Whether you lose a leg or a pinky toe, having a body part amputated is a big change, and may have an enormous impact on your future plans — your career options, if you are able to work, whether you need assistance and much more. The costs for surgery, prosthetic limbs, rehabilitation, personal assistance, and adaptations to your home and vehicle to accommodate your injury may be overwhelming.
Whether you lose a leg or a pinky toe, having a body part amputated is a big change, and may have an enormous impact on your future plans — your career options, if you are able to work, whether you need assistance and much more. The costs for surgery, prosthetic limbs, rehabilitation, personal assistance, and adaptations to your home and vehicle to accommodate your injury may be overwhelming.If you had an amputation because of an accident that was someone else’s fault, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you.
At the Sloan Firm, what matters to you, matters to us. Client-centered representation is a key part of our law practice. We are ready to go the extra mile to make sure that you are satisfied. We see the person behind the injury, and we know that each person is different. What may be helpful to one person may not be helpful to another.
How Our Firm Helps Victims of Amputation Caused by the Negligence of Others
Once you have begun to receive medical care for your injury, contact us so we can lighten your load by gathering the information necessary to pursue your claim.
We are ready to:
- Take time to listen to you describe in detail what happened to you.
- Provide free advice about your best legal options.
- Give you our honest assessment of whether you have a valid case.
- Thoroughly and independently investigate your accident to find out what really happened.
- Work with professionals in accident reconstruction, medical treatment, occupational rehabilitation, financial planning, and other relevant fields.
- Take care of all communications with the insurance companies on your behalf.
- Deal with all the paperwork in your case.
- Keep you informed about the status of your case and answer all your questions.
- Enter settlement negotiations or go to court.
We serve personal injury victims in Houston, Sante Fe, and Longview.
Causes of Traumatic Amputations
Traumatic amputation is losing a limb as a result of an accident, such as in a wreck, pedestrian accident, or workplace accident. The major cause of traumatic limb loss is motor vehicle accidents. Sometimes limbs are severed in a crash, and sometimes they are crushed or damaged beyond repair and must be surgically removed. Limbs are also frequently lost in accidents involving heaving machinery or power tools in factories, at construction sites, or on farms, for example.
Even worse than having a limb surgically removed is that sometimes doctors perform surgery on the wrong body part, and amputate the wrong limb. This is known as wrong-site surgery, and it is much more common than most people think. If this has happened to you, you may have a claim for medical malpractice in addition to whatever claim you may have for the original injury.
Types of Limb Loss
Amputations are generally categorized as either an upper limb amputation or a lower limb amputation. How much of your limb is lost depends on where the amputation is done.
For an upper limb amputation, the following amputations are possible:
- Shoulder amputation
- Forequarter amputation (includes removal of the shoulder, part of shoulder blade collar bone)
- Trans-humeral amputation (above the elbow)
- Elbow disarticulation
- Transradial amputation (below the elbow)
- Wrist disarticulation
- Metacarpal amputation (hand is removed but wrist is not)
- Digit amputation (removal of one or more fingers or part of a finger)
For a lower limb amputation, the following are possible:
- Pelvic/transpelvic amputation
- Hip disarticulation
- Transfemoral amputation (above the knee)
- Knee disarticulation
- Transtibial amputation (below the knee)
- Ankle disarticulation
- Partial foot amputation
- Digit amputation (one or more toes or part of a toe).
Types of Compensation Available for Limb Loss Injuries
If you have had an amputation, you may have of a mountain of medical bills that just keep coming, in addition to adjusting to life without your missing limb. Compensation for your injury is intended to alleviate some of the suffering and life changes that come as a result of paralysis.
Types of compensation available may include:
- Medical expenses
- Therapy
- Lost income and earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Physical impairment
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Other physical, financial and emotional harm
- Wrongful death
If you have suffered an amputation due to someone else’s carelessness, you need a personal injury attorney to advocate for you. Once you have begun to receive medical care for your injury, contact us so we can lighten your load by gathering the information necessary to pursue your claim.
At the Sloan Firm, we are prepared to work hard for you. We fight for our clients. We know how important it is to structure our strategy around your goals and needs.
Longview Amputation Lawyers
Contact an amputation attorney from the Sloan Firm today. We have lawyers ready to help you throughout East Texas from our offices in Longview, Houston, as well as in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We can provide the advice and guidance needed to help you through this painful experience.