Amputation Injury Attorney in Birmingham

Losing a limb is one of the most traumatizing events that anyone could ever experience. An amputation is a permanent alteration to the body that can change the course of someone’s life, and those who suffer this type of injury often face a long road ahead of them. Full recovery is not possible, but in many cases, the victim can learn to adjust to their condition and get back to some semblance of a normal life. Even if that does occur, however, they are still likely to have to deal with long-term health challenges.

Because of the seriousness of this type of injury, those who suffer the loss of a limb through no fault of their own are often entitled to a significant amount of compensation. Insurance companies know this, and they will usually employ a number of different tactics in order to minimize the amount of damages they have to pay. When someone is dealing with an injury like this, it pays to have experienced advocates by their side who know what it takes to recover full and fair compensation.

At Burge & Burge, we understand that amputation injury victims have to endure an enormous amount of physical, emotional, and financial pain, and we are here to provide strong legal guidance and moral support during this difficult time. Our attorneys work exclusively in personal injury and related areas of the law, and we have over five decades of experience representing injury victims in Alabama.

Over the years, we have handled virtually every type of personal injury case, and we have an extensive understanding of the complexities and nuances that typically come up. We are skilled litigators and strong negotiators. Whenever possible, we look to negotiate a full and fair settlement for our clients without the need to go to trial. But if the other side is not negotiating in good faith, we are ready and able to successfully argue your case inside the courtroom if necessary.

Common Causes of Amputations/Loss of Limbs

There are a number of different catastrophic accidents or events that can result in an amputation. These include:

• Traffic Accidents: One of the leading causes of surgical amputations in the US is traffic-related crashes. There are a number of types of accidents that might fall into this category, such as car accidents, commercial truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. Amputation injuries are more likely with higher impact crashes and accidents in which there is a size mismatch among those involved (e.g., commercial truck running over a motorcyclist or a car crashing into a pedestrian).

• Workplace Accidents: Many types of work-related accidents can result in amputation injuries. The loss of a limb is most common with physically demanding jobs in which employees typically work with dangerous equipment. Examples include construction, logging, shipping/maritime work, commercial fishing, oil drilling, and manufacturing.

• Farming Accidents: Agriculture has one of the highest rates of amputation injuries per capita. This is largely due to the various types of machinery and equipment that farmers use.

• Medical Malpractice: While some health conditions might require an amputation, there are also times when this procedure could have been avoided but becomes necessitated because of the negligence of a medical professional.

• Product Defects: Amidst the flood of products that hit the market each year, there are some that are dangerous during the course of regular use and should never have been released in the first place. We have already talked about the hazards of various types of workplace machinery and equipment, but there are many consumer products that can be dangerous and cause someone to lose a limb.

• Crush Injuries: One particularly common reason that someone may need an amputation is when an extremity gets crushed. Crush injuries can result from a number of different types of accidents, such as a falling object, collapsed building, or getting trapped in an enclosed area.

• Explosions: The effects of an explosion can cause an amputation injury. This can happen because of explosions in the workplace or at home, and there are a number of different reasons why an explosion might occur. One example that is often cited is the misuse of fireworks during celebrations such as the fourth of July.

Compensation Available for Amputees

As we talked about earlier, amputation injuries are extremely serious, and victims may be eligible to be compensated for a wide range of losses. These include:

• Medical Bills: Amputees often incur extremely high medical expenses, the largest one usually being the cost of the surgery. They should be reimbursed for all of the medical costs that they incur.

• Ongoing Medical Care: The costs related to amputating an extremity are only the beginning. Amputees will typically have reoccurring long-term medical expenses as well.

• Rehabilitation: An amputee will need to adjust to the loss of a body part, and this will require an extensive amount of rehabilitation. Amputees can typically expect to work with physical and occupational therapists for several months or years or longer, whatever time is needed to reach the point where they can live at least somewhat independently again.

• Lost Wages: Amputees should be compensated for all the wages they lost during their time away from work to treat the injury.

• Loss of Earning Capacity: Since amputation injuries have permanent effects, this type of injury is likely to impact the victim’s ability to participate in gainful activity. Depending on their occupation, they may need to switch to another job or stop working altogether. Whichever the case, they should be compensated for lost future earnings.

• Pain-and-Suffering: Amputation injury victims go through an enormous amount of physical pain-and-suffering. Not only is there the pain related to the injury itself, but also the phantom pain that may last for several additional months or even years.

• Emotional Trauma: Anytime someone loses a part of their body that they have had their whole lives, they are going to experience a certain level of anguish and emotional distress. The uncertainty of facing a future in which things will never be the same weighs heavily on most people, and it takes time for victims to mentally adjust to what will be their new normal.

• Diminished Quality of Life: The loss of a limb will almost certainly negatively impact a person’s quality of life. For example, they may no longer be able to participate in activities they once enjoyed, such as running or playing a favorite sport.

Contact Our Experienced and Compassionate Alabama Amputation Injury Attorneys

If you or someone close to you suffered an amputation/loss of limb in Alabama, do not leave your injury claim to chance. With so much at stake, it is critical that you retain skilled legal representation as soon as possible. To schedule a free consultation and case assessment with one of the attorneys at Burge & Burge, message us online or call us today at 205-251-9000 or toll free at 800-633-3733. We are ready to go to work for you!

We take all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay attorney fees if we recover compensation on your behalf.