Detachment of an arm or leg from the body during an auto accident is a life-threatening, life-altering injury. Auto accidents consistently remain among the top five reasons why an arm or leg is severed.
Laws making the wearing of safety belts mandatory have slightly raised the risk of drivers and their passengers suffering potentially disabling lower extremity injuries in serious auto accidents.
If they survive, victims of traumatic amputations will incur enormous medical bills, require home nursing care, undergo intense physical therapy, deal with future health problems and learn how to use a prosthetic limb. Further, victims may or may not be able to return to work, depending on the type of employment they pursue.
People who lose limbs in auto accidents also suffer long-term physical and psychological problems that include:
- Anxiety, depression and grief over the loss of a limb
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Phantom limb pain
- Recurring infections
- Scar tissue pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Many victims of traumatic amputations have difficulty adjusting to using a prosthetic. Some people may never be able to wear a prosthetic device because they are not strong enough to manipulate one correctly. This problem especially applies to the partial or complete loss of a leg that produces a massive loss of bone and muscle essential for support.
Compensation for Medical Expenses, Pain and Suffering
If you or someone you know has suffered a severed limb due to being the victim of someone else’s negligent driving, it is critical that you hire an attorney as soon as possible to avoid settling for much less than you should rightfully receive. Insurance companies will use a number of underhanded tactics to get you to settle out of court for tens of thousands of dollars less than what you deserve. Having an aggressive personal injury lawyer by your side representing and fighting for your best interests in court will stop unscrupulous insurance companies from taking advantage of your vulnerable position.
How much compensation victims of traumatic amputations receive is determined by the extent of the injury (one or more limbs lost in addition to other injuries), degree of pain and suffering, age of the victim and impact the accident has had on their life.
Call the Office of Eric Woods Law to Schedule a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic amputation in a vehicle accident due to another driver operating their vehicle in a reckless manner, call Eric Woods Law today to schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys.