Amputation (i.e. loss of a limb) refers to the partial or total removal of a limb or external extremity, including a hand, toe, finger, arm, or leg. Amputations fall into two categories lower-limb (i.e. leg, hip, foot, ankle amputations/disarticulations) and upper-limb amputations (i.e. hand, metacarpal, wrist, arm, elbow, shoulder amputations/disarticulations).
Leading Causes of Amputations in Personal Injury Claims
Amputations are considered catastrophic injuries because they cause lasting and detrimental damage to a person’s life and abilities. In this article, we will discuss the top causes of amputation in personal injury cases.
Construction Site & Factory Accidents
While businesses and workers owe each other a duty of care to implement and uphold safety procedures, accidents can still happen. Construction sites and warehouses can be very dangerous places to work. If machinery Is not properly handled or malfunctions or a person suffers a fall from a great height, they may lose a limb in the accident. A falling object may also crush a person below, or more specifically their limbs, which can also lead to an amputation.
Agricultural Accidents
Farmers or agricultural workers can also suffer the loss of a limb in a variety of work-related accidents. Lawnmowers and other power tools and equipment can malfunction or be improperly handled, which can lead to catastrophic injuries (including amputations).
Traffic/Vehicular Accidents
If a person is involved in a traffic accident, such as a pedestrian, car, bike, motorcycle, or truck accident, they may suffer from a natural amputation, which involves losing a limb or extremity in the course of the accident. However, they may also lose their limb because of a surgical amputation procedure that is required because of the severity of their crash injuries. For instance, if you are hit by a car while riding your bike, the car may crush your leg or arm; crushing injuries often damage the bones, nerves, muscles, and veins in the affected area, and in many cases, the affected extremity requires amputation.
Burn Accidents
Accidents that involve fire and cause third-degree or fourth-degree burns can lead to amputation. For instance, after an explosion, electrocution, wiring-related fire, or an accident, a person can suffer burns so severe that their dermis, muscles, nerve endings, bones, and/or organs are affected. Depending on the extent of the damage, your healthcare providers may recommend surgical amputation of affected limbs or extremities as a form of treatment. While this is often the last resort, this course of treatment may be required in severe cases. In explosions or fire-related accidents, a person can also lose a limb if the blast was severe.
Suffered a catastrophic injury in an accident? Contact the Law Office of Joseph A. Lazzara, P.C. for legal counsel today by calling (720) 809-8262 or reaching out online.