A Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer can help if you suffered an amputation as a result of negligence or medical malpractice. Amputations that occur after a motor vehicle accident, burn injury, or other catastrophic injury deserve the attention of a lawyer experienced with amputations and the devastating impact these injuries have on victims. Over 185,000 amputations are performed annually. The loss of a limb affects an individual’s physical, emotional, and mental wellness. A Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer can help secure your future and assist financially with your recovery.
The Wieand Law Firm represents clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey who have sustained amputation injuries. Our attorneys are committed to helping injured victims obtain compensation and medical care to make a positive impact in their lives. We work closely with our clients to understand their situation and needs, thoroughly investigate the claim, and hold responsible parties liable to obtain the best possible compensation for our client’s financial and emotional losses.
About a quarter of amputations are caused by a traumatic injury or accident. The most common causes for amputations due to accidents include motor vehicle accidents, occupational accidents, farming accidents, fire and explosion accidents and electrocution accidents.
A 2021 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation report shows that 100,000 motor vehicle accident occur each year within the state. Certain types of motor vehicle accidents, such as head on collisions and accidents involving excessive speed, are more likely to result in injuries requiring amputation. Other reasons for motor vehicle accidents can include distracted drivers, driving under the influence, or malfunctioning traffic signals.
After these types of accidents, a surgeon removes damaged bone or tissue while trying to preserve as much skin, tissue, and nerves as possible. The goal is often to reconstruct the remaining muscle and bone at the surgical site to accommodate a prosthetic in the future.
Avoidable medical mistakes are a leading cause of amputations. Medical malpractice occurs when a health care professional fails to provide an acceptable standard of care to their patient. Medical malpractice is not acceptable, and victims are encouraged to contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer for skilled representation.
Most medical malpractice claims for leg amputation fall into two categories: surgical errors and failure to diagnose.
Surgical errors occur when a physician fails to monitor and manage post-operative complications. Complications such as infections can result in blood clots or other medical conditions that impede blood circulation to the extremity.
The most frequent cause of malpractice claims for leg amputations is failure to diagnose. These types of claims involve a doctor who fails to diagnose a medical condition, or when diagnosis is greatly delayed. For example, a doctor who dismisses a patient’s leg pain without performing diagnostic imaging could result in a missed clot that results in amputation.
Examples of medical malpractice claims for amputation include:
Nursing home malpractice can also lead to amputations. In many instances, elderly patients and patients that cannot reposition themselves need to be repositioned by nursing staff. In some cases, this needs to be done every hour to prevent the formation of pressure ulcers a/k/a bed sores. Pressure ulcers can become infected and lead to painful amputation injuries that were otherwise preventable if the patient was repositioned as required by the patient’s care plan. If this happened to you or someone you love, you should consult an amputation attorney immediately.
At the Wieand Law Firm, we have the grit and resources to aggressively pursue maximum compensation for our clients. We partner seamlessly with a vast network of medical experts, such as physicians, rehabilitation therapists, and economists, to support the maximum compensation for your amputation injury. Contact a Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer in our firm to learn more about how we can help.
Philadelphia dog bite injury lawyers at the Wieand Law Firm aggressively pursue compensation for amputation injuries caused from a dog attack. Pennsylvania has strict liability regarding dog confinement, and owners can be held liable for damages if any of these laws are broken. While some states follow a “one bite” rule in which a dog must have a prior bite history for an owner to be held liable, in Philadelphia, a bite history does not matter. A Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer at the Wieand Law Firm can help you pursue compensation when negligence resulted in an amputation following a dog bite.
Defective products can cause serious injuries. You may be eligible for compensation if a product is improperly designed or negligently manufactured.
For example, defective power tools such as circular saws can cause an orthopedic injury requiring amputation. In other situations, a defective medical device used during surgery, can cause a catastrophic injury that
requires amputation.
Defective products continue to cause injuries in both the home and workplace. A Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer can determine whether your injury was caused by a defective product and who may be liable for your injuries.
Amputations are some of the most debilitating injuries that occur in the workplace. According to OSHA, amputation injuries are widespread and can involve a variety of equipment and activities. Certain pieces of equipment are known to have a higher incidence of amputation injuries in the workplace. This equipment includes:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outlines standards in Title 29 in the Code of Federal Regulations to protect workers from amputations in the workplace. However, many employers fail to uphold these standards, exposing employees and contractors to risk of injury. An
Liability for an amputation injury is dependent on the specific circumstances surrounding your situation or accident. Negligence occurs when an entity or individual fails to act with reasonable care. Examples of liable parties may include:
In some cases, liability falls on multiple defendants. A Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer can investigate your claim to assure that all liable parties are identified.
Proving that your amputation injury was the result of negligence or malpractice requires that skilled representation of a qualified Philadelphia personal injury lawyer. To demonstrate that the liable party is at fault, you will need to prove:
Based on this information, a Philadelphia amputation injury lawyer will formulate a claim to support the defendant’s liability in causing your injuries. Some lawsuits, such as in medical malpractice lawsuits, may require a attestation of merit. In an attestation of merit, an expert in the field provides written documentation that your case has value.
A patient who undergoes an amputation often undergoes an extended period for recovery and healing. The amputation of a limb can affect normal and everyday activities such as walking, taking a shower, cooking, or using a computer. Physical therapy can help the patient learn to negotiate daily tasks with the missing limb. Amputations affect a person’s body image and emotional health, as well. Psychotherapy may be recommended to address depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder spurred by the amputation.
Amputation surgeries also carry a level of risk. Limb loss can lead to a variety of complications that impact a person’s quality of life. These complications could include heart problems, wound infections, wound dehiscence (reopening), pneumonia, and deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in a vein).
Many amputees experience physical pain from the missing appendage, known as “phantom limb pain.” While physicians once believed that phantom pain was purely psychological, evidence shows that phantom pain is actually a neurological problem. Approximately 80% of amputees experience symptoms from phantom limb such as burning, aching, itching, and throbbing or shooting pain.
If someone else was responsible for causing an accident that results in your amputation injury, contact Philadelphia personal injury lawyers to seek compensation for your life-changing injury.
Amputation can have devastating financial complications. When you retain the Wieand Law Firm, we will undertake a comprehensive legal approach to obtain compensation for your losses. We fully examine your case to identify your economic and non-economic losses. Prosthetic limbs can cost tens of thousands of dollars and require periodic replacements.
Additionally, the person often must undergo many hours of physical therapy treatments. Often a person suffering an amputation suffers lost wages from time away from work while recovering and learning how to negotiate life without their limb.
The Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association lists that foot or leg amputation costs between $30,000 – $60,000 in up-front hospital costs, and up to $60,000 in additional costs for follow-up care. However, these costs vary by location and, in some instances, can greatly exceed these amounts.
For some patients, particularly older individuals with other health issues, amputation of a limb limits their mobility to the extent that they can no longer function independently in their home. Some people require long term care services from a nursing home or assisted living facilities in order to manage their activities of daily living following an amputation.
The Wieand Law Firm will seek out full compensation for these losses and also devise a value for your lost income, pain and suffer, and other damages that may be specific to your claim.
Economic damages in an amputation injury case may include compensation for:
In addition to economic damages, you may also be eligible for non-economic damages. These are subjective losses that the individual suffered as a direct result of the injury. These damages may include:
Some cases may warrant the award of punitive damages as well. Punitive damages are intended to punish a liable party for willful or wanton misconduct. These damages are often used as a means to deter future reckless behavior by the liable party.
5 Amputation Injury StatisticsIf you or a loved one has experienced a serious injury that required amputation, the team of Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at the Wieand Law Firm offer reputable legal services to help you achieve the maximum compensation to your injuries.
Our services include:
Trust the award-winning legal team at the Wieand Law Firm to provide the competent legal representation you deserve after a catastrophic injury. We value client communication and provide regular updates regarding the claims process.
The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at the Wieand Law Firm offer clients a contingency fee agreement to assure that each individual can pursue a legal claim without worrying about large, out of pocket legal expenses. Our clients come to us after already having suffered a catastrophic loss or injury. This agreement minimizes their risk in taking legal action against the liable parties.
Both our attorney fees and our expenses are contingent upon the success of your case. This means that the Wieand Law Firm pays all litigation costs, such as hiring experts, court reporters, and private investigators that are needed to win your case. We only earn a fee if we win money for your claim through an award, settlement, or verdict. This provides a guaranteed commitment that we will do our absolute best to win your case.
We have full transparency in our fee agreements and will answer any questions that you may have about a contingency fee agreement.
Contact a Philadelphia Amputation Injury Lawyer at Wieand Law Firm, LLCThe Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at the Wieand Law Firm, LLC represent individuals with catastrophic injuries. We represent individuals who have suffered an amputation due to an accident or medical malpractice. Our firm offers free consultations to listen and learn about your individual case. We can provide the legal guidance and help you to understand if you may have a claim. Call us today at 215-666-777 or send us a message to talk with one of our attorneys.
