Motor vehicle accidents can result in various types of life-changing injuries and even fatalities. Some of these injuries leave victims with life-long bills to cover medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, assistive devices and ongoing therapy, creating significant financial burdens and altering their quality of life indefinitely.
Among the serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents are amputations. The following are three types of amputations that can occur as a result of such accidents.
Traumatic limb amputation
This is where the limb is forcibly severed from the body due to the intense impact of the motor vehicle accident. This type of amputation often occurs at the scene of the accident and requires immediate medical attention. Traumatic amputations can involve complete severance of the limb or partial severance depending on the extent of the injury.
Crush amputation
In motor vehicle accidents, limbs are sometimes crushed or mangled in the wreckage leading to crush amputations. This occurs when the affected limb sustains severe compression or crushing force, causing irreparable damage to the tissues, blood vessels and bones. Crush amputations often necessitate surgical intervention to remove the mangled limb and prevent complications such as infection or loss of blood flow. The extent of the injury may vary, ranging from partial to complete amputation depending on the severity of the crush injury.
Avulsion amputation
Avulsion amputation happens when the limb is forcibly torn away from the body, typically as a result of extreme force or impact during a motor vehicle accident. This type of injury involves the traumatic separation of the limb from its attachment points causing significant damage to the surrounding tissues and structures. Depending on the severity of the avulsion, surgical intervention may be necessary to remove the damaged limb and facilitate the healing process.
Amputation often leaves a victim struggling to adapt to their new lifestyle and cope with the physical and emotional challenges of living without a limb. If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident resulting in an amputation due to another’s negligence, seeking legal guidance is essential to pursue compensation for your losses.