What You Should Know About Compensation After an Amputation
Amputations are much more common than many people realize. According to data from the Amputee Coalition, an estimated two million people in the U.S. live with limb loss. Each year, an average of 185,000 people lose limbs, which equals between 300 and 500 amputations each day. Most people who suffer amputations suffer ongoing issues in their lives, including disfigurement, disability, and psychological harm. People who suffer limb loss also might incur high medical costs compared to those who sustain other types of injuries. If you lost a limb because of the negligent actions of someone else, you might have the right to pursue damages through a personal injury lawsuit. The Personal Injury Attorneys at Raynes & Lawn can review what happened and help you to understand the legal remedies that might be available to you. The following types of events might result in limb loss that justifies compensation through legal claims.
Workplace Accidents
Many people suffer amputations while working on the job. For example, people who work in or around machinery may get their hands, feet, arms, or legs caught in the machines and lose them. These types of workplace injuries frequently occur when workplaces do not follow the safety rules enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These rules were promulgated to prevent people from being injured while they are working on the job. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6,200 workplace amputations occurred in 2018, and 58% involved machinery.
People who receive amputation injuries at work can file claims with their employers’ workers’ compensation insurance carriers. However, if a third party caused your limb loss, including a contractor, manufacturer, car or truck driver, or another party, you might also have the right to file a third-party negligence claim against that party in addition to pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. This can help you to maximize your potential recovery. Third-party claims allow you to pursue compensation for pain and suffering while workers’ compensation claims do not.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents involving cars, motorcycles, trucks, bicyclists, and pedestrians happen each day. While many accidents are relatively minor, some result in catastrophic injuries and amputations. Motor vehicle accidents can cause legs, arms, hands, feet, toes, or fingers to be cut off by protruding metal, or they can be severely crushed to such a degree that they cannot be repaired. This can result in amputation as the sole option.
These types of catastrophic accidents can result in substantial economic losses, including ongoing medical expenses, multiple surgeries, skin grafts, physical therapy, wage losses, and long-term counseling. If a victim lost his or her limb in an accident caused by another driver, he or she might pursue a negligence claim to recover compensation for the losses he or she has suffered.
Compensation for Amputations
When people suffer amputations because of the actions of others, they may be entitled to recover compensation for both their economic and non-economic losses.
Some of the categories of damages that might be available include the following:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Physical therapy costs
- Rehabilitation costs
- Vocational retraining costs
- Past wage losses
- Reduction in the ability to earn income in the future
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma/mental anguish
- Loss of the ability to enjoy life
- Disability
- Disfigurement
People who suffer limb loss might be entitled to receive more compensation than those who suffer other types of injuries. This is because the impact of their amputations will last a lifetime. For example, an amputee might not be able to return to the same job he or she held before. He or she might not be able to pursue the same hobbies he or she enjoyed before losing a limb. Some amputees also struggle with other losses, including losses of relationships with romantic partners. Personal injury lawsuits might help them to recover damages for all of the losses that they have suffered because of their amputations.
Get Help from an Experienced Injury Attorney
If you have lost your limb in an accident caused by someone else or while working on the job, you should speak to an experienced injury lawyer at Raynes & Lawn. Our team of attorneys is experienced in handling catastrophic injury claims, and we work hard to help our clients recover maximal compensation for their injuries and losses. Call us today at 1-800-535-1797 to request a free consultation.
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