Amputations Following Car Accidents
If You Suffered an Amputation or Loss of a Limb After a Car Accident, Call Our Experienced Car Accident Lawyers in Springfield for Help
One type of personal injury after a motor vehicle accident that is always considered permanent and at least partially disabling is an amputation. A loss of a limb after a car accident in Springfield, Illinois can result in unexpected medical bills, lost wages, lost future earnings if a victim is unable to perform the same work, and extreme pain and suffering. According to statistics, each year in the United States there are approximately 185,000 amputations performed. Other statistics indicate that there are approximately 2.1 million Americans living with the loss of a limb, with 45% of those individuals suffering an amputation due to trauma such as in a motor vehicle accident. If you or a loved one suffered an amputation or loss of a limb due to a motor vehicle wreck in Illinois, call the experienced car accident lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office for help.
This experienced personal injury law firm offers free case evaluations and consultations. During this meeting, you can ask specific questions related to your case and get legal answers about your rights and options. If you decide to hire the Noll Law Office, and if they accept your case, their compassionate team understands the unexpected medical bills and lost wages that you are facing. This is why they pay the upfront costs and expenses of litigation for you, which are only reimbursed if they recover compensation for you. Similarly, there is no charge to begin working with their bodily injury law firm. Rather, they only get paid after they make a recovery for you in your case. They also only get paid a percentage of your recovery, meaning there is both a no-win, no-fee guarantee and no out-of-pocket expenses. To learn more about how they can help you after your amputation or loss of a limb after a car accident in Springfield, call the Noll Law Office today to schedule your free case evaluation at (217) 414-8889.
Why Amputation and Loss of a Limb Cases are Different
An amputation or loss of a limb is a catastrophic personal injury. It does not matter if it was part of a finger or an entire limb, the loss of any part of your body is permanent and disabling. That is part of what makes an amputation case different than other types of personal injury cases.
Unfortunately, insurance adjusters or defense lawyers will always try to lessen the severity of your amputation. That’s because nearly every amputation case is also hotly contested. Unlike soft tissue or broken bones cases, which can be very severe, an amputation case usually results in significant damage and harm. These damages mean that it is more likely for a jury to be sympathetic toward a victim and award higher compensation. Thus, defendants will often fight any amputation case, meaning victims need to hire a competent and skilled car accident lawyer in Springfield, Illinois to fight back.
In addition, amputation and loss of limb cases are complicated because they require both strong knowledge of the law (liability) and medicine (damages). A knowledgeable and experienced car accident lawyer will understand the complex medicine involved in an amputation case, including the damage which was caused to the limb, what treatment healthcare providers attempted, and why there were no other medical options left to save the limb.
Types of Amputations or Loss of a Limb
Unfortunately, individuals who have lost a part of their body in a motor vehicle accident usually lose more than part of a finger. Most amputations as part of a motor vehicle accident are significant and result in considerable disability or complications.
Some of the different types of amputations and loss of a limb after a car accident in Illinois include the following:
- Finger or toe amputation – removing part or the whole digit
- Partial hand amputation – removing a portion of the hand but not all of it up to the wrist
- Partial foot amputation – removing part of the foot, but not all of it up to the ankle
- Wrist disarticulation – removing the hand entirely
- Ankle disarticulation – removing the foot entirely
- Below-the-elbow amputation – removing the hand and partially removing the lower arm, usually midway up the radius and ulna (two bones in the arm)
- Below-the-knee amputation – removing the foot and partially removing the lower leg, usually by cutting somewhere in the middle of the tibia and fibula (two bones in the leg)
- Elbow disarticulation – removing the hand and lower arm entirely at the elbow
- Knee disarticulation – removing the foot and lower leg entirely at the knee
- Above-the-elbow amputation – removing the hand, lower arm, and part of the upper arm between the elbow and shoulder by cutting the humerus bone
- Above-the-knee amputation – removing the foot, lower leg, and part of the upper leg between the knee and the hip by cutting the femur
- Shoulder disarticulation – removing the arm entirely
- Hip disarticulation – removing the leg entirely
- Forequarter amputation – removing the arm and part of the shoulder, including part of the clavicle and scapula (common in crushing accidents, particularly with 18-wheelers)
- Pelvic amputation – removal of the entire leg and part of the pelvis (common in crushing accidents, particularly with 18-wheelers)
- And other types of amputations that do not involve a limb, including the loss of an ear, nose, genitalia, or another extremity that is crushed, severely damaged, or otherwise avulsed or needs to be removed due to a car accident in Illinois.
Common Causes of Amputations and Loss of a Limb in Illinois
- Car Accidents can cause limb loss when glass or plastic shards penetrate arteries and tissue. To avoid further damage to the body, including spreading infection, amputation may be the only solution. Car collisions can also cause radical compression of passenger compartments that can destroy a trapped limb.
- Truck Accidents, like car accidents, can cause crush injuries. Glass or metal fragments can embed into a limb requiring amputation to save the individual’s life. Infection can be life-threatening making amputation a necessity.
- Motorcycle Accidents can cause limb loss and amputations from crush injuries. Motorcycle accident victims may also lose a limb from road rash. While road rash may not sound that serious, when a body slides across gravel or pavement, the protective barrier of the skin is broken. Road rash can become infected to the extent the individual’s life is threatened. Amputating the affected limb gives the accident victim a chance of survival.
- Workers’ Compensation – In some cases, a workplace accident causes limb loss and amputation. Such accidents may include heavy construction equipment, power tools, assembly line machinery, or logging machinery.
- Nursing Home Neglect – If an elderly patient in a nursing home has diabetes or peripheral arterial disease, they are at a greatly increased risk of amputation. This requires close monitoring by nursing home staff. Elderly patients are much less likely to adapt to the loss of a limb, therefore the amputation likely shortens their life expectancy.
Treatments Associated with Limb Loss and Amputation
The site of the amputation is likely to be extremely painful, so most patients are given painkillers. In some cases, a small tube can be used to deliver local anesthesia to the nerves at the site to help reduce pain. Exercises to prevent blood clots and improve the blood supply are taught to amputation patients. A compression garment can help the swelling and the shape of the amputated limb, possibly even reducing phantom pain and offering support for the limb.
Physical rehabilitation is an important component of the recovery process. Physical therapy is tailored to the individual’s needs and requirements. If you choose to have a prosthetic limb, your physical therapist will teach you how to use the prosthetic. Those who are frail or elderly, or those with other serious health conditions may not be good candidates for a prosthetic limb.
What Should I Do if I’m Suffering from Amputation Following an Accident?
If your limb loss and amputation were the results of an accident caused by the negligence of another, it can be extremely beneficial to speak to an experienced car accident lawyer in Springfield from the Noll Law Office. Not only can its attorneys help you get the treatments you need, but they will also work hard to ensure you are paid a fair settlement for such a grave injury. You will work with fifth-generation Springfield attorneys directly throughout the process.
Did You Suffer An Amputation or Loss of a Limb After a Car Accident in Springfield? We Can Help
If you or a loved one suffered a catastrophic personal injury such as an amputation or loss of a limb after a car accident in Springfield, call the experienced car accident lawyers at the Noll Law Office for help. Their compassionate and experienced team of legal professionals can investigate your injuries and liability, holding defendants responsible for your damages. Unlike other motor vehicle accident firms in Illinois, the Noll Law Office handles all cases in-house and does not refer cases out across the state to new associates. To learn more about how their family can help your family after the loss of a limb after a car accident in Springfield, contact them today.