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Philadelphia Amputation Attorney

The human body has an incredible capacity for healing itself, but some limb injuries are so severe the limb must be severed to save the rest of the body. An amputation may also be a necessity due to conditions such as blood clots or infections, or an accident may sever a limb. Whatever the cause, an amputation is incredibly debilitating, and amputees must adjust to life without one or more limbs.

Amputations are often the result of explosions, wartime injuries, serious car crashes, and other traumatic injuries. During the operation, the surgeon must decide how much of the limb must be removed and will leave as much behind as possible. After the surgery, a patient generally wears a prosthesis to afford the victim some degree of function. While most prosthetics do not allow much range of movement, prosthetic research has advanced greatly in recent years, and cybernetic limbs are no longer solely the realm of science fiction.

The advancements in prosthetics in recent years have made amputees’ lives easier, but losing a limb is never easy for the victim. If you recently needed to have a limb amputated, it’s vital to understand your rights if the need arose due to the irresponsible or negligent actions of another party.

Living with an Amputation

The physical pain of the accident and subsequent amputation surgery is likely to be very painful, but amputation normally carries a psychological toll that the victim will carry forever. After receiving a prosthetic limb, the patient will need to learn how to use it and then adapt to a limited range of motion. The stump left behind commonly aches for quite some time after the surgery and may necessitate prescription painkillers.

Amputees commonly suffer from phantom limb syndrome. The victim will still feel sensations that seem to come from the limb or limbs lost, such as “pins and needles” tingling sensations, and sometimes extreme pain. There are several theories as to why phantom pain happens, and although some may dismiss it as psychological, peer-reviewed studies and brain scans reveal that the phantom pain is very real for the victims.

What Victims Can Do

An amputation is a serious process with lifelong effects, so victims need to be aware of their legal rights if they lost a limb or limbs due to the negligent actions of another person or entity. As with any other personal injury case, experienced legal counsel will make a world of difference when pursuing damages. Your attorney needs to prove negligence on part of the defendant, which entails proving three things:

  • The defendant owed the victim a duty to act with reasonable care.
  • They breached this duty through some action.
  • Their breach of duty directly resulted in the victim’s injuries.

If you lost a limb after a workplace accident through no fault of your own, your employer’s workers’ compensation benefits may offset some of the costs your injury will entail. However, amputations typically require several surgeries, ongoing physical therapy, prescription steroids and painkillers, prosthetics, and a great deal of psychological duress. If workers’ compensation isn’t a factor for your situation or won’t cover all your expenses and lost time from work, an attorney will help you obtain damages to cover medical expenses, future treatments, lost past and future wages from work, and compensation for your pain, suffering, and psychological stress.

The personal injury attorneys of Ciccarelli Law Offices believe that victims should not have to bear these expenses alone, especially if someone else caused the damage. If you have a case in Philadelphia that you’d like to review or have any questions about an amputation, reach out to our team to get started with your case today.