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What many people don’t know about amputations

On Behalf of | Jun 18, 2025 | Personal Injury

Catastrophic injuries are different than less serious injuries because of their consequences. Typically, the medical issues categorized as catastrophic injuries create permanent changes to an individual’s health or functional capabilities. They may affect the ability of a person to live independently or continue a chosen profession.

Catastrophic injuries tend to cost exorbitant amounts when looking at total lifetime losses. Amputations are catastrophic injuries because they cause permanent medical and financial changes in many cases. People are somewhat familiar with traumatic amputations.

Car crashes, boating incidents and even incidents at amusement parks could result in the sudden traumatic loss of a limb or extremity. Contrary to what many people presume, a sudden traumatic amputation is not the only way for an injury to result in limb loss.

Amputation often occurs after an injury

Traumatic amputations are obviously medical emergencies. People need medical assistance to limit the blood that they lose and prevent severe infections. They usually require emergency transportation to hospitals, and they may face a lengthy recovery process. Traumatic amputations are possible in a broad range of scenarios.

However, many amputations don’t occur during an injurious incident. Instead, the amputation follows the initial trauma. Health care providers assess the damage caused by a crush injury from a car crash or a comminuted fracture from an amusement park incident. They determine that the damage to the bone, musculature, connective tissue or nerves is difficult or impossible to treat.

In many cases, the removal of a severely damaged limb or extremity is the most effective treatment option available. Surgical or medical amputations reduce the risk of mortality related to blood loss or infection. Nerve damage may be less extensive when surgical professionals remove a damaged body part as opposed to a traumatic amputation scenario.

Still, many of the same challenges exist regardless of how an individual loses a body part. They may require assistive technology or prosthetic devices. They likely face a significant increase in lifetime care costs.

Their earning potential may decline noticeably, especially if they previously worked in a physically demanding profession, such as cooking in a commercial kitchen or construction. People recovering from the aftermath of an amputation, whether it was traumatic or surgical, may have major expenses and lifelong support needs.

Pursuing a personal injury lawsuit after an amputation can help people limit the economic harm that they experience. Particularly in cases involving drivers or boaters without insurance or drivers with minimal coverage, a lawsuit may be the best means of covering the expenses associated with a catastrophic injury, like amputation.