Hartford Amputation Lawyer

Modern society tries to afford conveniences for the disabled, and Connecticut, in particular, offers advantages such as tax breaks, vocational rehabilitation, and Medicaid. Despite the assistance, however, the physical and emotional toll of an amputation in and of itself can make it difficult for people to take advantage of these services.

Every amputation is a challenge for victims to deal with. All activities become more difficult when even a finger or a toe is lost, and this holds even more true the greater the degree of the amputation is.

Simple activities such as walking or eating can become impossible to do alone, or at least without regaining functionality through therapy.

How do you get the resources to maintain your quality of life with this new challenge? What options do you have moving forward with a disability when your life as a fully-abled person was already difficult enough as it is?

More importantly, what of the people responsible for your amputation in the first place? Is there any way you can hold them accountable for the lifelong difficulties you now have to face because of them?

When you’re an amputee in Hartford and need help getting back on track, turn to a Hartford amputation lawyer.

What Can a Hartford Amputation Attorney Do?

Losing a limb is a huge life change. Adapting to life with a new disability often takes an enormous investment of time, money, and energy, leaving very little room for an amputee to tend to anything else.

As you would expect, this means that the added struggle of pursuing compensation can make things difficult for any amputee. After all, securing a fair settlement is already difficult enough for an able-bodied person when insurance companies are looking out for their own interests.

Thankfully, providing peace of mind for clients is exactly what Hartford amputation attorneys excel at. Here are some things these specialist personal injury lawyers assist their clients with.

• Investigating Your Case: When you work with a lawyer, they will begin by investigating the circumstances surrounding your amputation. They will look through medical records, accident reports, and other evidence in order to determine if negligence was a factor.
• Identifying Liable Parties: The results of your lawyer’s investigation will allow you to identify the person or people responsible for your injury and, thus, the potential avenues for compensation. Depending on the amputation, this might be a driver who caused a car accident, a doctor who performed a botched procedure, or even a property owner who allowed dangerous conditions to persist.

• Building a Strong Case: By putting together evidence gathered during the investigation, your attorney will put together the makings of a case to support your claim. They will handle all paperwork and meet deadlines on your behalf, offering you the convenience of focusing your attention on other things, such as your continuing recovery.

• Negotiating With the Insurance Company: Because insurers are businesses first and foremost, they will look for any means to cut their losses, even if that means leaving amputee clients with the bare minimum to partially cover their damages. Working with a skilled attorney means having a representative on your side who will fight against these unfair practices and offers, getting you the maximum amount possible from your claim.

• Court Representation: Sometimes, negotiations do not end the way you want. In the event you are unable to get a fair settlement for your claim, your lawyer can take the case to court and fight on your behalf, arguing for maximum compensation in front of a judge and jury.

Working with a lawyer means having someone on your team who represents your interests instead of the insurance company’s. It means having an expert who puts you first and works tirelessly to get you the justice you deserve for your injuries.

What Are Amputations?

Amputations are injuries involving either the partial or total loss of a person’s limb or digit. They are often the result of physical trauma, medical conditions, or congenital defects but may also be intentionally performed as medical procedures to prevent more serious consequences.

How severe an amputation is as an injury depends on several factors, including its cause and the patient’s overall health. Some amputations are minor – and, in fact, reparable – while others are life-altering and, in the most severe cases, life-threatening.

Types of Amputations

When classifying amputations, healthcare professionals divide them into one of several ways. The most common are by location, cause, and level.

• Types by Location: The most straightforward way of classifying amputations is to describe where on the body the injury is located. Upper limb and lower limb injuries, for instance, occur exactly where their names suggest.
• • • Injuries can also be further classified under these categories. For example, under upper limb injuries, we can include finger amputations and wrist disarticulations (removal of the hand at the wrist joint).

• Types by Cause: Traumatic injury from accidents or violence are the most common cause of amputations. Following that are surgical amputations (performed to treat medical conditions or to salvage botched medical procedures) and then congenital amputations (births without limbs).

• Types by Level: While not as intricate as other classification methods, categorizing amputations into either partial, total, or disarticulation is concise and provides plenty of information that helps medical professionals approach the injury.

Of course, these classification systems are not mutually exclusive. An amputation can be adequately described under different systems, considering the level of limb loss, location, and the cause.

Amputation Treatment and Recovery

Treatment for amputations will almost always involve some form of surgery and infection prevention. Depending on the extent of the injury, however, there may be the option to reattach lost limbs and/or digits.

This is not the case for all amputations; in many cases, amputations cannot be completely restored to the way they were. In these scenarios, patients will have to settle for a residual limb coupled with therapy – and possibly prosthetics – instead of complete healing.

Regardless, treatment options tend to be expensive and can require months or even years of adjustment before a sense of normalcy can be established. Here are some approaches to amputation injuries physicians may have their patients take.

• Surgery: If an amputation is the result of trauma or disease, surgery will involve debridement of dead tissue and closure of the wound. In many amputations, people have the option of shaping the remaining parts of the limb for possible prosthetic use, shortening the bone, and/or creating a socket for ease of installation.
• Pain Management: Amputations can lead to both physical and phantom pain – pain in the missing limb even if it is no longer there. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used to treat physical pain in the residual limb, while nerve blocks and certain antidepressants can modify nerve activity associated with phantom pain.

• Rehabilitation: Unless a person is a congenital amputee, they will likely need physical therapy and rehabilitation in order to get used to regain mobility and strength from an amputation injury (even if the limb or digit was successfully attached). Sometimes, occupational therapy can also help people adapt to daily life with their acquired physical limitations.

• Prosthetic Fitting: Different prosthetic options exist for different degrees of injury, from common passive prosthetics that offer basic functionality and appearance to body-powered devices that use the motion of remaining muscles to control them. High-technology solutions such as myoelectric devices can detect muscle signals, translating them into movement in the prosthetic.

• Psychological Support: The trauma of losing a limb can require professional psychological counseling to treat. Support groups are also a way for amputees to connect with one another and provide each other with peer support and community.

The specific treatment plan an amputee undergoes will depend on their unique circumstances. However, the average cost of treatment plans for amputations will usually range from $20,000 to $60,000, before prosthetics.

Patients who opt for a prosthesis will have to shell out more. Basic prosthetic legs cost around $5,000 on average, while high-technology models can exceed $60,000.

The most expensive models on the market such as the Genium X3 are worth over $120,000 and are designed for heavy-duty activity such as sports.

Remember, however, that prostheses are not one-time expenses. Even the most durable models need to be replaced every few years, so these already pricey solutions add up over time.

Turn To Bert McDowell Injury Law for Your Hartford Amputation Law Firm

At Bert McDowell Injury Law, we have spent years refining our skill set in order to provide the citizens of Hartford with competent and accessible personal injury services. Let us handle your amputation claim for you.

We are a group of determined and compassionate legal practitioners who have, since our founding, secured tens of millions of dollars in damages. Our Three Pillars of client communication, client attention, and client success drive us to achieve the best outcome for those who avail of our services.

Call Bert McDowell Injury Law today at (203) 590-9169. We offer free consultations, and we don’t charge until we’ve secured your compensation for you.

It’s time to Bring On Bert! Secure your claim with us today!