The Atlanta Amputation Lawyer
Traumatic Amputation Injury
AMPUTATION ACCIDENTS CRIPPLE INDIVIDUALS
According to the National Limb Loss Information Center, approximately 2 million people are living with limb loss in the United States. A traumatic amputation is the loss of a body part due to an accident. It is generally considered a catastrophic injury in accident claims.
Traumatic amputations are the second leading cause of limb loss after vascular disease. Traumatic accidents often occur as the result of:
TYPES OF AMPUTATIONS
Partial & Complete Amputation
Amputations may be complete or partial. In a complete loss, the body part is totally severed from the body. In a partial loss, some bone, tissue, or muscle keeps the amputated part attached to the victim’s body. The harm is also classified according to the method of injury.
A “guillotine” version has clean, well-defined edges and only localized damage to the surrounding tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. A “crush” has more tissue damage, which may extend some distance from the wound edge. An “avulsion” is caused by the stretching or tearing away from the tissue. This type of loss involves extensive damage to soft tissue, nerves, bones, and blood vessels. It has a significant impact on the ultimate outcome of the injury and the possibility of reattaching the severed body part.
FINANCIAL COSTS
The medical costs associated with these injuries can be very substantial. Often victims require many days in the hospital, followed by an intense rehabilitation process. Many amputees require expensive prosthetics or artificial limbs. These prosthetics may cost tens of thousands of dollars and must be replaced every two to five years. It may also be necessary to make modifications to the victim’s home to make the home more accessible and functional for the amputee.
Amputees also face considerable future medical costs for ongoing rehabilitation and therapy, which may continue for the rest of the victim’s lifetime. Amputees may also face a loss of employment income. Often an amputee cannot return to work in the same job as before the accident. A majority of amputees that return to work require vocational retraining to find adequate employment opportunities. Insurance often will not adequately compensate an accident victim for all of these substantial costs.
AMPUTATION INJURY STATISTICS
