Amputation Injuries
Amputation is an injury in which a body part has been severed. An amputation injury is one of the most dramatic and serious injuries a person can suffer. Amputations commonly affect the extremities such as all or part of an arm or leg. However, any body part can be affected, including the nose, eyes, ears, lips or tongue. Such injuries are always serious and can be life-threatening. They are always life-altering.
Some amputations are the unfortunate result of a chronic medical condition such as diabetes. But other times, they are the result of negligence. Sometimes medical or nursing home negligence results in an amputation. Or perhaps a distracted or impaired driver causes an accident. Other times, defective machinery at the workplace or elsewhere causes the amputation.
And when an amputation is someone else’s fault, the amputee must cope with both medical and legal issues.
Phantom Pain
A medically documented consequence of amputation injuries is phantom pain: the perception of severe and unremitting pain in the missing body part. Phantom pain (sometimes called, referred pain) was once thought to be a psychological problem. But now, doctors recognize it as real pain sensations coming from the spinal cord and brain. This kind of pain can be especially difficult to treat.
The use of prosthetics or artificial limbs can be associated with complications such as:
- Difficulty in healing
- Chronic inflammation
- Chronic infection
- Constant pain and stiffness
- Sympathetic dystrophy syndrome
Long-Term Consequences
In addition to extensive medical and surgical treatment, victims of amputations usually require extensive physical therapy, vocational retraining and psychological counseling for themselves and family members. Amputation injuries affect both the victim’s self-perception how others perceive them. Amputation injuries are permanent and can cause lifelong pain and suffering.
How We Can Help
Someone suffering from an amputation injury often requires both medical and legal help from suitable and experienced professionals who are compassionate, caring and competent in their respective fields. Contact Paige J. Donnelly, Ltd., personal injury law firm. We will always place your feelings and interests above all considerations. We welcome the privilege of serving the severely injured and their loved ones by relieving them from worrying about legal matters at a time when they are occupied with recovering from their injuries.