Most people think about amputation and believe that only those who have served in the Armed Forces have to deal with amputation. However, this is not the case. Amputation is most easily defined as the loss of a limb, finger or toe as a result of either trauma or disease. Amputation can result in your being unable to care for yourself and not being able to work.
Various Causes
In general, doctors will do anything possible to avoid amputation. However, gangrenous limbs or digits may leave them with no option, in order to save your life. But what conditions may lead up to a gangrenous condition that could result in amputation?
- Medical Malpractice – In some cases, amputation can be the result of medical malpractice. A patient may be seen for a surgical procedure that goes wrong. Poor sterilization techniques in a hospital or poor surgical procedures may be responsible for you needing to have a limb amputated.
- Workplace accident – Unfortunately, workplace accidents may also lead to amputation. For example, if your employer fails to put a guard on a dangerous machine and you suffer a severe cutting injury that winds up infected, the doctor may have no choice but to recommend amputation. Even if an employer has followed all safety steps, sometimes machines fail.
- Faulty products – You may have heard of people who get their fingers stuck in baby carriages, or suffer a crushing injury due to a large piece of furniture toppling over. Both of these types of injuries can result in infections or injuries that cannot be properly cared for and wind up resulting in an amputation of a limb or digit.
- Auto accidents – Victims of an automobile accident may also lose a limb. Unfortunately, accidents can crush bones beyond repair and leave doctors with little option but to remove an injured limb. In rare cases, limbs may also be severed in an automobile accident.
Long-term Issues
As an amputee, your life will be dramatically different. Not only will you have to undergo surgery to remove a damaged limb, but you will likely have to undergo hours of painful rehabilitation. In addition, regardless of how good prosthetics are, artificial limbs take time to learn how to use. For many amputees, not only do they have to deal with the physical pain involved but may also face serious depression.
Earning capabilities also come into play after a limb has been amputated. In many cases, amputees are not able to return to their old places of employment and may have to seek retraining. This can mean long periods of unemployment.
If you suffered an injury that led to amputation, you need to contact a personal injury attorney who understands Hawaii personal injury law. You will likely be facing extraordinary expenses, pain and suffering and a loss of income. A qualified Hawaii personal injury attorney can help make sure you get the compensation you deserve to help you regain your financial footing after an accident. Contact Davis Levin and Livingston for a free consultation.