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Amputations: How Much Compensation Can You Receive?


Amputations are some of the most catastrophic injuries we see. A person who loses a limb can experience a loss which is hard to describe. Many victims slip into depression, while others are ashamed to leave their homes. Trying to relearn basic tasks like bathing and getting dressed adds to the stress. An amputation permanently changes someone’s life.

If you lost a limb because of an accident, you might qualify for compensation. Call Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys. In this article, we look at challenges to receiving compensation and which factors go into determining the value of your claim. Call to speak with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer. We have the experience with catastrophic injuries that you need during this critical time.

How People Lose Limbs in Accidents

An amputation is a rare injury, but they are most caused by:

  • Truck accidents. The heavy size of a truck can permanently damage someone’s limbs. If the truck lands on you, then you can suffer a crush injury, which can lead to the breakdown of skeletal muscle. Many people can die when this damaged muscle releases toxins into the bloodstream.
  • Motorcycle accidents. A motorcyclist can have their arm torn off in an accident due to the forces generated in the collision.
  • Lacerations and infections. Serious infections are resistant to antibiotics, and the only option when an infection sets into someone’s limb is to amputate it before the infection spreads.
  • Burns. Serious third-degree burns can damage a limb beyond recognition. This type of burn can damage underlying nerves, fatty tissue, muscle, and bone. A third-degree burn often results in amputation. You might have suffered a burn injury in a workplace accident or on someone’s property.
  • Defective products. Some power tools could malfunction and slice off a limb, or electronics can explode and damage someone’s arm or leg.

These are only some of the most common causes of amputation. Please reach out to our firm if you have suffered an amputation in any type of accident. We will review your legal right to sue for compensation.

What is Fair Compensation?

You deserve financial compensation for all past, present, and future medical care. A personal injury claim is the way to get that. With an amputation, it’s sometimes hard to estimate the cost of future care:

  • Prosthetics. You might have an artificial limb and need a new one every few years. Other people need wheelchairs when they lose one or both legs.
  • Stump surgeries. Many amputees require ongoing surgeries to deal with problems on their stumps.
  • Pressure sores. Some amputees are consigned to the bed or wheelchairs and can develop pressure sores, also called bed sores. These sores require immediate medical treatment, including debridement, antibiotics, and possibly surgery or skin grafts.
  • Ongoing physical therapy. You might need physical therapy to continue to strengthen other parts of your body to compensate for the limb loss.
  • At-home assistance. Some amputees require that an attendant come into their home to help with cleaning, bathing, and cooking.
  • Home renovation. If you are in a wheelchair, you might need a ramp added to your home or to have the kitchen widened for easy access.

Our job is to fully calculate the cost of all medical care, including future care. This future care could represent tens of thousands of dollars. An inexperienced lawyer might only seek compensation for past medical treatment and not know you are entitled to be paid for reasonably certain future care.

Can You Return to Work after an Amputation?

After losing a limb, many of our clients will miss weeks or months of work to heal. But even after, they might be unable to return to their old job due to their bodily limitations, so they suffer a loss of earning capacity.

Suppose you work as a security guard and your job requires that you walk the property every hour at night. After losing your leg, you can no longer do this job, so you search for something else. The only new job you can find pays half as much. You are losing thousands of dollars each month because of your amputation.

You should receive compensation for these future economic losses. They are the direct cause of your amputation and the accident which caused it. We can request compensation for loss of earning capacity.

Pain and Suffering when You Lose a Limb

The non-economic side of an amputation is as important as your ongoing economic losses. Losing a limb can be hard for someone to overcome. People even report feeling “pain” in the limb which they lost, which isn’t surprising, since pain receptors are in the brain.

In the typical accident, a person will heal completely and maybe have a scar or two. The world is quite different for amputees. There is no way of returning to normal now that you have lost one or more limbs.

How much should someone receive for pain and suffering for an amputation? This is a subjective assessment. We certainly know how much other amputees have received for a settlement, and we will fight to ensure you receive a similar amount.

Insurance adjusters often minimize the emotional side of any injury, including amputations. They might offer only a couple thousand dollars. This is one reason to hire an experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney. Our job is to make sure your voice is heard in negotiations and your suffering is treated with respect. Losing a leg or arm represents a dramatic change. You deserve a fair amount for pain and suffering.

Call Us to Schedule a Consultation

Recovering from an amputation is hard for anyone. At Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys, we believe in providing high quality legal services to people in need. You can be sure we will do everything in our power to get the maximum compensation after suffering an amputation injury. We will gather evidence, negotiate with defendants, and take whatever steps are necessary.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation, (404) 529-3476. We can review the circumstances which led to your amputation and analyze whether you can bring a personal injury claim.

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