A traumatic amputation is an amputation that occurs accidentally. It may happen during a severe automobile accident, for example, or because of a workplace accident.
In a car crash, it’s common to see traumatic amputations in a few different scenarios. The first is if a person had their arm or leg outside of the vehicle at the time of the crash. Another is if they had their feet up on the dashboard, since the legs could be severed upon impact. The third is if the vehicle is crushed, which could lead to amputations from the force of the crushing impact.
In any case involving traumatic amputations, the victim must be rushed to the hospital and will need to undergo surgery. Depending on the length of time that has passed since the amputation and other factors, the limb may or may not be able to be reattached.
How does a traumatic amputation impact a person’s life?
A traumatic impact essentially causes disability immediately. For some, the disability will be temporary as they have a limb reattached but need to learn to use it again. For others, the disability will be permanent, as they go on to live life without one or more of their limbs.
Someone who has gone through a traumatic amputation may need significant financial support and ongoing medical care. Some of the medical treatment options they may need to access include:
- Blood transfusions for severe bleeding.
- Chronic pain relief.
- Physical therapy.
- Occupational therapy.
These are just some of the options they may need to consider as they heal. On top of the medical concerns, they will also have to think about work. If they worked in the past, they may not be able to today. As a result, they may need to seek lost wages (in the past and future) as well as Social Security Disability or other disability benefits.
A traumatic amputation is devastating in and of itself, but combined with the medical, social, work and personal issues it can cause, it may have an extremely negative effect on a person’s life. A victim deserves as much support as they can have offered to them, so they can focus on their health and healing.
