How Much Compensation is Available After an Amputation Caused by a Car Crash?

Amputations are among the most devastating injuries you can suffer in a car accident. While no amount of money can truly compensate you in full after this type of loss, the severity of this injury means that there could be substantial compensation available after an accident. Severe cases can result in substantial settlements or jury awards, but outcomes vary based on the facts of each case, including liability and available insurance coverage. The total amount awarded depends on a wide range of factors such as the severity of the injury and the victim’s future medical needs.

The outcome also depends on how strong your case is. Your attorney’s experience and approach can influence how effectively your claim is presented. At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, we fight aggressively for victims in Illinois whose lives are changed forever by negligent drivers. Contact us to discuss your case with one of our amputation injury attorneys now.

Why do amputation injuries often lead to large compensation claims?

For those unfamiliar with amputations, the potential compensation may seem surprising. However, amputations are classified as catastrophic injuries—injuries that cause permanent harm to a victim and often require lifelong medical care.

Several factors contribute to the jury awards and settlements paid out to amputation victims.

Lifelong medical needs

People with amputations often find that it isn’t just one medical procedure they have to go through. Instead, they may have to go through multiple surgeries, prosthetic limb fittings, replacement prosthetic limbs, physical therapy, physical rehabilitation, and pain management. It is entirely possible for medical care to last for decades beyond the initial accident.

Impact on daily life

Losing a limb impacts an individual’s ability to perform everyday tasks and live as independently as they want. Activities like walking, driving, getting dressed, and preparing meals become significantly more challenging. Some tasks require adaptive equipment. For parents, the sudden change in their ability to take care of their children can be jarring.

Economic fallout

Amputation injuries often affect an individual’s ability to work and advance in their career. For victims who previously held physical jobs, an amputation may completely end their career trajectory, forcing them to pivot to a new path and start over. Even those who work in less physically demanding jobs may be limited due to chronic pain, mobility concerns, and mental health issues that may come with traumatic injuries.

What types of amputation injuries can be caused by car accidents?

There are two main types of amputations that occur as a result of car accidents. The first is a traumatic amputation. This occurs when a limb is removed during the accident itself. This may happen in high-speed crashes. Truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and accidents with heavy machinery carry a higher risk of traumatic amputation.

The second type of amputation is a surgical amputation. This often happens when a limb is so badly damaged during an accident that surgical removal becomes necessary. Crush injuries, injuries that cut off a limb’s blood supply, and severe infections can render a limb unsalvageable.

Some of the most common amputation injuries caused by car accidents include leg amputations, arm amputations, partial hand amputations, and multiple limb amputations. The location and severity of the amputation can have a major role in how much compensation is ultimately available.

What factors affect amputation injury compensation?

There’s no fixed settlement or jury award amount for amputation injuries. Compensation is based on the specific circumstances of each case. Factors that may come into play include:

• Severity and location: More severe amputations and accidents may support higher compensation depending on how they affect long-term medical needs, earning capacity, and quality of life. For example, a right-handed individual who loses their right hand may receive more compensation than a right-handed person who loses two fingers on their left hand.
• Age and life expectancy: Younger victims are likely to need medical care, prosthetic devices, and rehabilitative care for decades. A longer life expectancy means more years in which a victim will need medical care.
• Ability to work: Insurance companies often look at whether or not the injured party can return to work. If they cannot work in their previous line of work, courts and juries consider evidence, including expert testimony, regarding the injured person’s ability to return to work or transition to a new career. If they cannot work at all, their compensation may be higher.
• Long-term medical needs: Based on the severity of the amputation and any complications that have already arisen, compensation may be dependent on what type of future medical care the patient will need.

How are future losses calculated?

When someone loses a limb, their future changes in myriad ways—calculating the financial impact of all of those changes may seem overwhelming, which is why amputation injury attorneys often turn to expert witnesses who can provide evidence-backed, detailed calculations.

Life care planners often step in to calculate the cost of future medical treatment. They account for all ongoing care needs in addition to changes in healthcare costs due to inflation and other factors.

Vocational experts are often brought in to evaluate the victim’s ability to work. They’ll look at the individual’s work tasks and evaluate their ability to complete those tasks post-amputation.

Economic experts can help calculate lifetime financial losses. It’s not just the victim’s salary multiplied by the number of years they would have had left in their career. It’s also about losing out on annual raises, raises from promotions, benefits, insurance, retirement contributions, and related damages.

Choose Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers for your amputation claim

At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, we understand how overwhelming and stressful life can feel after an amputation. You may not yet know the full scope of your injuries or how they’ll affect you—but we’re here to help. We can complete a thorough assessment of your accident and case, then fight for what you deserve. Reach out online to get started.