Hudson Valley Personal Injury Attorneys Helping Accident Victims with Amputation Injury and Loss of Limb
Losing a limb is one of the most frightening and life-changing potential consequences of an accident. Losing a limb will change your day-to-day life, may affect your ability to perform your job, and is likely to lead to ongoing, expensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. If your arm, leg, hand, or foot was amputated as a result of someone else’s negligence, it is vital that you hold the responsible party liable for the damage they have caused.
For accidents caused by distracted drivers, negligent construction contractors, incompetent doctors or other responsible parties in the Hudson Valley, the attorneys at Dupée & Monroe in Goshen combine decades of experience and skill to help amputation injury victims get the care and compensation they deserve. Learn more about amputation injuries below, and call a personal injury lawyer at Dupée & Monroe, P.C. for a free consultation regarding your potential claims.
What Causes Amputation Injury?
Amputation injury can occur in any number of accidents. Limbs can be severed upon impact with a heavy object, they can be caught or crushed in heavy machinery, or they can be damaged beyond repair and require amputation during medical treatment. Limbs can be severed in an impact-based accident or when exposed to extreme heat due to a fire or explosion. An undiagnosed or mistreated condition such as diabetes can lead to unnecessary amputation.
The loss of limb lawyers at Dupée & Monroe help amputation injury victims recover the compensation they are owed after any negligence-based incident, including the following:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Industrial accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Severe burn injuries
- Dangerous and defective products
- Construction accidents
- Train or subway accidents
- Boating accidents
- Plane or helicopter crashes
- Elevator accidents
- Violent animal attacks
The “Serious Injury” Threshold for Auto Injury Lawsuits
New York is one of only a few states with a “no-fault” auto insurance scheme. In New York, parties involved in a car crash must seek compensation under their own auto insurance policies rather than filing a claim against the other driver, even if the other driver was at fault. There are, however, certain exceptions to the rule.
One principle exception to the rule is when a party suffers a “serious injury.” If an accident victim has suffered a serious injury, they can bypass the no-fault insurance scheme and proceed with a direct claim against the at-fault driver. By filing a direct personal injury claim, an accident victim can seek significantly greater compensation, not limited by the victim’s insurance policy or to only certain types of economic damages.
Loss of limb is a well-established serious injury granting an exception to the no-fault rule. Amputation includes loss of any body part, whether it is an arm, a leg, a foot, a hand, an ear, a finger, or a toe.
The Costs of an Amputation Injury
Losing a limb is likely to lead to significant financial costs. The Amputee Coalition estimates that nearly two million Americans currently live with a lost limb. Each of those people is likely to face hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses. The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy estimates that the average lifetime total cost for a typical amputee is over $500,000. If you are forced to live with an amputated limb due to someone else’s negligent conduct, you have the right to hold them liable for both the costs and the struggle you will endure.
If you have lost a limb due to someone else’s negligence, you can seek compensation for a variety of damages, both economic and non-economic. The New York amputation injury lawyers at Dupée & Monroe will help you recover the maximum damages available for an amputation injury, including:
- Lost income due to time missed at work
- Medical expenses, including past medical visits and future anticipated costs of nursing care, prosthetic limbs, and physical therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional or psychological distress due to loss of limb, difficulties performing daily tasks, and disfigurement
- Lost earning capacity
Dedicated New York Amputation Injury Attorneys Working for You
If you or a loved one has lost a limb due to negligence in New York or Orange County, find out if you should file a claim for damages by contacting the seasoned and trial-ready Goshen personal injury lawyers Dupée & Monroe at 845-294-8900.
