What types of accidents most commonly result in amputations?

On Behalf of | Mar 12, 2021 | Personal Injury |

Data compiled by WebMD shows that there are nearly 1.8 amputees that reside in the U.S.

While it’s true that illness accounts for some of those amputations, countless others have a limb amputated due to their involvement in an accident such as a fire or car crash. 

What are the most common types of amputations?

Some parts of the body are more apt to be amputated than others. WebMD’s research shows that leg amputations are the most common. Fingers, hands, arms, feet and toes are also regularly affected.

What’s the recovery process like for amputees?

While some doctors have time to plan out an amputation procedure, other physicians don’t get much time to think about it. They have to act quickly to save a patient’s life. 

Patients often spend at least two weeks in the hospital recovering from their surgery to give them time to recover, ensure no infection emerges and learn proper wound management techniques. An amputee’s wounds generally heal within two months of their operation. It’s then that they can usually undergo physical therapy and receive a prosthesis. 

While you may think that a patient who undergoes an amputation surgery would be able to return to their former life as normal in the weeks and months after their procedure, they often cannot. Many patients struggle with phantom pain in the area where their former limb existed. Others have to cope with lingering muscle or nerve pain caused by the surgical procedure. There are pressure sore concerns that may emerge over time at the wound site, as well.

What should you do if an accident caused your amputation?

Michigan law may allow you to recover existing and future medical bills, lost wages and other non-economic damage such as pain and suffering. An attorney here in Sterling Heights can help you determine what steps to take next.