Amputation Injury Attorneys in Columbia

Victims of serious accidents often suffer life-changing injuries, including amputations. An amputation can completely change the course of your life, requiring you to learn how to perform daily tasks anew. Amputation can also pose a number of health risks that require you to seek ongoing care for the rest of your life.

If your amputation occurred because of someone else’s negligence, you should not be forced to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitative equipment, and other expenses. We can help. Learn more about pursuing a personal injury claim by calling Peake & Fowler Law Firm at 803-788-4370.

Common Causes of Amputation Injuries

This catastrophic injury can be caused by any number of traumatic accidents or medical errors. Some of the most common causes of amputation injuries include:

• Medical malpractice. When many people think of amputation injuries, they think of medical malpractice. In fact, this is one of the most widely known examples of medical malpractice—the accidental amputation of the wrong limb. However, this is actually extremely rare. Patients are more likely to suffer an amputation because of a life-threatening infection that requires amputation, surgical errors that lead to amputation, and mistreatment of illnesses that then require amputation.
• Vehicle accidents. Car, motorcycle, and truck crashes cause a significant amount of amputations every year. Motorcyclists are at serious risk of this type of injury, due to the lack of protection provided by their vehicles. Truck accidents are another serious danger to motorists. Those who are involved in truck crashes while riding in passenger vehicles are likely to sustain serious injuries, including amputations.
• Workplace injuries. People working in manufacturing, shipping, construction, or other physically demanding jobs spend much of their time around heavy and potentially dangerous equipment. When this equipment malfunctions or is used incorrectly by a coworker, amputations may occur.
• Animal attacks. Dog bites and other animal attacks may lead to amputation. If a limb is so badly torn up that it cannot be salvaged, amputation may be the safest choice. Additionally, if a wound becomes badly infected, amputation may be necessary to prevent the infection from spreading.

Assistance You May Need as an Amputee

After an amputation, there is a lot to process. The extent to which your life will change may not become apparent for months. Much of the help you will need as you recover is exceedingly expensive, which is one reason it is important to reach out to an attorney as soon as possible.

Some of the assistance you’ll likely need includes:

• Home modification. If you own your own home, you may need ramps or other modifications to navigate your home safely and comfortably. If you rent, you may have to move to a rental that accommodates your disability.
• Vehicle modification. Whether you drive or are usually a passenger, your vehicle is likely to need significant changes to be safe and comfortable. This may include adjustments that allow you to get in and out of your car comfortably, and pedal adjustments that make it easier for you to drive.
• Extensive wound care. Because of the size of amputation wounds, they are at high risk of infection. Plan on needing wound care from specialized care providers for a long time after your surgery.
• While there are those who choose not to use prosthetics, this option may be available to you if you want it. Finding a prosthetic that works well for you, looks natural, fits your body, and fits comfortably often takes time and money.
• Vocational training. Depending on what field you work in, you could need job training to help you return to work with a disability.

Common Side Effects of Amputations

The pain of losing a limb goes beyond the physical pain of surgery. You could experience devastating side effects for weeks, months, or even years. Amputation patents often report phantom limb pain, tingling and pain that is perceived to come from the removed limb. They can also suffer PTSD, anxiety, or depression as a result of the amputation and all of the changes it brings to their life. These side effects can significantly decrease your quality of life.

Why You Need an Attorney for Your South Carolina Amputation Case

If you have suffered an amputation, the cost of treating your injuries and providing for your long-term care will likely be enormous. For many amputees, treatment costs range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to upwards of one million dollars when you consider lifelong care needs.

If you believe that an insurance company will pay for all of that simply because their client caused your injury, you need to stop and think about an insurance company’s goal. Their primary goal is to protect their bottom line. And paying out damages for major injuries like amputations cuts significantly into their profit margins. As a result, they tend to fight tooth and nail to avoid paying out legitimate claims like yours.

The tricks they use vary. Maybe they’ll try to shift some of the blame for the accident onto you, indicate that your pain isn’t as severe as you claim, suggest that someone else is liable for the accident, or try to downplay how much your life will change as a result of their client’s actions. No matter what they say, the end result is the same. They will likely offer far less than you deserve for your injury.

The team at Peake & Fowler Law Firm works aggressively to combat this mistreatment of accident victims. We will learn more about your case, investigate it thoroughly, and figure out who is liable for all of the pain you have suffered. From there, we’ll move straight to building a solid case proving the other side’s liability and demonstrating why they must be held accountable.

We take our evidence to the insurance company to negotiate a fair settlement. If they are not willing to negotiate in good faith, however, we are more than ready to take your case to trial and fight for what you deserve.

Turn to Peake & Fowler Law Firm Now

We know how devastating an amputation injury can be for you and your loved ones. We are here to help. While nothing can change what has happened, proper compensation can help you adjust to your new normal and live your life to the fullest. To learn more about your legal options and find out how Peake & Fowler can help, call us at 803-788-4370 or get in touch with us online.