Amputation Injuries

Losing a limb or other body part is one of the most devastating and life-altering catastrophic injuries a person can suffer. For most people, the idea of losing a limb is unthinkable, yet nearly 40,000 traumatic amputations occur each year or about 45% of all amputations. While a medically necessary, well-planned amputation due to disease or a medical condition like diabetes is devastating, it’s even more catastrophic when an amputation results from a sudden, unexpected injury or due to medical malpractice.

What Is an Amputation Injury?

Traumatic amputations are life-altering events that result in the complete or partial removal of a limb. Amputation injuries occur to fingers, toes, arms, and legs. When a partial amputation occurs to a digit or limb it often requires complete removal by medical professionals to save the life of the amputee. Traumatic amputations typically require additional surgeries to preserve the remaining healthy tissue and nerves and prepare the limb for a prosthetic.

Amputees require ongoing medical care, including physical and occupational therapy as they adjust to life without the limb, often relying on prosthetics. Those who suffer from traumatic amputations may also require pain management for phantom pain and the discomfort caused by adjusting to a prosthetic.

Statistics on Amputation Injuries

The statistics on amputation injuries in the United States reveal the scope of this form of disability. About two million Americans currently live with limb loss. While 56% of amputees lose limbs due to vascular disease and cancer, the remaining amputations result from accidental trauma. Amputations cost Americans over $8.3 billion in medical expenses each year. The leading causes of traumatic amputations include the following:

• Accidental falls (36.2%)
• Traffic accidents (11.2%)
• Mechanical or equipment accidents (10.4%)

Traumatic amputations most commonly occur in workplace accidents, car accidents, pedestrian accidents, agricultural accidents, and due to military combat and explosions. Around 60% of amputation injuries are to the upper extremities and occur most commonly in those between ages 21 and 64. Males and minorities are more likely to experience traumatic limb loss than other portions of the population.

Who Is Liable for an Amputation Injury?

Most personal injury claims recover compensation for a victim’s damages through a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company. Only when negotiations for a settlement with an insurer do not result in an acceptable offer or ends with a dispute or denial, does a case go to court for a lawsuit. The most common liable parties in amputation injuries include the following:

• Negligent drivers in car accidents
• Employers in workplace injury amputations
• Negligent property owners
• The manufacturer of defective equipment or mechanical tools
• Negligent doctors

Most amputation injury claims recover compensation through the at-fault party’s insurance company, such as an auto insurance company, property insurance company, medical malpractice insurance, or workers’ compensation insurance, depending on the cause of the amputation injury.

How Can an Amputation Attorney Help My Case?

The trauma of a sudden amputation injury is life-threatening at the scene, requiring emergency medical attention to stop the bleeding. It goes on to be a life-altering injury, causing disability, an inability to work in some industries, and difficulty accomplishing daily tasks and routines. Those who suffer amputation injuries often face financial hardship and ongoing medical expenses. When the injury occurred due to another party’s actions or negligence, a personal injury attorney with years of experience in amputation injury claims can help achieve the best possible outcome in a claim against the appropriate party and their insurance company. Call (314) 413-2053, the amputation injury lawyers at Miller & Hine today so we can evaluate your case and take the prompt action needed to get results.