Amputation is the removal of a limb by surgery, trauma, or any other means.
There are, of course, numerous distinct types of amputation.
Types of amputation include:
- Shoulder Disarticulation: The removal of the arm at the shoulder
- Elbow Disarticulation: The amputation of the forearm at the elbow
- Wrist Disarticulation: The removal of the hand at the wrist
- Transhumeral Amputation: The amputation of the arm above the elbow
- Transradial Amputation: The removal of the arm below the elbow
- Hip Disarticulation: The amputation of the leg at the hip
- Ankle Disarticulation: The removal of the foot at the ankle
- Knee Disarticulation: The amputation of the lower leg at the knee
- Transtibial Amputation: The removal of the leg below the knee
- Transfemoral Amputation: The amputation of the leg above the knee
- Transpelvic Amputation: The removal of the leg and a portion of the pelvis
Losing any limb – to any extent – can fundamentally change a person’s life forever.
What Treatment is Available For Amputees?
People who suffer any of these types of amputations must undergo a range of medical procedures and treatments, including:
- Medication
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Psychiatric care
- Fittings for prosthetic limbs
This medical care does not come cheap – even with insurance. It is not at all uncommon for amputees to leave the hospital with tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in healthcare bills.
Do you want help fighting for the compensation you need to cover your medical expenses, lost income, and other costs? Then please do not hesitate to contact Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers, and set up a free consultation at our law offices in Philadelphia, PA. We have the legal skills and statutory knowledge necessary to handle your case with the care and attention it deserves.
Common Causes of Amputation Injuries in Philadelphia
Every year, hundreds of Pennsylvanians suffer the loss of a limb. But what causes these devastating injuries to occur? In most cases, one or more of the following incidents or accidents is to blame:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Gun accidents
- Electrocutions
- Medical malpractice
No matter what caused you to suffer a traumatic amputation in the City of Philadelphia, you can always count on the skilled legal team at Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers to help you pursue damages. We know how to win cases like yours, and we are ready to stand up and fight for you.
What Compensation is Available For an Amputation Injury?
When calculating the amount of compensation an amputation victim should receive at the conclusion of their personal injury case, juries, judges, and insurance companies consider a wide range of factors, including:
- The cost of their initial medical treatment
- The expenses associated with their rehabilitative care
- The fees for their prosthetic limbs
- The amount of time they missed from work
- The effect their amputation will have on their career
- The mental anguish they endured because of their amputation
- The impact their amputation will have on their overall quality of life
Individuals who suffer amputations that severely limit their mobility and prevent them from continuing their careers typically receive the most substantial payouts.
When the legal team at Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers, assists clients with their amputation injury suits, we demand compensation for their:
- Initial medical expenses
- Rehabilitative care costs
- Prosthetic limb fees
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
When the at-fault party acts with wanton disregard for the safety of other people, our skilled legal team also pursues punitive damages. In most cases, there is no explicit cap on this type of compensation in the state of Pennsylvania.
Would you like to have a skilled Philadelphia personal injury lawyer from our law firm help you fight for the compensation you deserve for your injury? If so, please do not hesitate to give us a call or contact us online to set up a free in-person consultation at our law office in Philadelphia. We have been handling cases of this nature for years and are ready to go to bat on your behalf.
What If I’m Blamed For My Amputation Injury?
When Philadelphians lose their limbs in accidents in which they hold a portion of the blame, they often believe that they do not have the right to pursue compensation. In reality, however, it is often possible for them to recover a significant sum of money by filing suit against the other party.
Such a feat is only possible because the state of Pennsylvania has a comparative fault law – 42 PA Cons Stat § 7102 (2018) – which says that the plaintiff’s negligence cannot prohibit them from recovering compensation, as long as their percentage of fault is at or below 50 percent.
In other words, as long as the injured party holds less of the blame than the other party, they can almost always claim damages.
However, Pennsylvania’s comparative fault law also explains that the court must diminish the plaintiff’s compensatory award in proportion to the amount of blame they hold.
Under this regulation, a person who is awarded $100,000 for injuries sustained in an accident for which they hold 20 percent of the blame will not receive their full payout. They will only get $80,000.
Would you like to have a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer from Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers in Philadelphia, PA, aid you with your pursuit of compensation after an accident for which you hold a portion of the blame? Then please give us a call or contact us online at your earliest convenience. We know how to deal with cases of this nature, and we are more than ready to fight for you.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Amputation Injury Cases in Pennsylvania?
In the state of Pennsylvania, the standard statute of limitations for both personal injury and medical malpractice lawsuits is two years. The government codifies this rule in 42 PA Cons Stat § 5524 (2018).
This regulation means that the vast majority of Philadelphians who lose their arms or legs because of the negligence of another party must start pursuing damages before the second anniversary of the accident or incident. Those who fail to do so can lose their right to civil justice.
The state of Pennsylvania makes a notable exception to the starting date of its statute of limitations for kids who lose limbs in accidents. Because minors do not have the legal authority to file lawsuits in the United States, their countdown timer does not begin on the day they suffered their injury. Instead, it starts on the first date they can take action against the at-fault party – their 18th birthday.
Over the years, the experienced attorneys at Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers, have helped a plethora of Philadelphia amputees file personal injury and medical malpractice suits before their statutory window slams shut. We would love to do the same for you. To set up a free consultation with a member of our team, all you have to do is contact our office or call (215) 875-7030
Trusted Catastrophic Injury Lawyers in Philadelphia, PA
Did you recently lose a limb in an accident in Philadelphia, PA?
If so, you may be able to claim the compensation you need to cover your medical bills and other expenses with the help of a knowledgeable Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer from Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers.