Motor vehicle crashes, on-the-job incidents and a variety of accidents can all lead to traumatic injuries. One of these injuries is a traumatic amputation, which occurs when one part of a person’s body becomes detached from the rest of the body.
A traumatic amputation is a life-threatening injury, so it must be handled very carefully. Individuals who have this type of injury need emergency medical attention. The priorities must be saving the person’s life, but saving the amputated body part is also important if it’s possible.
2 types of traumatic amputations
There are two distinct types of traumatic amputations—complete and partial. A complete amputation means that the body part is fully detached. A partial amputation means that the body part is still connected with some soft tissue. Both of these injuries are serious, partially because there’s no guarantee that the amputated part will be able to be reattached, and there’s a chance of limited mobility even if it can be reattached.
Lifelong changes may occur
When a person has a traumatic amputation, they may face significant changes to their lifestyle. In some cases, they won’t be able to return to work. This can lead to considerable financial difficulties at a time when they have increased bills from medical care and rehabilitation.
Victims can often seek compensation for this type of injury. This might be possible through a personal injury lawsuit or a workers’ compensation claim. Regardless of how compensation is pursued, the victim may choose to have someone familiar with cases similar to theirs to assist them throughout the process.