The consequences of traumatic amputation injuries after car wrecks, workplace accidents, and defective product incidents in Louisiana are often catastrophic, as they severely affect a victim’s physical well-being. Medical expenses and mental health treatment costs associated with amputations can be daunting and significantly impact the finances of a victim and their loved ones.
Understanding the true financial scope of amputation injuries is essential to helping patients plan for their future and seek appropriate compensation for their recovery through personal injury claims. Loss of a limb can dramatically affect one’s ability to fulfill daily obligations, curtailing the level of independence the individual enjoyed before the injury.
Life Without a Limb
Amputation is the surgical removal of part or all of an extremity or limb. Nearly 2 million amputees live in the U.S., with approximately 185,000 amputations occurring every year. Common types of amputations include:
- Above-knee amputation
- Below-knee amputation
- Toe amputation
- Partial foot amputation
- Hand amputation
- Finger amputation
When it comes to limb loss, amputees often experience challenges financially, emotionally, physically, and socially. Emotional effects after amputations vary on a case-by-case basis, but feelings of loss and grief are often seen in amputees. Injured victims can feel depressed, helpless, and angry, as well as isolated and disconnected from their surroundings.
Causes of Amputations
Vascular diseases, such as peripheral arterial disease and diabetes, are the leading causes of limb loss, accounting for 54% of all surgical amputations. Chronic vascular problems that lead to tissue death in the legs, toes, and feet often require amputation. Regrettably, nearly half of the patients who undergo surgical amputations due to complications associated with these diseases die within five years of their procedures.
The second most common cause of limb loss is traumatic injury, which accounts for 45% of all amputations. This procedure can be useful after accidents such as truck wrecks, motorcycle accidents, and severe burns. Approximately 75% of upper extremity amputations are trauma related.
Cancer-related amputations are the other cause and account for less than 2% of all amputations. Surgeons perform amputations when the cancer is too aggressive or too large to be removed. Surgeons also consider surgical amputations when cancers are recurring or if they extend into blood vessels or nerves.
Long-Term Costs of Amputations
When it comes to amputations, the financial costs victims incur can be overwhelming. According to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the lifetime health care cost for victims of limb loss in the U.S. is $509,275, compared to $361,200 for individuals without limb loss. This amount includes the patient’s:
- Initial hospitalization
- Rehospitalizations for limb-related acute care
- Inpatient rehabilitation
- Outpatient occupational and physical therapy
- Outpatient doctor visits
- Purchase and maintenance of prosthetics
These estimates don’t include treatments for the issue that necessitated amputation. If one’s medical condition renders amputation necessary, the condition can bring about its own costs, in addition to long-term amputation costs, which can be rather expensive.
ACL also reports that amputations are common for individuals within the age bracket of 45–64 years (46%) and 65–84 years (36%) and that lower limb amputations are more prevalent than upper limb amputations.
The Costs of Prosthetics
After amputation, you can qualify for prosthetic limbs. These limbs aren’t suitable for every amputee since they require extensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Adjusting to life with prosthetics takes a considerable amount of energy as patients have to compensate for bone and muscle loss in the amputated limb.
If you qualify for a prosthetic limb, the type of artificial limb that is right for you will depend on:
- Your general health
- The type of amputation you had
- Tasks the limb will perform
- Muscle strength in the amputated section
- Whether you are concerned with functionality or want your limb to look as real as possible
A new prosthetic leg costs around $10,000 to $70,000 for advanced computerized prosthetic legs controlled by movements. The cost of prosthetics typically depends on the type and extent of the amputation. But even the most expensive prosthetics don’t last forever. These devices last three to five years, after which you’ll have to replace or adjust your equipment.
Indirect Costs of Traumatic Amputation Injuries
When one undergoes amputation, the impact of the procedure goes beyond direct medical expenses. Amputees will likely have to adjust their way of life, especially if they can’t work the same way as before the injury. For example, if an individual loses their hand and can no longer operate forklifts on a factory floor, they will need to seek a different job, quite possibly with less pay. In extreme cases, amputees do not return to work at all, leading to financial difficulties for them and their families.
Home modifications can also be necessary to accommodate an amputee’s mobility needs, such as widening doorways and installing ramps. Such home adjustments and makeovers can be costly.
Amputees also require vehicle modifications to move around safely and comfortably. They need vehicles that meet their driving needs, such as accelerating and braking using their hands and not their legs as they drive. Features that can improve the safety of amputee drivers include:
- Adjustable foot pedals
- Support handles to help with entry and exit
- Extra-wide doors
- Oversized knobs
- Large interior door handles
Compensation for Traumatic Amputation Injuries
If you have suffered a traumatic amputation injury in Louisiana or Texas and you believe someone else is responsible for your injury, it is possible to seek compensation that covers damages such as your medical bills, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium. An experienced amputation injury lawyer can help you determine whether you have a valid case and proceed to file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party.
