When a body part is removed as a result of an accident, the experience can be life changing. The amputation of a finger, toe, hand, foot, arm, or leg can affect your ability to work, interact with others, maintain independence, and enjoy your life as you did prior to the accident. Emotional trauma, chronic pain, and phantom limb phenomena can complicate your recovery efforts. When your amputation is the result of another’s negligence, it can be extremely beneficial for you to speak to an experienced Richmond amputation lawyer. Having an advocate in your corner who consistently looks out for your rights, your best interests, and your future can be an invaluable resource.

What Types of Accidents Can Lead to an Amputation?

According to the Amputee Coalition, about 185,000 amputations occur in the United States each year. It is estimated that by 2050, approximately 3.6 million people will be living with the loss of a limb. While limb loss is often caused by vascular disease—a result of diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or blood clots—trauma is a significant cause of amputation. About 45 percent of all amputees lost their limbs as a result of a traumatic accident. These types of traumatic accidents usually involve motor vehicles, especially commercial trucks. Amputations may also be the result of an accident on another’s property resulting from negligence. Workplace accidents are also the cause of many amputations.

How Can an Accident Lead to an Amputated Limb?

Vehicle accidents may cause a traumatic amputation when the force of the accident results in an extremity being violently severed. In other cases, vehicle accidents result in an amputation due to injury complications. Some of these complications include:

  • Crush injuries can occur when limbs are pinned between car parts, leading to lacerations, soft tissue damage, and broken bones. Compartment syndrome is a medical condition resulting from crush injuries after a rise in pressure between the tissues in a limb. Left untreated, compartment syndrome can cause an amputation.
  • Deep lacerations sustained in a vehicle collision can result in a severe infection that can destroy tissues and require the amputation of a limb as a means of preventing sepsis, a life-threatening condition.
  • In some cases, lacerations can be so deep that they extend into muscles and tissue, causing such extreme damage that the limb cannot be saved.
  • Vascular damage can also occur when a vehicle collision damages the blood vessels in an extremity. When the limb does not receive sufficient blood flow, the tissues can die, and amputation may become necessary.

An amputation, in and of itself, is extremely traumatic for the victim and his or her loved ones but there can also be further complications from an amputation including severe blood loss, blood clots, secondary infection, phantom pain, loss of muscle tone, and mental trauma. Aside from vehicle collisions, some property accidents resulting from the negligence of the property owner could also potentially lead to amputation.

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What Should You Do if You Had a Limb Amputated Following an Accident?

Of course, you should always seek medical attention for any injury resulting from an accident caused by the negligence of another. Receiving immediate medical attention following your accident is the best way to avoid further complications from limb amputation. Losing a limb is mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging, changing the course of a life forever. Amputees struggle to find a new “normal.” You will likely have a rehabilitation team that could include surgeons, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, and occupational therapists.

You may also work with a prosthetist who will help you adapt to a prosthetic limb. Rehabilitation usually begins within a few days of the amputation, beginning with simple stretching exercises to ensure you maintain range of motion in all your other limbs and prevent blood clots from forming. While the site of amputation could take four to eight weeks to fully heal, you may only remain in the hospital for one to two weeks.

After you have done everything possible to attend to your physical, mental, and emotional health, the next most important step you can take following an amputation is to speak to an experienced Richmond amputation lawyer. A knowledgeable Tronfeld West & Durrett attorney will comprehensively investigate your accident to determine who is liable, collect evidence against the at-fault party or parties, and pursue compensation on your behalf.

What Type of Compensation Can You Receive if You Had a Limb Amputated as a Result of an Accident?

As your Tronfeld West & Durrett Richmond amputation lawyer will tell you, it is rarely possible to predict an exact settlement due to the many variables. The compensation for your limb amputation will depend on whether liability for your accident is clear as well as the extent to which your amputation has changed your life. Perhaps you are unable to work in your chosen career following your amputation. You may be unable to engage in normal daily life activities and may have a severe loss of enjoyment of life.

If the person who caused your accident and amputation acted in a particularly egregious or malicious manner, you could be entitled to punitive damages as well as medical expenses, lost wages, lost future wages, and pain and suffering. A settlement for an amputation can range from $75,000 to millions, depending on the specific facts and circumstances surrounding your accident.

Why Should You Hire a Richmond Amputation Lawyer Near You?

Hiring an experienced Richmond amputation lawyer near you may feel like yet another overwhelming task. There are many choices, and your choice of a personal injury attorney could have an impact on your future. At Tronfeld West & Durrett, we understand that you have choices and hope you will consider our firm as your advocate during this extremely difficult time. Having a Richmond amputation lawyer from Tronfeld West & Durrett by your side ensures you never have to deal with insurance company delay and deny tactics. We handle all legal issues, fighting for a full and fair settlement that will allow you to move forward with your life.

How Tronfeld West & Durrett Can Help You Following an Amputation

At Tronfeld West & Durrett, we work hard for our clients. Our goal is to ensure every victim of an accident caused by negligence receives appropriate compensation. Whether a case is settled out of court or goes to trial, we are always one hundred percent prepared for any eventuality. We will comprehensively review the circumstances that led to your amputation, and enlist professionals to help us carefully calculate your losses.

Catastrophic injuries like amputations can result in emotional, physical, and financial devastation. You may be facing many medical procedures in the future and may require ongoing rehabilitation, perhaps even for life. At Tronfeld West & Durrett, we are committed to zealously representing the interests of each and every client. Contact Tronfeld West & Durrett today.

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