Mobile Amputation Injury Lawyer
Have you sustained a devastating amputation as the result of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence?
The Mobile amputation injury lawyers at Lattof & Lattof, P.C. can help you fight back and get justice.
We understand the nature of your catastrophic injury and how it will dramatically impact your life. The expenses related to such an injury can be enormous, and those responsible for your injury should have to pay. You should not have to bear this alone.
Contact our Alabama law office of Lattof & Lattof, P.C. today. We offer a free consultation, so please don’t hesitate to contact us for support today.
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Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer After an Amputation Injury in Mobile, AL?
The value of having a strong and competent Mobile personal injury attorney by your side as you seek to be compensated for another’s negligence cannot be overstated. Personal injury law is confusing and complex, and trying to figure your way through the legal jargon and procedures can be exhausting.
The last thing you need to worry about is how to pursue legal action. You should be focusing on your health. Leave the rest to our experienced, skilled, and well-respected legal team at Lattof & Lattof, P.C.
When you hire us, we take care of:
- Conducting a thorough investigation into your accident
- Reviewing police records, medical reports, and witness statements
- Hiring specialists such as medical experts, accident reconstruction experts, and mental health experts as needed
- Handling negotiations with the insurance company, which may attempt to blame you
- Representing you in court if the insurance company does not make a fair offer
- Keeping you informed, consulting with you on major decisions, and making ourselves available for any questions
Although no price is enough to bring back what you have lost, a significant financial package can at least help you deal with bills and cover the costs of physical and emotional recovery. Just as the insurance companies have lawyers fighting for them, you need a powerhouse law firm fighting for you.
At Lattof & Lattof, P.C., we are aggressive, relentless, and we know how to get our clients what they need. Contact us today to arrange a meeting. Your first consultation is absolutely free, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Causes of Amputation Injuries in Mobile, Alabama
The shock and trauma of an amputation injury are unfathomable. Whether it occurred because of an accident or a medical mistake, the impact on your life is huge. You are not alone in this experience.
The most common causes of amputation injuries in Mobile include:
- Motor vehicle accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle, bicycle, truck, and pedestrians hit by motor vehicles
- Workplace injuries
- Farming accidents with tractors and lawnmowers
- Firearms, fireworks, and explosives
- Electrocution
- Medical malpractice (improper diagnosis, operation on the wrong part of the body, or mistakes on surgical forms)
Common Amputation Injuries
When an amputation is unexpected and unplanned, it is referred to as a traumatic amputation. This type of amputation is especially devastating because you were not prepared to handle the shock as you might have been with a planned medical procedure.
Traumatic amputation injuries are often categorized based on the location of the amputated limb(s). There are upper limb amputations and lower limb amputations.
Upper-limb Amputation
Upper-limb amputations include:
- Amputation or partial amputation of fingers or thumb is referred to as digit amputation
- Removal of the entire arm at shoulder level
- Amputation above the elbow is called trans-humeral amputation and involves the separation of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow
- Amputation below the elbow is removal through the forearm between the elbow and hand
- Removal of the entire arm at the shoulder. This is called forequarter amputation and typically involves the separation of the shoulder and part of the shoulder blade and collarbone
- Metacarpal amputation involves amputation of the hand but not the wrist
- Elbow disarticulation: amputation through the elbow joint
- Wrist disarticulation involves removal through the wrist joint
Upper-limb amputations limit or make impossible the simple, daily tasks and actions we often take for granted, such as brushing, cooking, or dressing.
Lower-limb Amputation
Lower-limb amputations include:
- Lower-extremity amputation, referred to as pelvic or transpelvic amputation, involves the removal of the entire leg and up to half of the pelvis. This type of amputation injury is rare.
- Below the knee, or transtibial amputation, occurs between the knee and the foot
- Amputation of the entire leg through the hip joint capsule is hip disarticulation
- Above the knee amputation, or transfemoral amputation, occurs between the hip and the knee
- Partial foot amputation
- Knee disarticulation: amputations through the knee joint
- Amputation through the ankle joint, removing the foot
- Digit amputation of one or more toes
Being unable to use all or parts of your lower limbs can make mobility difficult, dramatically affecting the quality of your life.
Amputation Statistics in the United States
You need to remember that you are not alone in suffering the loss of limbs. In fact, one in nearly 200 Americans is dealing with the loss of a body part. By 2050, the number of Americans who have suffered an amputation will be 3.6 million people.
This includes a mix of traumatic amputations and medically planned amputations.
- 54 percent of the 1.6 million Americans with amputations lost their limbs from vascular conditions
- Vascular conditions include diabetes and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
- PAD and diabetes amputations number nearly 900,000 Americans in 2020
- Unfortunately, 60% of these types of surgical amputations are preventable by managing the risk factors of the underlying diseases
About 25% of all Americans living with limb loss suffered a traumatic amputation. Three out of every 4 upper-body amputations are caused by trauma. Vascular disease is more likely to cause amputation of a lower-body limb.
Statute of Limitations for Filing an Amputation Injury Claim in Mobile, Alabama
State law limits the amount of time you have to file a claim for a personal injury such as an amputation. This limit is called the statute of limitations, and in Alabama, the time period is two years from the date of the accident in which you were injured.
This is why you must contact us as soon as possible after your injury. Pulling evidence together and building a case can take longer than one might think. It involves understanding exactly what happened in the accident, identifying and seeking out witnesses willing to testify, speaking with experts to get opinions about the accident and your medical conditions, reviewing medical records, and much more.
Did You Contribute to the Accident?
The state of Alabama is a contributory negligence state. This means that it does not allow you to recover if you were in any way partly to blame for the accident. The strictness of this law is all the more reason you need a competent personal injury attorney on your side.
The insurance company will undoubtedly try to paint you as being at fault to avoid paying your claim. We can help defend you against such an accusation by demonstrating that you were not to blame. Failing to show your lack of fault means you get nothing.
All of that takes time. Do not wait to contact us and get the filing process started. You owe it to yourself and your family to get what you need to heal.
What Compensation Can I Get for an Amputation Injury?
A financial award package can cover economic damages, which are the actual costs of your injury, and non-economic damages, which are associated with more intimate and intangible losses.
Examples of economic compensation could include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of property
- Ongoing medical treatment
- Cosmetic surgery
- Physical therapy
- In-home medical care
- Disability equipment such as prosthetics and wheelchairs
Economic damages are often easier to calculate because there are bills, receipts, and paper trails.
Non-economic damages are more subjective and generally do not have such documented evidence at hand. These include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Emotional distress
- Disability and disfigurement
- Embarrassment
- Scarring
The Moile amputation attorneys at Lattof & Lattof, P.C., will consider every angle in ensuring you are compensated for everything you have lost as a result of this tragedy.
Contact a Mobile Amputation Injury Lawyer Today
There are few injuries more catastrophic to your life than losing the use of arms or legs or other body parts. Amputation robs you of living your life as you intended. It also brings with it an enormous cost, both physically and emotionally.
Do not risk losing the compensation to which you are entitled by hiring a lesser firm or trying to go through with this on your own. You need a personal injury law firm that is established and has decades of experience in handling cases just like yours. We know what we are doing, and we are ready to put our knowledge to work for you.
Give us a call today to arrange a free consultation with no obligations. Let us show you how we can help.