If you or someone you care about got hurt and had to have a finger, arm, leg, or any part of the body removed, we at Trauma Law want to tell you that we hope you get better very soon. If your injury happened because someone wasn’t careful enough, or if an insurance company is refusing to cover your costs and the loss you’ve faced, our injury lawyers are here to make sure those responsible do what’s needed to help fix your money troubles and help you stay healthy for a long time.
Coping with Amputation
Having a limb amputated after an accident is a very tough ordeal. This can happen from dangerous work with big machines or a limb taken off in a blast.
Sometimes, after a severe car crash or an accident at work, a person’s arm or leg might be hurt too badly to fix, or a doctor might need to remove it to stop more health problems. Doctors only choose to do this in an emergency; if there’s no other way to help, it often happens in the emergency room.
In medicine, when we talk about amputations, they’re grouped into two types: those involving the arms and hands (upper limb) and those involving the legs, feet, and toes (lower limb). The lower limb types are grouped based on which part of the leg is removed.
● Digital amputation: This is a surgical procedure where a person’s toes are entirely or partly removed. This may impact how they balance while standing or walking.
● Partial foot amputation: This type of surgery includes the removal of a toe or toes and parts of the bones called metatarsals, yet some of the foot remains.
● Ankle disarticulation: In this procedure, the foot below the ankle is removed, leaving the ankle joint in place.
● Below the knee, or a transtibial amputation: This surgery is done just under the knee. The person keeps the use of their knee joint.
● Knee disarticulation: With this operation, the whole lower leg, including the knee joint, is severed.
● Transfemoral amputation: This involves cutting through the thigh bone, removing everything from that point down; however, hip function remains.
● Hip disarticulation: The entire leg and thigh bone are removed, and sometimes, part of the hip joint may be kept to help with sitting.
● Hemipelvectomy: This removes the whole leg and part of the pelvis. It is the least common type of surgery for amputating lower limbs.
Amputations of the upper limb only happen more often than those of the lower limb. They can be put into different types:
● Partial hand amputation: Doctors might need to amputate the fingertips or the whole finger, including the thumb. Not having a thumb makes it much harder to grip and lift things.
● Metacarpal amputation: This surgery involves removing a part of the hand or the whole hand, but the wrist stays.
● Wrist disarticulation: The whole hand and wrist joint are taken out.
● Transradial amputation: Part of the arm, which includes the hand and wrist and some of the forearm, is amputated, but the elbow is kept.
● Elbow disarticulation: The arm is amputated at the elbow.
● Transhumeral amputation: The amputation is above the elbow but lower than the shoulder.
● Shoulder disarticulation: This is a less common surgery where the entire arm, shoulder blade, and collarbone are removed.
Common Reasons for Amputations
Accidents involving cars are frequently the leading reason people undergo amputations unrelated to sickness. However, different kinds of accidents can also lead to the need for amputations.
● Car Crashes – Bad car crashes can hurt people’s arms or legs so much that doctors need to remove them. People who ride motorcycles are in more danger because they don’t have as much protection.
● Injuries at Work – Big, powerful machines can break or cut off a worker’s limb if something goes wrong. Also, getting badly burned while working can be so severe that the only option is to remove the hurt limb.
● Accidents on Property – When property owners don’t take good care of their buildings, it can be dangerous for those living or visiting there. If things like stairs, elevators, or garage doors aren’t kept up, they can cause bad hurts that might lead to losing a limb.
Compensation for Amputations in California
Losing a limb because someone else was careless alters someone’s whole existence. It impacts the injured party in body, mind, and wallet. Those who lose a limb often can’t return to their usual routines or jobs like they used to. This reduced work ability can lead to less money, hurting the individual and their family.
When figuring out the amount of money someone who has lost a limb should get, it’s essential to think about many things. A big payout from an insurer might not last with constant medical bills and inability to work. Think about costs like these.
Present and Future Health Care Costs – Losing a limb means needing constant medical care that may continue for life.
Prosthetic limbs – Significant progress has been achieved in designing and custom-fitting prosthetic limbs, yet the cost to acquire one remains substantial.
Physical Therapy After Amputation – When someone loses a limb, they might need a lot of physical therapy. This helps them learn to sit, stand, walk, or hold things again.
Adjusting the Home for an Amputee – An individual with an amputation might require changes in their home to move around more easily. Critical areas like bathrooms and kitchens should be
reachable. Installing ramps at entryways could be necessary for outdoor access. Note these updates often come with a high price tag.
Missed Income and Potential Salary – Often, employers might adjust roles for a hurt worker, but mostly, they don’t, particularly in manufacturing jobs. This often results in a total or partial drop in wages. When an amputation greatly hinders movement, it might lead to ongoing disability and an utter loss of earning capability.
Emotional Support – Losing a limb is incredibly tough on someone’s feelings. Often, this means they’ll need mental health support for many years.
Seek Guidance from a California Amputation Attorney After an Accident
If an accident caused by another’s carelessness has led to you or someone close to you losing a limb, get in touch with the skilled amputation attorneys at Trauma Law for a cost-free chat. You don’t have to face large companies or insurance groups alone during this challenging time. At Trauma Law, we work hard to secure fair deals for the people we represent, and we’re here to assist you, too. Delaying could be bad for your claim, so please contact us soon at 559-490-1226 for a no-charge consultation.
