Motorcycle Accident Amputation Injuries In Pennsylvania

Many Pennsylvanians love to ride motorcycles because of the feeling of freedom while riding in the open air. However, motorcycles also come with a heightened risk of injury when people are involved in collisions. Unlike people who occupy cars and other motor vehicles, motorcyclists are largely unprotected in wrecks. When a motor vehicle crashes into a motorcycle, the rider’s body absorbs the strong physical forces and trauma of the collision instead of being protected by a steel frame. While many riders opt to wear helmets and protective gear to protect them from serious injuries, it is impossible to avoid all types of injuries.

Even when you take all safety precautions, you are still vulnerable to serious injuries, including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and limb losses in a motorcycle crash. When a limb is amputated in a crash or is damaged to the extent that it must be surgically amputated, the motorcyclist and his or her family will have to face extensive rehabilitation and medical costs, wage losses, and other types of losses. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident and have lost a limb, a Philadelphia motorcycle accident attorney at Raynes & Lawn can help you understand your next steps in pursuing compensation.

How A Motorcycle Accident Can Lead To A Loss Of Limb

Injuries to the lower extremities, including damage to the foot, leg, hip, or pelvis are the most common types of injuries motorcyclists might suffer in crashes. Injuries to the upper extremities, including the hands, arms, and shoulders are also common. These types of injuries can range from lacerations and bruising to limb losses.

There are multiple ways that you might lose a limb in a motorcycle crash, including the following:

• Foot, hand, or fingers being severed when vehicles collide
• Leg or arm being damaged beyond repair and requiring surgical amputation
• Partial severing of a limb that requires it to be removed
• Post-surgical infection that requires a limb to be removed to save the victim’s life

In catastrophic collisions, a leg or arm might be completely severed in the accidents. Some types of amputation injuries can be prevented by wearing protective clothing, boots, and gloves. However, when a violent motorcycle crash is caused by a much larger vehicle, you might lose a limb regardless of your protective clothing and gear.

Types Of Amputation

An amputation occurs when you lose part or all of an extremity, including your fingers, hands, arms, legs, toes, or feet.

The types of amputations that might occur include the following:

• Partial amputation involving a portion of an extremity
• Disarticulation amputation at critical joints
• Complete amputation involving the amputation of an entire limb or portion of a limb

What To Expect When A Motorcycle Accident Causes Amputation

A limb loss is among the most devastating types of injuries you might experience in a motorcycle wreck. If you suffer an amputation, you will likely undergo severe pain, psychological trauma, and overwhelming stress as you begin your transition to living your life without your severed leg, foot, arm, or hand.

Some of the things that you can expect following an amputation in a motorcycle accident include the following:

• One or more surgeries to remove a damaged limb that is beyond repair
• Physical rehabilitation to relearn how to perform tasks without the use of the amputated limb
• Psychological therapy to help you deal with the psychological trauma of losing your limb and the accident itself
• Prostethic device fitting and learning how to use it for improved functioning

All of these things can be prohibitively expensive. When you have suffered a serious injury like a limb loss in a motorcycle crash, you might be left facing mounting medical costs combined with wage losses and other losses.

What You Need To Recover

After you lose one of your limbs, you will need the financial resources to pay for your various treatments and types of therapy. You will also likely need money to cover your lost earnings and your prosthetic device. If your crash was caused by someone else, you can pursue compensation through a motorcycle accident lawsuit against the at-fault driver.

Some of the types of compensation you might recover include the following:

• Past and future medical bills
• Past and future rehabilitation costs
• Costs of your prosthetic device
• Property damage
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Loss of the ability to enjoy life
• Punitive damages

How much you might recover will depend on multiple factors, including the strength of the evidence you present. An experienced motorcycle crash attorney at Raynes & Lawn can help you to build the strongest possible case to help you recover full compensation for your losses.

Get Help From An Attorney For Your Motorcycle Accident Leg Injury

If you have suffered a limb loss following a crash caused by another motorist, you should speak to the attorneys at Raynes & Lawn as soon as possible. Call us today at 1-800-535-1797 to schedule a free consultation.

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