Limb loss or amputation is a rare injury, but car crashes are one of the top reasons that people lose body parts. Anyone who loses part of their body because of a car crash may have medical expenses that exceed the insurance coverage available.
Especially after considering the impact that limb loss can have on long-term earning potential, people may need to file lawsuits to cover their injury-related expenses. There are actually two distinct ways in which a motor vehicle collision could cause the loss of a limb or extremity.
Through traumatic amputations
A traumatic amputation occurs due to extreme physical trauma. In a car crash scenario, the force of the initial collision can be enough to separate a limb or extremity from a body.
Traumatic amputations that occur during a crash are incredibly dangerous. The injured person can lose a fatal amount of blood. They incur significant infection risk. They may go into shock in response to the severity of their injuries, which can cause a cascade of other medical complications.
Through injuries that require extreme interventions
Car crashes sometimes cause such severe damage to body parts that medical professionals have no choice but to perform a surgical or medical amputation. Medical amputations occur in a surgical theater, so the risk of infection and severe blood loss is much lower. However, nerve damage and functional limitations caused by the loss of a body part are still a concern.
Reviewing insurance paperwork, crash reports and medical records with a personal injury attorney can help those with catastrophic injuries understand their options. When another driver was at fault for a crash, a lawsuit might be possible when insurance is insufficient to cover a victim’s losses.
