Ohio Amputation and Loss of Limb Lawyer | Kisling, Nestico & Redick
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The sudden loss of one or more limbs is a life-altering trauma. If your amputation was due to someone else’s recklessness, discuss your rights with KNR

Amputation and Loss of Limb Accidents

One of the most catastrophic injuries that can occur is an amputation. The Ohio amputation lawyers of Kisling, Nestico & Redick have considerable experience bringing amputation-related claims and know how to help.

We understand the short- and long-term consequences of amputations and will ensure that your compensation considers how this trauma affects your entire life – now and down the road.

Call KNR at 1-800-HURT-NOW for a free, initial consultation to discuss how our Ohio injury lawyers can help.

Amputation Examples

Amputation is the complete or total loss or removal of a body part such as a finger, toe, hand, foot, arm or leg.

Upper Extremity Amputations

  • Partial hand amputation: removing part of the hand
  • Wrist disarticulation: removing the hand after separating it from the lower arm at the wrist
  • Below-the-elbow amputation: removing part of the lower arm by cutting across the bones of the lower arm (radius and ulna)
  • Elbow disarticulation: removing the lower arm after separating it from the upper arm at the elbow
  • Above-the-elbow amputation: removing the lower arm, elbow and part of the upper arm by cutting across the upper arm bone (humerus)
  • Shoulder disarticulation: removing the entire arm after separating it from the shoulder
  • Forequarter amputation: removing the arm and part of the shoulder (shoulder bones could include the clavicle and scapula)

Lower Extremity Amputations

  • Partial foot amputation: removing part of the foot (there are many types of partial foot amputation)
  • Ankle disarticulation: removing the foot after separating it from the lower leg at the ankle
  • Below-the-knee amputation: removing the foot and part of the lower leg by cutting across the bones of the lower leg (tibia and fibula)
  • Knee disarticulation: removal of the lower leg by separating it from the upper leg at the knee
  • Above-the-knee amputation: removal of the lower leg, the knee and part of the upper leg by cutting across the upper leg bone (femur)
  • Hip disarticulation: removal of the entire leg by separating it from the pelvis at the hip joint
  • Pelvic amputation, or hemipelvectomy: removal of the entire leg and part of the pelvis

Double Amputations

A double amputation refers to the removal/loss of both hands, feet, arms or legs.

How Limb Amputations Occur

Sudden digit and limb amputations often arise after vehicle and construction accidents or incidents with machinery and equipment. Accidents that cause significant damage to a specific part of the body, such as by crushing it, may also necessitate the removal of that area due to:

  • The inability to reset and heal the bone in the limb
  • Extensive damage to the blood vessels in that area of the body
  • Extensive damage to the tissue in that area of the body
  • Untreatable infections that could spread or are life-threatening

Traumatic Amputations

Accidents can also cause amputations, in which the accident itself causes the amputation and physicians cannot repair and reattach the limb. These types of amputations are more dangerous and while physicians will do their best to repair and heal the wound, you are more likely to experience secondary injuries with a traumatic amputation than with a surgical amputation.

Common Causes of Amputations

Accidents due to negligence are frequently the cause of traumatic amputations. Some of the most common accidents that result in loss of limb injuries are

  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Work Accidents
  • Faulty Products
  • Property Hazards
  • Medical Malpractice

Work-Related Amputations

OSHA reports there is an average of seven amputations that occur in US workplaces every single day. Those in more hazardous construction, heavy machinery, manufacturing, and oil and gas professions are at an even higher risk of a workplace amputation injury.

Workplace amputations frequently happen at:

  • Points of operation- This is where a machine is performing work on a material. Examples include a razor cutting fabric, a mechanical press bending metal, or a drill bit cutting holes in metal sheeting.
  • Power transmissions- These are machine components that transmit energy. Examples include pulleys, belts, chains, flywheels, cams, gears, and connecting rods.
  • Other machinery- Any machinery part that moves with enough force to cut flesh and bone can result in an amputation. Examples include any part that reciprocates, rotates, or has moving parts.

Loss of Limb After a Car/Truck Accident

Car accidents are a leading cause of traumatic amputations. A car accident can cause a victim’s fingers, toes, hands, feet or even an entire limb to be so damaged that repair is not possible. Sometimes an appendage may even be severed by metal shards or crushed. In some car accident cases, surgical amputation may be vital to prevent further damage or save a person’s life.

The Short-Term Effects of an Amputation

In the weeks and months following a sudden digit or limb amputation, you are likely to experience a great deal of physical pain and mental discomfort. You will have to continuously dress and care for the wound to ensure it heals and avoids infection.

You will need to visit the doctor to monitor your progress as well as to discuss additional treatments that may be physically necessary or for the purpose of improving the appearance of the wound.

A Missing Limb Could Drastically Impact Daily Activities

While you heal, you will have to learn how to get around and live without your missing limb. This can be exceedingly difficult if your mobility is affected or you lost your dominant hand. Having to use crutches, a wheelchair, or other aids can be physically and mentally exhausting. Having to learn to write with your non-dominant hand may be frustrating and embarrassing.

Learning to cope with the loss of your limb after a sudden amputation causes an onslaught of emotions. You may feel anger, sadness, embarrassment, shock, denial, helplessness, and hopelessness. These feelings can deepen into depression and anxiety, which can inhibit your ability to get better and move forward with your life.

The Long-Term Effects of an Amputation

While the first few weeks and months after an unexpected amputation may be the hardest of your life, the consequences of an amputation do not eventually drift away. You must live with the negative effects of an amputation for the rest of your life.

You may be permanently confined to a wheelchair or must rely on a prosthesis. Both devices require maintenance and upgrades from time to time. This will be an ongoing expense.

Side Effects of a Missing Limb

Amputation wounds do heal, however, there can be long-term side effects, including dead skin that needs to be removed, bruising, blistering, swelling, wound openings, infection, and more. You may need more consistent medical care for your amputation than you otherwise would have in life.

The underlying muscles can also be negatively affected by prolonged lack of use if you use a wheelchair or are on bed rest for a period. You may have to undergo physical therapy to counteract these conditions.

Impacts On Your Mobility

Since a lower limb amputation affects your mobility, it can greatly alter your health. Losing a foot or leg can make it exceedingly difficult to exercise, which can cause you to gain weight, have high blood pressure, and suffer from poor circulation. Over time your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke may increase.

Phantom Limb Pain

A difficult long-term side effect of amputation to battle is phantom limb pain. When you suddenly lose a limb, your brain may not recognize it is gone. You may feel pain, numbness, and other sensations in your limb, despite it being gone.

Since it is not there to treat, traditional pain relief may not be helpful. You may require other treatments such as physical therapy, nerve blocks or nerve stimulation, biofeedback, relaxation techniques, or prescription medications.

Who’s Liable for an Amputation?

Determining liability for an amputation injury can be complicated and a lot will depend on the circumstances involved. You may be able to recoup certain losses through worker’s compensation if your accident was job-related. But you may have other options.

For instance, if you suffered an amputation after a car accident, you may also be able to hold the at-fault driver or their insurance liable if you can show your injuries resulted from negligence.

Recovering Compensation for a Lost Limb

Through a lawsuit or insurance claim, you may be able to receive compensation for:

  • Medical expenses
  • Loss of income
  • Disability
  • Disfigurement
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Loss of consortium

Contact An Ohio Amputation Lawyer Today

When you work with the attorneys at Kisling, Nestico & Redick, we will discuss with you the common long-term side effects of an amputation and how these increase the amount of compensation you should seek through a personal injury claim.

We will work closely with your treating physicians and medical experts to obtain a comprehensive overview of your current and future medical needs, including how much these will cost and impact your future income.

If you are experiencing a great deal of emotional distress due to the accident and amputation, we will work with your mental health providers and experts to ensure your claim adequately addresses your invisible injuries.

Our goal will be to gain you the maximum amount of compensation possible so that you have the financial ability to handle whatever complications arise in the future.

Call KNR for a Free, No-Risk Consult

To learn more about your right to bring a personal injury claim after an amputation, contact one of our Ohio serious injury lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick today at 1-800-HURT-NOW.