When you’ve lost a part of your body, it feels as if you’ve lost a part of your self. After an amputation, you never see yourself in quite the same way as before. It is devastating! Every time you look in the mirror or try to perform some activity that you used to accomplish without a thought, you see a reminder of yourself the way you once were. You are forever changed, both physically and psychologically.
The road to recovery, which will of necessity be incomplete—is long and arduous. First there is usually a surgery to remove the part of your body that has been damaged (or repair the wound if the accident itself resulted in a complete amputation). After you have healed sufficiently from the surgery, the real and painful work of learning to live without the lost body part begins. You will usually be fitted with a prosthesis, and will have to go through extensive physical therapy as you learn how to move and function with the new part. This can be extremely painful, slow, and frustrating, not to mention expensive. You will probably be out of work for some time, and depending on the part of your body that was amputated, you may never be able to return to your same job.
At the Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, our Dallas personal injury lawyer understands serious injuries. We recognize all the ways in which a permanent injury such as an amputation can affect a client, from lengthy medical processes to having to start a new career. We are passionate about helping clients move forward with the compensation and financial security they need from those who caused their accidents and amputations to begin with. Contact our attorneys today for a free consultation about your amputation injury case in Dallas. You might be eligible for financial compensation.
Why Choose Us?
- We have the resources and capabilities to take care of your amputation injury case from start to finish. We commit to seeing every case through until the end.
- We can take amputation injury cases in Dallas to trial, if necessary. We will not settle for less than we believe your life-changing injury deserves.
- We care about our clients and always spend the extra time to get to know them, their families and their goals before crafting personalized legal strategies.
- We do not charge anything in attorney’s fees unless we are successful in winning your amputation injury case. Our law firm operates on a contingency fee basis.
Common Causes of Amputation Injuries
Many injuries that result in amputation injuries are preventable. They are accidents that stem from human errors such as texting and driving, creating defective consumer products, and failing to properly equip employees for dangerous jobs. At the Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, we can investigate your amputation injury to determine its cause. These are some of the injury types that may immediately or ultimately result in an amputation:
- Motorcycle accidents
- Car and truck accidents
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents involving motor vehicles
- Workplace accidents, especially in construction
- Medical malpractice
- Defective and dangerous products
- Fires and explosions
Once we identify how your amputation injury happened, we can determine the defendant(s). This will be the party we believe is responsible for causing your injury – who we will name as the at-fault party in your injury suit. Multiple defendants could be at fault for your amputation injury depending on the circumstances. We can assist you with the discovery of the defendant in your claim.
What Is a Traumatic Amputation?
Traumatic amputations happen in the moment – at the same time as the accident. They can refer to the immediate loss of a limb in an incident such as an explosion or losing a body part in a piece of machinery. It may or may not be possible to reattach a limb or digit after a traumatic amputation. Traumatic amputations are accident-related, while nontraumatic amputations are medically necessary. A medically necessary amputation may arise in a patient with diabetes, for example, or from a surgery to remove a tumor in a bone. Some medical amputations arise from traumas that did not sever the limb but caused enough damage to leave the limb irreparable or unable to heal.
You might have a claim to damages as a person with a traumatic or nontraumatic amputation. After a traumatic amputation, you might have a case against the person or party that caused the incident. You could have a claim against a drunk driver, for example, if he or she caused the car accident that severed your limb. You could also have a claim against the person who caused your accident if your injury eventually results in a medically necessary amputation. Our attorneys can investigate your amputation injury and let you know if we believe you have a claim against someone in Dallas.
Your Right to Be Compensated
If you have lost a body part in an amputation injury that was caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, the law in Texas allows you to make a claim for monetary compensation from the party who caused your injury. Obtaining this money can make all the difference in your progress, because it will help you get state-of-the-art medical treatment, rehabilitation, and prosthetic devices, as well as psychological therapy to help you adjust to the new reality of life without a limb or a digit. It will also help you and your family replace the money you lost—and may continue to lose—by your being unable to work. You could be eligible for many types of damages in a personal injury claim in Texas.
- Past and future medical and health care bills
- Disability expenses and accommodations
- Lost past wages and benefits
- Lost future capacity to earn due to your disability
- Emotional distress, anguish and trauma
- Loss of consortium or household services
- Legal fees and out-of-pocket expenses
- Punitive damages
Amputations are often complicated and difficult cases that require expert legal representation. An amputation is a high-stakes injury. You should never attempt to negotiate a settlement with the responsible party’s insurance company on your own. Insurance adjusters are well trained in the use of various tactics to deny or reduce the value of your claim. The insurer’s goal is always to pay out the least amount possible on every claim, and the company’s best interest is exactly the opposite of yours. An experienced personal injury attorney knows how to overcome these insurance company tactics in order to obtain justice and an adequate and fair recovery for you. Just be sure that the attorney you choose is highly qualified and has years of experience in this type of case.
Phantom Limb Syndrome
Even after your body has healed, you may experience severe and chronic pain in the amputated part—even though it is no longer there! Called “phantom limb syndrome", this can be debilitating. And then there is the question of how to treat pain in a part of your body that no longer exists!
There are no easy answers to this question, and you may have to try many different kinds of therapy before you find one that gives you some relief. Many amputees find that alternative therapies provide the most relief. But insurance companies will often deny coverage for “non-standard” treatments—even if they are the only thing that works! Here are some examples of treatments that might help you, but may not be available through the insurance you have:
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Chiropractic
- Hypnosis
- Mirror box therapy
- Augmented reality therapy
- Biofeedback
- TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
When an unconventional therapy is the only thing that works, having the money you’ve recovered for your amputation injury may be the only way for you to get the relief you crave!
Our personal injury attorneys can help you obtain the compensation you need for peace of mind and stability during this difficult and uncertain time.
Free Consultation with a Top-Rated Dallas, Texas, Attorney
If you or a loved one was injured in Texas, Dallas attorney Aaron Herbert is a top choice. He is a Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer, a designation achieved by only the top 2 percent of the state’s lawyers. He also has the highest possible rating by AVVO—a perfect 10, and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. With more than 50 jury verdicts under his belt, Aaron is recognized by insurance companies as a formidable adversary in the courtroom, so they are much more likely to offer you a fair settlement before having to go to court.
Call the Law Firm of Aaron Herbert today to arrange a free consultation. You’ll get all of your questions answered fully and honestly by an expert in the field, and you will incur no attorney fees, court, or legal expenses unless you recover.