San Diego Amputation Injury Accident Lawyer

The statistics of the amputees align with the common causes of amputations. Examination of the current data shows the following shared characteristics of people who have lost a limb in this state:

• There are reports of inadequate medical care for diseases like diabetes requiring surgical amputation for Latino and Black individuals. 42% of amputees in California are non-white. Instances like these may be considered medical malpractice and possibly unnecessary surgeries.
• Males are twice as likely to lose a limb. Again, the disease could play a role in this, with the vascular disease more common in men. Also, a possible reason is: Workplace accidents involving machinery occur in typically male-dominated industries.
• 47% of people who underwent amputations were between the ages of 45-69. A further 34% were between ages 65-84. These statistics could demonstrate a relationship between age and vascular disease or diabetes.

Two causes of amputations cover the majority of these surgeries in California. The majority (54%) of amputations are due to complications of heart disease or diabetes. Often these losses of limbs are planned and not a surprise. There can be instances, however, where proper medical care might have made them unnecessary. Increasing rates of vascular disease and diabetes in the country will likely double the number of amputees by 2050.

Another 2% of amputations result from cancerous tumors requiring a limb’s removal.

The other main reason for an amputation is a traumatic amputation, another term for an amputation accident. The following have caused amputation accidents:

• Car accidents.
• Motorcycle accidents.
• Truck accidents.
• Accidents involving firearms or explosives.
• Military combat or terrorist attacks.
• Farm equipment accidents.
• Power tool accidents.
• Natural disasters.
• Workplace accidents.

The vast majority of traumatic amputations are due to accidents in the workplace, usually involving machinery or equipment that doesn’t have the proper safety measures or training in place. This kind of machinery can include power press brakes, conveyors, trash compactors, meat grinders, roll-bending or -forming machinery, printing presses, forklifts, band saws, hand tools, and much more. These potentially hazardous items are commonplace in jobs in the trades so that accidents can occur at construction sites, warehouses, food processing plants, and other labor-intensive work. Years of experience on the job does not make someone any safer – all it takes is one mistake, and your life alters forever.

To call a particular type of amputation traumatic seems to underestimate the toll that any loss of a limb takes on a person. Even a planned surgical amputation due to a disease can cause psychological distress. An accident lawyer like those at Mova Law Group – Personal Injury Attorneys can help you get financial compensation for your serious injury. Contact us for a free case review, and we’ll provide you with your options.

The vast majority of amputations take place in surgeries under general anesthesia. Doctors will have to remove damaged tissue and leave as much that is salvageable as possible. They then have to reconstruct the residual limb for a prosthetic.

Depending on the extent of the injury and the limb that the doctors removed, you can expect to stay between 5 and 14 days for acute medical care. About two weeks after your surgery, you are fitted with a prosthetic limb and started on physical therapy (usually inpatient).

Following release from the hospital, there will likely be regular outpatient visits to the doctor to ensure no complications and monitor your progress. Psychological and occupational therapy is usually recommended on top of medical treatment as you are experiencing massive life changes.

You will want to set up a free case evaluation with an amputation lawyer to discuss if pursuing a personal injury case is right for you. A personal injury attorney knows what the recovery process looks like for an injury victim. We can help prepare you for what comes next and what expenses to consider.