Amputation Injuries Caused by Car Accidents in Charlotte

Serious car accidents can result in catastrophic injuries such as amputations. Losing a limb drastically alters a person's life. Those who experience applications often need to relearn how to do basic activities and often require extensive therapy. In some cases, a car accident victim’s limb is amputated during the accident. In other cases, surgeons need to amputate a limb after the accident. In both cases, the loss of a limb due to a car accident is devastating.

If you or your loved one has endured a limb amputation from a car accident, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries. When another person’s negligence or recklessness caused the car accident that resulted in your amputation, you may be able to hold them financially responsible through a personal injury lawsuit.

The costs of surgery, therapy, and rehabilitation after an amputation can be high. Recovering compensation through a personal injury lawsuit can help you make up for your lost wages, medical bills, job retraining, prosthetic devices, and rehabilitation. Contact the attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, today to schedule your free initial consultation.

According to the Amputee Coalition, nearly 2 million people live with limb loss in the United States. Every year, approximately 185,000 people experience an amputation in the United States. Approximately 45% of limb losses are caused by trauma, including car accidents. Traumatic amputations can involve any extremity or limb, including a person's ears, toes, feet, legs, fingers, hands, and arms. The most common types of amputation happen in an accident that resulted in an unplanned amputation from a severe injury. Below-the-knee amputations are the most common.

Car and truck accidents are among the main causes of traumatic amputation in the United States. When a person's body becomes crushed or trapped in a motor vehicle, the sharp metal or glass pieces of debris can sever their limbs. In other cases, car accident victims suffer severe burns, or their legs or arms become crushed to the extent that surgeons decide that amputation is the best course of action to treat them.

Motorcyclists are vulnerable to serious injuries, including amputations. Motorcycles lack the outside protection that passenger vehicles provide. Most amputation injuries caused by motorcycle accidents are lower-body injuries. In some cases, the accident force will cause the motorcyclist to fly off the motorcycle and damage his or her legs to the extent that an amputation is required. In other cases, the motorcycle will fall on the motorcyclist. When this happens, the heavyweight of the motorcycle can easily crush a person's feet or legs.

Not all traumatic amputations are caused by car and motorcycle accidents. Medical malpractice and workplace accidents can cause limb injuries. When surgeons make mistakes while operating on a person's leg or accidentally amputate the wrong leg, a preventable amputation could be required. Additionally, many workplace amputations result from heavy machinery crushing a worker or becoming severely burned in a chemical explosion, requiring an amputation.

Car accidents that result in catastrophic injuries are one of the leading causes of amputation in the United States. Victims of amputation often have large physical therapy and medical bills. Many amputation victims cannot work in their previous field, or they may require significant retraining for a job in another industry. Victims of amputation often require multiple surgeries or experience discomfort or pain from the nerves in the area when a limb was amputated, a condition called “phantom limb.”

Limb amputation victims can also suffer injuries caused by infection at the amputation site, depression, and anxiety related to the car accident. In severely traumatic car accidents, the victims may also have post-traumatic stress disorder. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and rehabilitation are often time-consuming and expensive. Compensation from a personal injury suit can help you pay for these expenses.

Taking legal action to bring a lawsuit against the negligent party who caused your amputation can help you and your family pay for your medical bills and survive financially. If you have suffered an amputation caused by someone else's negligence, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC, today to schedule your free initial consultation.

For your convenience and safety, we now offer video and phone conferencing. If you prefer an in-person consultation, we have three easy to reach locations in Uptown Charlotte, Monroe, and Mooresville. Contact us today at 704-370-2828 to learn how we can advocate for you.