In addition to the initial injury caused by an accident there are other ailments that can develop over time. Of all the injuries you can sustain in an accident, one of the absolute worst is amputation. In some cases, a less serious injury can eventually result in the removal of an extremity.
The loss of an extremity not only alters the physical body it also changes quality of life, ability to work, and causes copious amounts of emotional strife. Get in touch with a amputation accident lawyer in Philadelphia if you have any questions.
Why Would an Injury Result in Amputation?
- For one, the amputation may have occurred as a result of a specific accident, like a car accident.
- Another reason is that doctors may decide it is necessary in order to prevent infection. With severe enough trauma, there are times when the extremity contracts or is at a high risk to develop an infection or disease.
- Amputation is also conducted when the extremity has already contracted a disease or become infected.
What Happens After an Amputation?
- The patient first needs to recover from the surgery, as with any type of surgery this will take some time.
- Once healed, there will be a period of working with physiotherapists and occupational therapists to learn how to resume life as normally as possible.
- There may be the need for a prosthetic limb, which will take time to adjust to.
- Many report feeling phantom limb, a feeling that the limb is still there and functioning. The majority of amputation patients will experience this sensation.
- They can also experience phantom pain, which is when the nerves that would normally innervate the missing extremity cause pain. This can be extremely painful.
- For the rest of their lives they will have to deal with the impacts of the amputation on the quality of their life.
One Man’s Story
In a recent PA case involving a motor vehicle accident, the plaintiff was taken to the hospital immediately following the accident. He was diagnosed as having a severe break in his right leg that required surgery. The fracture was not healing correctly and the site from the original surgery was developing osteomyelitis, which is a chronic bone infection. He underwent several more corrective surgeries, but his leg could not be saved and he needed to undergo a below the knee amputation. After the amputation, he had to endure extensive, inpatient rehabilitation.
At trial, the plaintiff asserted that as a result of the amputation he experienced what is known as phantom pain, pain felt in the limb that is no longer there, and chronic stump pain, or pain at the point of removal. This prevented him from being able to properly use his prosthetic leg in the subsequent years. Because he sought the help of a skilled Pennsylvania amputation accident attorney he was able to receive $10,000,000 in damages.
Get Help Now
If you have had an extremity amputated as a result of an accident you need an experienced PA accident lawyer to fight for the compensation you deserve. At Console & Hollawell we have been defending the rights of accident victims since 1994, and have a proven 97 percent success rate. Contact us today to speak with one of our local attorneys by calling toll-free 1-800-455-2746 and set up your FREE, no-obligation consultation.
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