Amputations

Amputations

An amputation caused by a motor vehicle accident or slip/trip and fall accident can be utterly devastating and can have profound effects on the victim and his or her family. Life may never be the same as it once was. Medical bills pile up. Rehabilitation costs eat away at time once spent working often leaving the victim with insufficient income to maintain his or her standard of life which was enjoyed prior to the accident. There are also significant financial costs associated with amputation injuries.

Our law firm has prosecuted claims and recovered millions of dollars of compensation for amputees. Each case is different. Often, an amputee may not realize that there may be other forms of compensation available to them. If someone is hurt in a motor vehicle accident, there are significant benefits provided for under the Statutory Accident Benefits system. You can obtain, among other things, up to $1,000,000.00 for medical and rehabilitation treatment, $1,000,000.00 for attendant care, up to $100.00 for housekeeping and home maintenance, and even up to $400.00 per week for income replacement benefits. In addition, you may have a claim against the at-fault party who caused the accident for your pain and suffering, past and future income loss and even future medical treatment which will be required for the remainder of your life over and above what you will receive under the Statutory Accident Benefits system.

In other circumstances, for instance, in a trip and/or slip and fall accident, you may have a claim against the property owner or occupier who caused you to fall or injure yourself. Although there are no Statutory Accident Benefits in most trip and/or slip and fall accident claims, you are still entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, past and future income loss and even future medical treatment which will be required for the remainder of your life. These amounts can be significant.

In order to receive the compensation you deserve, experience matters. Since 1959, the Preszler Law Firm has recovered significant compensation for amputation victims and their families that have been wrongfully injured. At Preszler Law Firm, we provide focused and personalized representation to victims of amputation accidents and their families. If you or your loved one became an amputee due to an otherwise preventable injury or in a car or motor vehicle accident, you may be entitled to a significant amount of compensation. To schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options, contact our law firm for 1-800-JUSTICE® or fill out our Case Evaluation Form.

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Financial Costs

One of the most concerning aspects associated with any amputation, are significant financial, physical and emotional costs. Medical care costs, not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, typically start before the amputation is performed but they do not usually stop after the procedure. Ongoing medical care costs are common with amputations. Often medical care costs associated with an amputation may last for the duration of an amputee’s life. Furthermore, rehabilitation, attendant care, occupational therapy, home modifications, and/or housekeeping and home maintenance may also be required.

In many cases, an amputee will require a prosthetic in order to compensate for the loss. Prosthetics can cost from $5,000 to over $100,000 depending on the circumstances of the amputee’s case. Insurance and health care plans often times do not cover the entire costs associated with a prosthetic and of course, there are many different forms of prosthetics, some of which are covered and others not. Moreover, prosthetics are typically not a one-time occurrence. On the contrary, is it very common for an amputee to need to replace his or her prosthetic multiple times over a lifetime.

In addition to the medical care costs, amputees are often times faced with challenges in the work place. Optimally, the amputation will have no affect on a worker’s ability to do their job. However, in many cases an amputee may not be able to perform the required tasks for their job due to their amputation and will require work-site accommodation and modification. In this situation, the best-case scenario is that an employer may choose to reassign the person who has had an amputation to a new job. This is another cost to amputees because this may have an impact of reducing the likelihood of advancement within their employer’s company and also may have a negative impact on their overall pay. In the worst-case scenario, a return to work may not be possible which would unfortunately lead to the elimination of the worker’s pay altogether.

Other financial costs that can be overlooked with amputees is the costs that are necessary to conduct their daily lives in an ordinary fashion. For example, someone who has had an amputation of one, or both, of their legs may need to use a wheel chair for part, or all, of the day. When this occurs, the amputee will need to make additions or changes to their residence in order to accommodate their wheel chair. Home modification, which can include ramps, wider halls, and lower sinks are just a few accommodations that may be necessary.

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