How an Amputation Injury Can Change Your Life
Several types of accidents can lead to amputations, whether the amputation occurs in the course of an accident or is done surgically to minimize damage afterwards. Car accidents, crush injuries caused by heavy machinery, and deep lacerations can all require or lead to the loss of a limb.
This is one of the most catastrophic injuries a victim can suffer, and they are likely to suffer the effects of it for the rest of their life. If you’ve suffered a traumatic injury at work, it’s time to learn more about your legal options. The team at Pisegna and Zimmerman is here to help. We are able to meet with you over Zoom and handle documents over DocuSign, which means you don’t have to figure out how to squeeze a physical meeting into your day. This is especially convenient when you’re healing from a severe injury. Call us at 818-888-8888 to set up a time to meet now.
Loss of Mobility and Physical Function
One of the most significant losses that amputees face is a loss of mobility. This primarily affects those who lose a lower limb. Whether or not a prosthetic limb is available, the learning curve is steep. In situations where a prosthetic limb is not a viable option, the victim may need to learn how to get around with crutches or other mobility aids. When a victim does get a prosthetic limb, the learning curve is steep and they may need a substantial amount of work to adjust.
Loss of an upper limb can still affect physical function. Although the loss is most profound when it affects a person’s dominant hand, the loss of a non-dominant limb can still affect balance and capacity to do two-handed tasks.
Emotional Distress and Trauma
It should come as no surprise that people who go through amputations often suffer enormous emotional and mental trauma. Medical experts note that emotional recovery is an important part of a victim’s journey. In the case of a workplace injury where the amputation is unexpected, the mental trauma can be incredibly severe. Victims have no time to prepare for the loss they’re about to experience, and they are thrown into their new normal with no guidance. Many victims even experience symptoms of PTSD or may be diagnosed with PTSD.
The loss of a limb can cause other mental health concerns. Patients have reported anxiety, depression, and a profound sense of isolation after suffering a permanent disability. They may worry about being treated differently in public or being the subject of pity. For many, this fear is enough to keep them from leaving home at all.
It’s important for a victim to consider an amputation as a loss and get the support they need. While people often think about seeking counseling or mental health services after the death of a loved one, they may not think they need the same amount of support after an amputation. However, recovering from this trauma is a long-term process and professional mental health support can be very helpful.
Phantom Pain – Phantom pain is a problem that can plague victims for years after the initial injury. It causes an intense feeling of pain that originates in the brain and appears to come from the missing limb. While this type of pain can be treated with over-the-counter medications and anything else used to treat other types of pain, it can cause significant mental distress to victims.
Medical Debt – It is impossible to know just how much an amputation injury will cost. Whether the amputation was surgical or occurred in an accident, the costs are extraordinary. Surgical amputation is a massive surgery that can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the cleanup work required of an amputation that occurs during an accident is also incredibly expensive. Beyond that, victims often need ongoing physical therapy and pain management to handle life with their condition.
If a victim has a prosthetic limb, that too is very costly. It’s likely that the limb will need repairs or replacements throughout the individual’s lifetime, each of which may come with their own cost.
Start Your Claim with Pisegna and Zimmerman
If you have suffered an amputation as a result of a workplace injury, don’t wait any longer to find out if you are entitled to compensation. Schedule your Zoom meeting with us now, and know that we can handle all of our documents via remote DocuSign access. Send us a message online or call us at 818-888-8888.
William Zimmerman is an experienced Los Angeles work injury attorney at Pisegna & Zimmerman. He offers invaluable advice and assistance when dealing with the often complicated workers’ compensation system. As part of Pisgena & Zimmerman, he and his team are a full-service law firm that is dedicated to obtaining the maximum amount of compensation from all available sources.