Some car crashes are life-altering, such as those that result in limb amputations. The physical injury is devastating enough, but amputation injuries can also cause severe financial and emotional damage.
Below, we discuss how amputation injuries could occur in car crashes, the physical and emotional impact, and filing a claim for compensation.
At Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak, we help crash victims secure the compensation they need to treat their injuries and protect their financial future. If you or a loved one is suffering from life-changing injuries caused by another’s negligence, contact our South Bend car accident lawyers to discuss your next steps.
Call today to set up a FREE case review: (574) 444-0741.
How Could a Car Crash Cause an Amputation Injury?
There are several types of car crash injuries that could result in amputation of a limb. Sometimes the amputation happens in the crash and other times doctors need to amputate to save the victim’s life.
These are some of the crash injuries that may result in an amputation:
- Traumatic amputations: Crash victims could suffer a direct, forceful impact to a limb that instantly severs it from the body. This may be more likely to occur in a high-speed collision that generates enough force to cause devastating damage to vehicle occupants’ bodies. Collisions involving small passenger vehicles and commercial vehicle can also generate such force.
- Crush injuries: One of your limbs could get caught under something or between two objects, putting the limb under intense pressure. This could cause irreparable harm that may result in the limb being amputated.
- Severe fractures: If a bone breaks and pierces through your skin, there is a high risk of infection that may necessitate an amputation. Multiple fractures to one bone can cause problems with circulation, which may force doctors to amputate.
- Nerve damage: Direct injury to the nerves or secondary damage from swelling and inflammation could lead to loss of sensation and motor function. If nerves are too damaged to repair, amputation may be considered.
- Vascular injury: If a major blood vessel gets severed, you could lose a significant amount of blood. This could result in ischemia that destroys tissue.
- Severe Infections: Open fractures or wounds could become infected, especially if they do not respond to treatment. Amputation may be required to stop the infection from spreading and causing gangrene or sepsis.
Types of Amputations
There are different types of amputations, depending on the injury the victim suffered in the crash:
- Transradial amputation: the removal of the forearm below the elbow joint
- Transtibial amputation: cutting off the lower leg below the knee joint
- Partial hand amputation: the loss of one or more fingers or parts of the hand
- Transpelvic disarticulation: removal of the entire pelvis
- Transfemoral amputation: the removal of the thigh above the knee joint
Understanding the Physical and Emotional Impact of an Amputation Injury
Amputations create many physical challenges for victims. The most significant is mobility issues. Not having one of your limbs makes it much more difficult to perform daily activities, especially if you lose a leg.
There are prosthetics available, but it takes time and practice to learn how to use them effectively. Plus, there is no way to fully replace the loss of a hand or part of an arm. Victims must learn how to use one arm for more tasks and find ways to integrate the use of a prosthetic.
Some of the other physical challenges of an amputation include chronic pain, such as phantom limb pain. This is the term for pain in your missing limb. Sometimes this pain is chronic, affecting your physical activity level.
Emotional Impact
Losing a limb is an incredibly traumatic event, especially if it happens during the crash. Victims often experience severe emotional distress that may develop into post-traumatic stress disorder.
The drastic change in your physical ability and appearance can also cause depression, anxiety and a loss of self-esteem.
Adapting to life with a prosthetic limb and your reduced mobility can be incredibly frustrating. Victims may struggle with remembering how their life used to before the accident.
Amputees may feel isolated due to their physical limitations and how their appearance has changed. This can cause them to avoid others.
Filing a Claim for Compensation After an Amputation Injury
The impact of a car crash amputation injury cannot be overstated, which is why victims should consider discussing what happened with a lawyer. You may have legal options if the injury could have been avoided because it resulted from another driver’s negligence.
The sooner you contact a lawyer the better, as evidence can quickly get lost, making it harder to establish what happened in the collision.
If our lawyers determine you have a case, we are committed to securing full compensation for the many ways your injury has affected your life, including:
- Medical costs for treatment after the crash, including surgery
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Cost of prosthetics
- Ongoing medical care for chronic pain and other issues
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity if you cannot work in the same job as before
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- And more
At Pfeifer, Morgan and Stesiak, we understand the many ways a serious injury can affect your life. We have helped many people with severe injuries obtain compensation to help them move forward with their lives.
We know compensation cannot change what occurred, but it can help you and your family secure your financial future.
While many cases are settled, our lawyers have significant experience in the courtroom. We are prepared to take cases to court to obtain the compensation you need during this difficult.
Call Our Firm to Discuss Your Legal Options After an Amputation Injury
If you are uncertain what actions to take after being injured in a car crash, call our knowledgeable attorneys to help you understand your legal options.
Pfeifer, Morgan and Stesiak is committed to the best interests of our clients. We aggressively pursue all the compensation you need and there are no fees charged upfront. In fact, our lawyers are not paid unless our clients get paid.
Call to schedule your FREE case review and learn more about our services: (574) 444-0741.
