Distracted, reckless and aggressive driving all contribute to the massive number of car accidents that happen on U.S. roadways every year. While you can commit to being a smart and safe driver, you simply cannot change the bad driving behaviors of other motorists. Eventually, you might find yourself dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophic car accident.
There are many potential injuries you can suffer in a car accident. Amputation, where you lose a limb, is one of the more serious and life-limiting ones. How can a motor vehicle crash lead to amputation, though?
Traumatic amputation
Traumatic amputation occurs when a person loses a limb during or immediately after a traumatic event. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, roughly 45% of all amputations in the U.S. are traumatic ones. As you might imagine, the extreme forces in car accidents can cause traumatic amputations.
Surgical amputation
Not every serious car accident severs a part of a person’s body, of course. Indeed, you might suffer crush injuries that interfere with the way blood circulates through your body. If that happens, surgeons may have little choice but to amputate a damaged limb. This may occur days, weeks or even months after your collision.
It can be exceedingly difficult to adjust to living without an arm or leg. To help you cope, you may need a prosthetic limb, wheelchair or modifications to your home. Ultimately, by pursuing financial compensation for your amputation, you are likely to have the resources you need to manage your new way of life.
