You use your fingers, toes, arms and legs every day, likely without thinking much about these essential parts of your body. If a negligent driver causes a car accident that injures your extremities, though, doctors may have to remove part of your body to save your life.
Industrial Safety and Hygiene News reports that there are more than 30,000 traumatic-injury amputations in the United States every year. While an individual may sustain trauma while performing a variety of activities, car accidents are responsible for most trauma-related amputations.
Severe injuries
Car accidents can be unpredictable. Sometimes, drivers and passengers walk away from collisions that completely destroy vehicles. Other times, seemingly minor accidents result in serious injuries. While amputations are less common than other types of accident injuries, they are often the result of severe physical trauma. Furthermore, if you lose a limb, you may not be able to participate in everyday activities, including work and recreation.
Recovery
If doctors must amputate your arm or leg, you have to undergo a surgical procedure. Because both surgery and anesthesia have some inherent dangers, you risk further injury. Following the amputation, you likely face a long road to recovery. Also, during rehabilitation, you must relearn how to complete a variety of functions.
Prosthetics
Eventually, medical professionals may equip you with a prosthetic limb. While a prosthetic device may help you manage your amputation, it may also expose you to additional health risks. For example, skin irritation and infections often go hand-in-hand with prosthetics. Furthermore, you may be at increased risk for injury in a slip-and-fall accident if you have a prosthetic leg or foot.
While amputation may be necessary to save your life after a car accident, you are apt to experience a variety of health and other consequences following the loss of a limb. To ensure you receive fair compensation for your physical and emotional injuries from whoever caused the accident, you must act both diligently and quickly.