Some amputations are necessary, for example, when gangrene sets in or the limb is too badly damaged to save, but traumatic amputations are different. If you lose a limb in a car accident or explosion, or as a result of a medical error, the negligent parties that caused your losses should compensate you for them.
Every day in the United States, over 500 people lose a limb, most often a lower extremity, according to the Amputee Coalition, the leading nonprofit that advocates for these patients. Although diabetes is the number one cause of all amputations, motor vehicle crashes are the main reason traumatic amputations occur.
If you lost a limb due to an explosion, faulty fireworks, a construction, heavy machinery, or vehicle accident, or because your physician failed to properly manage your diabetes or neuropathy, a Houston amputation lawyer could review your case to determine whether negligence was a factor. Contact our catastrophic injury attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris for help recovering the compensation you deserve.
What are the Costs Associated With Amputations?
Medical bills are a lifelong burden for amputees. Hospital expenses associated with amputating a limb exceeded $8.3 billion in a recent year, a figure that does not include future care. Amputees often face costs and losses related to:
- Prosthetic limbs, which range from $5,000 to $50,000 and must be replaced every few years
- Physical and occupational therapy, potentially for a lifetime
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Medications
- Daily assistance for personal care or housekeeping
- Lost wages during recovery
- Psychological care for depression
Depending on the circumstances, your attorney could negotiate an insurance settlement or represent you in a negligence lawsuit in civil court. An important consideration is whether your attorney is likely to settle for what the insurer offers or fight for fair and adequate compensation. At Schechter, Shaffer & Harris in Houston, our attorneys fight to win the amount our clients deserve after a traumatic amputation.
Non-Economic Damages for Negligence
While hard costs are economic compensatory damages, you can also be compensated for non-economic damages. These are more subjective losses to which the jury assigns a dollar amount. These losses include the mental anguish amputees often endure as they grapple with the knowledge that they will never be completely the same again. These emotions include grief over the loss of part of themselves, depression, feelings of being overwhelmed by having to relearn movements without a limb or adapt to wheelchairs and walkers, and anxiety about whether they will succeed.
Phantom limb pain is another psychological and physiological loss. Amputees often “feel” the missing limb as a burning, crushing, or throbbing sensation. This condition can ease in time but can also recur well into the future, diminishing the amputee’s quality of life. If your amputation was the result of another’s negligence, a skilled Houston lawyer is ready to advocate for you now.
Contact Our Experienced Amputation Attorneys in Houston for Help With Your Case
Whether a careless driver injured you in an automobile accident or a physician failed to properly treat your diabetes, you are owed compensation for the money you have spent and for what you have lost physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
Call the personal injury attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris before speaking with an insurance company adjuster who will likely take advantage of your situation and make an insufficient offer. We believe this is wrongful manipulation and will not let you settle for less than you deserve. Contact us today and let a Houston amputation lawyer fight this battle for you.
