Car Accident, Amputation Injury Claims in Arizona
Many unfortunate outcomes result from Car Accidents. Sometimes, it isn’t that serious, and victims escape unscathed or with hairline injuries. Most of the time, nobody is that lucky, and victims of a devastating car accident usually suffer bone-crushing, limb-breaking injuries.
In some cases, these injuries are severe enough to give rise to arterial or nerve complications – leading to an amputation. An amputation is typically a last-gasp medical measure, and it is done to help patients recover or guarantee a less torturous outcome. Whatever the case, coming to terms with how different your life suddenly is can be challenging after getting a limb amputated.
In Arizona, the law recognizes that the blame for such events as car accidents is not a one-sided affair. The state’s comparative fault law also allows you some leeway where the fault isn’t entirely the other guy’s. So, if you’ve been a victim and have had your world rocked due to losing a limb, you may make an amputation claim to obtain compensation. Of course, this is only right and even essential to support your rehabilitation and lifestyle changes as an amputee.
Our Arizona Injury lawyers are there to help you get through a life-changing amputation. Our expert amputation injury claim attorneys have amassed vast experience with catastrophic auto accident injuries that result in amputation and can help you make the best circumstances out of your situation. Reach out to us here to get one step closer to fair and just compensation.
Auto Accident Amputations in Arizona
According to the Amputee Coalition, about two (2) million people in the United States classify amputees and live with limb loss. But that not all, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), puts the number at 1 in every 200 people in America that have had a body part amputated during their lifetime. Also, thanks to traumatic events like vehicle crashes, nearly 185,000 amputations are performed every year in the United States.
Auto accidents and amputations are no joke. An amputation is what happens whenever all or part of a limb or extremity is surgically removed to aid treatment or save a patient’s life. With crash victims, they are typically performed to ease patient trauma and ensure the best possible outcome.
Traffic violations that result in amputations may involve cars and large vehicles like trucks. A collision strong enough to crush a car can break the limbs of people inside. Depending on their medical history, even a minor cut combined with blood loss and possible infection can justify an amputation. It does not only have to happen with cars, with the right degree of force and trauma; even a motorcycle could crush a limb.
In a personal injury context, traffic violations that cause injuries severe enough to result in amputations include but are not limited to;
- running a stop sign,
- illegal turns,
- speeding,
- failure to yield,
- reckless driving,
- aggressive driving,
- DUI
- Extreme DUI et cetera.
Of course, amputation injury claims can also arise from other situations like workplace accidents, dog attacks, and defective products. In any case, the common thread with these other causes and auto accidents is the presence of negligence or some wrongdoing by another person.
How are Arizona amputation (personal) injury claims valued?
In Arizona, the law provides safeguards for crash victims who have had to go through an amputation. Commonly, these safeguards are rooted in personal injury law. But they can also be a mix of medical malpractice (hospital or doctor’s wrongdoing), motor vehicle, workers’ compensation, or product liability law.
Many factors determine the value of a car accident amputation injury settlement, and each case comes through on its own merits. However, there are issues that the courts generally use to guide their consideration of the value of claims and settlement amounts. For example, your success in enforcing an amputation injury claim can be affected by either of Arizona’s comparative fault or limitations statutes.
One other significant factor in determining damages is your medical expense. Medical expenses properly represent the severity of your injuries, and severe injuries typically translate into more significant damages. Some of the factors that help determine the value of a car accident injury claim include lost wages, property damage, loss of future earnings resulting from temporary or permanent disability, and the projected cost of future medical expenses.
With Arizona car accidents, a little law known as the statute of limitations is very important. According to that law, for common car accidents, you have two years from the crash date to pursue your claim. Where the driver is uninsured or under-insured, the statute of limitations is three years. If the other party involved in the crash is a police officer or a public official, the time limitation is a lot shorter. In that case, you have only 6 months to file your paperwork and one year to file any claim
As someone who is personally involved in a car accident, you have several decisions to make. You have to decide how you get back and forth to work, how to fix your car and who is to pay for the repairs, and any out-of-pocket medical expenses you may incur. It would be best to decide what strategy you should employ in pursuing an amputation injury claim against the driver at fault (and their insurance company). If you were injured in the crash, retaining an Arizona amputation injury lawyer is always a smart move.
What is certain is that you need an attorney adequately equipped with the requisite skill and experience- to win your claim.
Contact Arizona Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your case today.
We have a wide range of experience acting for amputees, knowledge of experts working in the field, and an understanding of what needs to happen to maximize your rehabilitation and damages awarded
As a crash victim who had a limb amputated, Arizona’s car accident laws protect your legal rights. However, like most people, you don’t know the law, and you don’t have time to learn all of the vagaries associated with standing up to the insurance companies. Also, if you are like most people, you desperately want someone to handle your case for you, and you want to feel confident that you have the help and resources you need going forward.
Where your amputation was the result of the negligence of another person or entity, in that case, you might be entitled to compensation for medical bills, loss of wages, and your pain and suffering. Please reach out to us to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.