Losing a body part or limb is one of the most devastating consequences of a serious injury. Unfortunately, amputation is more common than you might think.
According to the Amputee Coalition, around 185,000 amputations occur in the U.S. every year, and there are nearly 2 million people living with limb loss nationwide. Of the people living with limb loss in the U.S., nearly half (45%) lost their limbs due to trauma, including accidents and injuries.
If you or someone you love suffered an injury that resulted in amputation, it’s important to get the compensation you deserve. In this blog, we’ll explore all the types of compensation amputation victims can pursue to help them with the struggles they often face.
You May Receive Money for Medical Bills
The most pressing cost amputation victims face is their medical bills. Amputations caused by trauma are often the result of grievous injuries that require immediate and intensive medical treatment, which can result in huge medical bills that just keep building as weeks or months of follow-up care are needed.
There are many types of accidents that can result in amputation injuries, including:
Amputation injuries not only result in significant upfront medical bills for things like your ambulance ride to the hospital, surgeries, overnight stays, and prescription medications, but also for treatments like physical therapy, rehabilitation, counseling, and more. It’s important to get full and fair compensation for these treatments, even if you have health insurance.
You May Receive Money for Lost Wages
Some people can continue working the same jobs they did before their amputation injuries, but many can’t. When an amputation forces a victim to change careers or stop working, the financial impact of their lost paychecks can be devastating for them and their loved ones. Thankfully, amputation victims are eligible for to get compensation for their lost wages when they file injury claims.
Depending on your type of amputation, your line of work, and your prognosis, your lawyer may negotiate to get you lost wage damages to cover your lost paychecks while you recover, or he or she may be able to negotiate to get you lost wage damages to cover you for the rest of your working years if your amputation puts you out of work permanently.
You May Receive Money for Your Pain and Suffering
Losing a limb or other body part can dramatically change virtually every aspect of your life. In addition to the emotional and mental strain of suddenly finding yourself disabled, you also may deal with pain at the site of the amputation, including both nerve pain and phantom limb pain.
It’s also common for amputation victims to develop depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These complications, combined with the newfound difficulty of enjoying hobbies, spending time with friends and family, and exercising, can make amputations psychologically devastating for victims.
Thankfully, pain and suffering damages, also known as non-economic damages, are major factors in virtually all amputation injury claims. These damages are designed to help compensate victims for the ways their injuries have affected them that can’t be easily calculated.
Punitive Damages May Apply
People injured because of others’ negligence in Oklahoma are sometimes eligible to receive punitive damages if their cases go to trial. Punitive damages are only awarded by juries who feel that at-fault parties displayed extreme negligence or disregard for the safety of others.
In the case of amputation injuries, punitive damages may come into play when the injuries were caused by reckless actions such as drag racing, road rage, driving while extremely intoxicated, and more. While punitive damages are designed to punish at-fault parties rather than compensate injured victims, the money is ultimately awarded to victims and is theirs to keep at the conclusion of their court cases.
You May Be Eligible for Workers’ Compensation Benefits
If your amputation injury happened at work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits instead of compensation through an injury claim. The length of time you may be eligible to receive these benefits depends on the type of amputation you suffered.
In addition to being able to help with amputations caused by accidents and medical mistakes, we can also assist with amputations that happen at work.
Our Oklahoma Personal Injury Lawyers Are Here to Help
There are few injuries as disabling, painful, and disruptive to everyday life as amputations. At Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers, our Oklahoma City personal injury attorneys believe victims deserve maximum compensation for all the ways their loss of limb or body part has affected their lives.
If you or someone you love suffered an amputation, we want to help you get the money you need to move forward with your life. Contact us today for a free consultation.
