Amputation and Loss of Limbs

According to the Amputee Coalition, nearly two million Americans have undergone amputation. Furthermore, every year thousands of people in the US lose a limb. Some amputations can be minor in nature such as losing a fingertip which can cause slight discomfort and bleeding while other amputations can be quite severe such as losing an arm or a leg leading to significant blood loss, trauma, infection, and even death. Severe nerve damage ends in amputation.

Amputation and loss of limbs are traumatic and painful experiences. Medical treatments and hospitalization expenses can amount to extreme cost thus putting the victim and their family in financial hardship.

Amputation can occur due to different reasons. However, by law, if you are living with a traumatic amputation caused due to the negligence of another person then you have the legal right to file a claim and get compensated.

Causes for Amputation

There can be several reasons for a person losing a limb. However, the most common ones include the following:

Auto Accident Amputations

A part of the body that is crushed beyond repair can result in poor circulation thus leading to surgical amputation of a limb. This usually happens in auto accidents like car or motorcycle crashes. After the accident, the damaged capillaries, arteries and veins may not be able to carry blood to other parts of the body thus resulting in a decreased flow of blood to the limbs. In such a situation amputating the limbs may become necessary to ensure the proper flow of blood.

The most common amputation from auto accidents is a partial hand loss while the loss of an arm is the second most common.

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Amputations in Construction Accidents

According to the CDC, in 2010 there were approximately 5,260 non-fatal amputations in the private industry. Construction workers are at the highest risk for amputations. This is because of the nature of their work and exposure to serious workplace hazards such as:

  • Use of heavy machinery and equipment,
  • Load shifts,
  • Material collapses,
  • Powered or non-powered hand tools, and
  • Forklift accidents.

Some workers suffer from immediate amputation while others may have damaged limbs that are beyond repair and must be removed.

Animal Attacks

Animal attacks such as dog attack can be equally traumatic. You may lose a limb after a dog attack because of two major reasons such as:

Reattachment is impossible — This is when the dog bite is so severe that bones and nerves are injured badly and successful reattachment becomes unlikely.

Infection — If the dog bite causes incurable infection, it may result in loss of a limb. Common signs of dog bite infections include loss of sensation around the bite, red streaks, swollen lymph nodes, night sweats, and oozing pus.

Defective Products

Defective products can range from exercise machines, forklifts, home power tools, car parts, and assembly line components to name a few. If these products are not designed properly and are used by people, injuries may occur thereby leading to amputations and loss of limbs.

Besides this, other causes for amputation may include:

Types of Amputation

Traumatic Amputation

Although all amputations are traumatic, this type of amputation largely refers to the way in which amputation has occurred. Traumatic amputation is a sudden, unexpected and violent event that results in the loss of a person’s limbs.

There are several ways in which traumatic amputation can occur ranging from high-risk situations to unfortunate accidents such as explosions, electric shocks, and traffic accidents. A traumatic amputation is a life-threatening and a dangerous situation.

Surgical Amputation

A surgical amputation may be necessary if a person has suffered from a traumatic injury where the blood supply to the limb is lost resulting in necrosis which is a condition in which cells in living tissue begin to die prematurely. Surgical amputation is mostly considered as a last resort and may be used if the surgeons think that a limb can be saved.

Guillotine Amputation

This type of amputation is performed in an urgent setting and without the skin’s closure. Guillotine amputation is mostly performed when the cause is an infection.

Re-implantation

The goal of this type of surgery is a successful restoration of function and sensation. The latest advancements in microsurgical techniques for re-implantation has now made it very easy to perform re-implantation of amputated parts like amputated hands, fingers, feet, ears, face, and tongue with greater success both functionally and aesthetically.

Medical Cost Associated with Amputations

The cost associated with an amputation is quite high. Some amputees prefer to wear artificial limb or prosthesis which ranges in price around $8,000 to nearly $70,000 depending on the level of amputation. Besides this, it must be replaced every few years, thereby making it an ongoing cost.

Furthermore, with partial or complete amputation, ongoing medical care along with psychological support is important which further adds to the cost.

Amputation and Loss of Limbs

Hire a Lawyer for Amputation Compensation

If you or your loved has suffered from amputation due to the negligence of another person, then get in touch with our lawyers today. We can help you get fair and full compensation for the injuries, pain and medical expenses. Although we understand that no compensation can make up for the lost limb but it can at least support you financially helping you smoothly pay for your treatment without experiencing financial burden. Give us the opportunity to help you click here for our free online case evaluation.