Amputation can be one of the most difficult injuries to deal with following a car crash. In most cases, it completely changes the way a person lives and even how they complete simple tasks like getting dressed.
While this type of injury is not as common as some other car accident injuries, the Amputee Coalition reports that about 185,000 people a year have limbs amputated in the U.S. Of those, 45 percent are as a result of some type of trauma, with car accidents being the primary cause of traumatic amputations.
Amputation due to a car accident can happen in a few different ways:
- Infection – Sometimes a wound from the crash becomes infected and surgical amputation becomes necessary to stop the infection from spreading.
- Deep lacerations – If a cut is deep enough that it damages nerves and bone, a doctor may decide amputation is necessary.
- Strong impact – If the collision is severe enough, the impact from the crash can cause detachment of limbs and the amputation occurs at the scene. In some rare instances, doctors are able to reattach the lost limb, but often this is not the case.
The recovery process after an amputation is usually long, expensive and painful. If you or a loved one have been a victim of a car accident that resulted in an amputation, it’s extremely important that you speak with a skilled car accident lawyer who can help you get the compensation you need to cover medical costs and loss of income.
Call Colorado attorney Mack Babcock today for a free consultation.