Personal injury
What is an amputation injury?
An amputation is the removal of a limb or extremity by trauma, illness, or surgical removal.- Truama. A trauma is a serious injury. Sometimes limbs are severed or lost during the injury, or removed after an injury. This is also known as a traumatic amputation. Traumatic amputations occur during traffic accidents, labor accidents, from weapons such as guns or knives, ruptured wires, and other accidents.
- Illness. Loss of limb occurs from illness such as diabetes, frostbite, osteomyelitis
- Surgical removal. Surgical removal of limbs usually takes place after a traumatic injury or a disease such as gangrene or diabetes.
Which injuries lead to amputation?
Loss of limb injuries occur often in auto accidents but can happen during many types of injuries. Common accidents resulting in amputation include:- Auto accidents involving a bus, car, truck, big rig, SUV, ATV, boat, motorcycle, or other type of commercial vehicle
- Severe burns
- Construction accidents at industrial facilities and factories
- Falling merchandise resulting in severed or crushed limbs
- A medical professional not following best practices, for example, gangrene from inadequate post surgery care
Compensation for amputation injuries
California law provides for “just” compensation for people who have suffered an amputation injury. Compensation in amputation injury cases may include money for:- Medical expenses and future medical bills
- Prosthesis
- Physical therapy
- Lost income and future wages
- Home and lifestyle modifications
- Vocational training
- Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of quality of life
Types of Amputations
- Minor leg amputations. These include the amputations of toes, partial foot amputations, and ankle disarticulation.
- Major leg amputations. These include below-knee amputation (BKA), knee disarticulation, above-knee transfemoral amputation, rotationplasty, hip disarticulation, hemipelvectomy.
- Arm amputations. These include amputation of fingers, metacarpal amputation, elbow or shoulder disarticulation, and forearm amputation.
- Other amputations. These include self-amputations, and other parts of the body including face (ears, nose, tongue, eyes, teeth), breasts, and genitals.