West Palm Beach Amputation Injury Attorney
Losing a finger, hand, foot, facial extremity, or limb to an unforeseen event is one of the most traumatic injuries anyone can sustain. It is impossible to fully measure the value of life lost, particularly if the injury results in disfigurement or reduced physical capabilities. Depending on the injury and the victim’s occupation, they may also be faced with lost earning ability. Because of the grave nature of an amputation injury, victims need to be heavily compensated, and only an experienced West Palm Beach amputation injury attorney can ensure that happens.
How Amputations Happen
It is rare that a limb or body part is fully severed in a nursing home incident or traffic collision. Generally, the body part is removed later during emergency surgery after the tissue and nerves have undergone irreparable damage.
- Crushing Injury—A crushing injury happens when the body part is pinned, or crushed, against two objects, such as the front dashboard, which can be crumpled inward in a collision, crushing the leg at the knee.
- Degloving Injury—When a body part is caught in between something and the skin is torn back, or if the body part is deeply lacerated and the skin torn back, the underlying flesh and bone is left mostly in-tact, yet the body part may not be able to be saved. This is common with fingers—if the layers of skin that are torn away cannot be sewn back on, the finger must be removed.
- Laceration Injury—Deep lacerations, particularly from glass during traffic collisions, may result in cuts so deep that the body party needs to be amputated. Generally, if too many nerves are severed, the body part will have no function. If the tissue is also damaged severely, it will end up necrotizing, and pose a risk of infection. As such, amputation becomes necessary to save the victim’s life.
- Burn Injury—If a burn is so severe, or covers a large surface area of the body, the victim is in great threat of death from infection. In fact, infection from third degree burns is often a reason why amputation becomes necessary.
Damages in an Amputation Injury
Amputations are incredibly expensive procedures, but the life-long economic impact is generally even greater. One study published in the U.S. National Institute of Health found that limb amputee victims had a projected lifetime healthcare cost of over $509,000. This only scratches the surface of an amputee patient’s true damages. An amputee victim’s total damages may include the following:
- Medical expenses;
- Rehabilitation, which plays an invaluable role in the patient’s ability to return to work, according to research;
- Projected medical expenses;
- Medical equipment, prosthetics, and necessary alterations to the plaintiff’s home or car;
- Pain and suffering;
- Loss of joy of life;
- Lost wages;
- Lost earning ability;
- Emotional distress;
- Property damage; and
- More.
Call Our West Palm Beach Amputation Injury Attorneys Today
If a negligent driver took something from you that you will never get back, you have the opportunity to seek significant financial compensation from that at-fault party. To get started today, call the West Palm Beach amputation injury attorneys at Hale Law at 941-735-4529 to schedule a free consultation today.
