Amputation is the surgical removal of a limb or extremity. Patients may struggle with movement, phantom pain, and mental health issues in response to the trauma which may impact their quality of life. These catastrophic injuries often arise from the negligence of other parties such as drivers, employers, product manufacturers, and sometimes even medical professionals who failed in their duty of care.
While it is difficult to process the losses associated with amputation, it is important to act quickly in pursuing an amputation injury lawsuit. Read more on how an amputation injury lawyer can help you hold the responsible parties accountable to the full extent of the law.
Causes of an Amputation Injury
While amputation injuries can be caused by unpreventable infections, malpractice, or medical conditions, trauma-inducing accidents can also cause catastrophic injuries including:
- Burns: While rare, serious burns can lead to amputation. Electrical burns create an increased risk of 68%. Burns from a flame are significantly lower. Burn injuries can be caused by various types of accidents, and are common in certain lines of work.
- Motor vehicle accidents: When a car accident or motorcycle accident occurs, limbs can easily be trapped and crushed by the wreckage. There are also instances in which infection to the injury sustained in the crash may become severe enough for amputation to occur.
- Factory accidents: Factory workers are tasked with handling heavy and hazardous machinery. According to a study, around 58% of work-related amputations could be attributed to machinery incidents.
- Workplace Incidents: Aside from burn injuries and factory accidents, construction workers, agriculture workers, and food processing employees (among other lines of work) are more susceptible to faulty materials and unsafe working conditions.
- Trip and fall: Although rare, trip and fall incidents due to factors such as cluttered or defected walkways may lead to a serious injury or infection resulting in the loss of a limb.
Trauma is the cause of around 45% of all amputations and 75% of upper extremity amputations, which can be a result of negligence from a third party.
When To Hire An Amputation Injury Lawyer
A victim’s first priority should be recovery, and legal jargon should be the last thing on a victim’s mind during this time. Unfortunately, this is also a crucial time to collect evidence and begin legal work. Factors such as waiting too long to file or a lack of collected evidence may devastate your case, so it is important to be timely and precise. The right lawyer will work with you every step of the way to make sure you are at ease. Consult with a Los Angeles accident lawyer immediately to ensure your case is properly executed.
Accessing the Damages
When an amputation injury lawyer is accessing your case, they will consider all the damages endured from the accident. Financially, a Los Angeles accident lawyer will argue for compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation bills, loss of income, and other fees directly associated with the accident.
In almost every amputation case, the victim must relearn physical movements. As a result, those suffering from amputation injuries may be unable to perform the job they had prior to the accident, and may suffer financial losses from unemployment.
Notably, amputation victims suffer immensely from psychological aftermaths that come from the losses associated with a missing limb. This includes:
- Decreased self-image
- Increased dependency
- Distorted body image
- Depression
- Social isolation
In a trial or amputation lawsuit settlement, the plaintiff may receive compensation for emotional distress and for the pain and suffering endured. A spouse may also be able to sue the reckless party for loss of consortium, as the catastrophic injury may impact your relationship.
Amputation Lawsuit Settlement
In some cases, an individual may pursue an amputation lawsuit settlement as opposed to taking their case to trial. There are many considerations as to why it is in the best interest of both parties to settle before going to trial such as the privacy, timeliness, reduced costs, and increased certainty that come with choosing this route. A lawyer can advise their clients on the best course of action in the civil case depending on their desired outcomes.
Contact A Los Angeles Accident Lawyer
Amputation injuries often result from personal injury accidents initiated by a reckless third party whose carelessness results in immense physical and emotional losses. The Law Office of John J. Pearlstein will work aggressively and relentlessly to provide you with the justice and compensation you deserve.
Speak to a Los Angeles accident lawyer today for a free consultation on your amputation lawsuit settlement by contacting us online or by calling us.