There are many kinds of serious injuries that are caused by motor vehicle collisions. Especially when crashes occur at high speeds or between vehicles of very different sizes, collisions can cause many kinds of severe damage to the human body.
Broken bones, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries are common consequences of such collisions. Motor vehicle wrecks are also one of the leading causes of amputations in the United States. Limb loss is a permanent and often devastating experience. Why are crashes among the top reasons that people lose body parts in the United States?
The force of a crash can cause immediate amputation
Hundreds of crashes occur every day, and many of them involve enough force to cause an amputation. The position of someone’s body and the type of collision that occurs will determine the damage to an individual’s body during the crash. There are many ways in which the force of the collision could potentially cause a traumatic amputation. Those who lose a limb or extremity during a crash may also suffer significant secondary issues, including blood loss and heightened infection risk.
However, individuals do not need to suffer a traumatic amputation at the scene of a crash for a collision to cause limb loss. Surgical amputations are also an unfortunate byproduct of severe collisions. Crushing injuries and severe damage to body parts may force medical doctors to remove tissue because it will not heal properly.
The combination of traumatic amputations that occur during a crash and medical amputations conducted to facilitate recovery after car wrecks are top causes of amputations. Although health issues, like vascular issues related to unmanaged diabetes, are the leading cause of amputations, traumatic injuries, such as those resulting from car crashes, our responsible for roughly 45% of the amputations that occur in the United States.
Insurance may not be enough after a catastrophic injury
Both traumatic and surgical amputation often lead to tens of thousands of dollars in immediate medical expenses. Limb loss can also have a major impact on someone’s earning potential. Those coming to terms with the consequences of a recent crash-related amputation often realize that the available insurance coverage won’t fully reimburse them for all of their losses.
Considering a personal injury lawsuit may be necessary for those who suffer extreme injuries like amputations in major motor vehicle collisions. Otherwise, they may not be able to absorb the costs of ongoing care, employment consequences, etc.
