Accidental Amputations

We Represent the Rights of Individuals who Have Lost Body Parts in Accidents

Serious, injury-causing accident occur on a daily basis in Atlanta and throughout the rest of the state. Different types of injuries inevitably cause various types of challenges, recovery potential, and emotional distress. An accidental amputation in undoubtedly one of the most life-changing injuries a person can sustain. Losing an arm, leg, hand, foot, or finger is life-altering, regardless of the circumstances. Losing part of your body will undoubtedly affect your physical and emotional wellbeing. Importantly, it can also affect your ability to support yourself and your family. The legal system cannot make you whole again, but if the injury was the result of someone’s negligence, it can help compensate you for the losses you have experienced – both economic and non-economic.

The Atlanta injury lawyers at Slappey & Sadd understand how life-changing and devastating an accidental amputation can be. Our experience in understanding the nature of your injury, the facts, and the law enable us to fight for what you deserve. This allows you to focus on recovery, both physically and mentally. Call us today at 404-255-6677 for a free consultation.

Types of Accidental Amputations

An amputation involves the loss of part of your body. An amputation can occur anywhere on the body, but most often includes the arms, legs, hands, feet, fingers, or toes, at least in part. Sometimes an entire leg might be severed. In other cases, an amputation may occur to a smaller section of the body, such as a toe or finger.

An injury to a limb can result (or require) either a partial or complete amputation. Partial amputations mean that some of the soft tissue might remain. For example, if a worker's arm is crushed on a construction job site and the some of the muscles or tendons remain attached this is a partial amputation. In comparison, in a complete amputation, the entire body part is severed entirely from the rest of the body. Both injuries are severe and can be immediately life-threatening. The immediate concern is blood loss and shock.

An amputation injury can result in damage to other parts of the affected limb, including nerves, blood vessels, and soft tissues.

Common Causes of Accidental Amputation

Amputations can occur in various types of accidents. Often it is a series of freak circumstances that result in the catastrophic loss of a limb. Some examples include:

• Pedestrian accidents: If a motor vehicle strikes a pedestrian, it can result in the entrapment or severe injuries to a limb. In some cases, the accident itself may sever the limb or other body part. In others, an accident may be so badly damaged that a physician determines that the best course of action is amputation.
• Motor vehicle accidents: A motor vehicle can be anything on wheels with a motorized mechanism, including cars, motorcycles, and trucks. When these significant heavy objects collide with something else, it can cause crushing or tearing injuries, including amputation. This is especially true in truck and motorcycle incidents.
• Boating accidents: Boats present a host of risk factors that can result in accidental amputation. Most recreational boats have a motor with a propeller that extends into the water. Accidents might happen when a water skier, swimmer, or fisher gets too near the propeller, resulting in the propeller severing a body part.
• Workplace accidents: Each year thousands of people are injured while working, this includes workers in the Atlanta area. Some occupations are more susceptible to serious injury. These include construction workers, those that operate heavy machinery, and factory workers. The most serious of these injuries can result in amputation of a limb.
• Farm accidents: It's an unfortunately common farm-related injury: a person got an arm or leg caught in a piece of farm machinery and severely injured or lost a limb. Farm machinery is big and complicated. It has a lot of moving parts. Injuries can occur even to the most experienced operator. Sometimes these are injuries are accidents, but sometimes they can be caused by the negligence of another person or faulty/defective equipment.
• Train accidents: Like airplane incidents, train incidents are relatively rare. However, due to the large nature of trains, any impact injury is bound to be severe. If there is a train incident, accidental amputation can be a common injury.
• Medical malpractice: In some cases, the negligence of a medical professional can result in the need to amputate part of a person's body. For example, if an infection is misdiagnosed or improperly treated, it may progress to the point that the infected part of the body needs to be amputated. In addition, a surgeon may amputate the wrong limb or perform an amputation on the wrong patient.
• Defective or dangerous products: You hear there is a recall on your car or your home appliance. Sometimes the very nature of how a product was designed, built, or even maintained can result in serious injuries. If an defective product results in an accidental amputation, you might have a personal injury claim.

Treatment for Amputations

Modern medicine has improved the long-term outcome for an amputee has improved significantly and continues to steadily become more sophisticated with advances in medical treatment and prosthetic technology. Through a medical procedure called replantation, surgeons may be able to reattach a limb or other body part. However, the ability to restore meaningful function of the severed limb depends on how much nerve damage occurred.

These treatment options are not inexpensive. The best care often comes at a steep price, even with insurance. Time for a more meaningful recovery is often critical. If you potentially have a valid claim against a third-party don’t wait to seek legal advice. There are statutes of limitations that apply to filing a case – meaning that you have a limited amount of time to act.

Call Us Today to Speak With One of Our Atlanta Amputation Injury Attorneys

If you or someone you love has suffered an accidental amputation due to the negligence of another person, the personal injury attorneys at Slappey & Sadd can help. We have extensive experience in helping victims like you receive the compensation you may be entitled to for your injuries. Schedule a free consultation with a lawyer by calling us today at 404-255-6677 or contacting us online.

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