Amputation- Partial amputation is when there is some surviving soft tissue and a doctor may elect to try and save the king and reattach during a surgical procedure. This would always be the first choice but sometimes this is not possible based on the limb injuries. Reattachment can be difficult healing and sometimes can cause more harm than good. If it gets infected you would have to have the limb amputated anyway.
What Happens After an Accident
If you wake up in the hospital and are now missing a limb you probably have had a traumatic amputation that was done after the accident to save your life.
Limb amputations are life changing and can involve long term or permanent life changes.
After the accident there are many things that need attention but the first thing is for the accident victim to heal.
The healing from a traumatic amputation can be a long road and while that’s happening there are many things you need to deal with as soon as possible.
In Nevada the basic statute for personal injury claims is 2 years so be well aware of that.
That’s why hiring a personal injury attorney immediately can be a lifesaver when you’re trying to learn a new normal.
The first thing you need to do is get the medical treatment you need and this can be long and expensive.
Prosthetics are very pricey and take months to get the right one or the right fit.
The next thing you need to do is to contact the insurance companies of all the people involved.
This is very important to your future settlement and to get your medical treatment paid for.
You’ll need evidence like police reports, medical records, witness statements if available, and photo’s and videos are the key to your case.
But the most important thing you can do after a traumatic amputation is to call The Richard Harris Law Firm.
We will handle the insurance companies for you so you can concentrate on your recovery.
What Types of Accidents Lead To Amputation
You can lose a limb in any number of ways but there are a few ways that are more common than others.
Below are the most common reasons that amputations happen.
If you have been injured in the following situations and lose a limb to an amputation then you need to call an attorney right away for a free case review.
- Motor vehicle accidents- Any motor vehicle accidents including motorcycle, truck or commercial vehicle can cause amputation injuries. You may have been in a vehicle that rolls over, or crashed at a high speed can cause an amputation. Also if you were injured in an accident where you were stuck between pieces of the vehicle or crushed between something these can all be reasons for a traumatic amputation.
- Explosions and firearm accidents- Believe it or not this also includes firework accidents. How many times have you seen something on the news about a child who has lost a limb to a fireworks accident over the 4th of July. Firearms and Explosives are usually caused by inexperience, violence, or product defect. We can get to the bottom of who is responsible for the accident.
- Workplace Accidents– Usually work accidents are caused by company negligence. These are usually accidents involving faulty machinery, heavy machinery, or crushing accidents. A company’s negligence can cause major damage to someone’s life and it all could have been avoided if the company wasn’t negligent in its practices. If you have been injured in a workplace accident and suspect the company is negligent call The Richard Harris LAw Firm today.
- Medical Malpractice– Believe it or not medical malpractice is one of the main causes of amputations. Maybe you went to the hospital for one reason and ended up with an infection from unsafe serialization practices or from a patient. Also, very rare but it has happened where a surgeon has removed the wrong limb or performed an amputation on the wrong patient. I know these sound bizarre but there are very real cases where these things have actually happened. Medical professionals have medical malpractice insurance and a slew of lawyers on their side. You should have someone to fight for you if you have been the victim of medical malpractice.
Camages To Recover from an Amputation Injury
Since traumatic amputations arte life changing injuries that will affect you for the rest of your life.
You may be eligible to file a personal injury claim against the company or person responsible for your traumatic amputation.
In Nevada the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim is two years from the accident date.
The following are the most common damages you can recover after an amputation.
- Medical Expenses- This is something we automatically think of when an accident occurs but this is different for an amputee. There will be medical expenses for a lifetime not just to recover because you never really recover. So this includes future medical expenses, medication that you may have to take for life. Physical therapy that may be ongoing for a significant amount of time.
- Prosthetic devices and accommodations- These are also considered medical expenses but they are specific to amputees. You will need a prosthetic made specifically for you and you may require several. Alos you will need to make amputee specific modifications to your home or move where things are accessible. You may also need devices to get around. These are all very expensive and the people responsible should be taking care of these expenses not you. Call The Richard Harris Law Firm today we will get you the largest settlement allowable by law for your amputee injury.
- Lost wages- Having an amputee injury can take a very long time to recover to even something that is close to normal. Lost wages cover wages you would have earned and future earrings if you are unable to return to your previous employment.
- Reduced quality of life- This usually falls under pain and suffering and is based on the court’s assumption of your pain and suffering and how much the accident has affected your life.
These are all the damages you can recover after a traumatic amputation from an accident or negligence.
But always contact an experienced personal injury attorney.
They can walk you through the process of filing a personal injury claim.
But remember you only have two years from the date of the accident to file so call The Richard Harris Law Firm today.
