What Are the Most Common Causes of Amputations?

Amputations can lead to significant long-term disabilities for individuals, including the need to readjust to a new lifestyle. Amputations can affect a person’s ability to earn a living, and they can affect everyday quality of life. Amputation injuries occur in a wide variety of ways, some of which we want to review here. If you lost a limb due to the careless or negligent actions of another person or party, call a Portland amputation injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case.

Amputations Occur in a Variety of Ways

Information presented by the Amputee Coalition indicates that there are approximately 2.1 million individuals living with an amputation in the United States. More than 507 people lose a limb every day across the country. The most common age range for amputations is 45 to 64, and the second most common age range for amputations is 65 to 84. Men are more likely to experience amputations than women, and they comprise 69% of amputees. 

Blood Flow Concerns

Various types of chronic diseases and infections can interrupt blood flow which places a limb in jeopardy. When this occurs, a medical professional may recommend that some or all of a limb be removed to prevent further complications for a person’s body. Information available from Healthline shows that chronic medical conditions are a leading cause of lower limb amputations. Approximately 94% of all lower limb amputations are related to vascular disease. This includes diabetes and peripheral artery disease.

Cancer-related Amputations

A less common cause of amputations is cancer, resulting in approximately 1% of all amputations. The most common cause of cancer-related amputations includes bone cancer or another type of cancer that has metastasized into the bone. Cancer is the most common cause of amputations for those ranging from the age of 10 to 20.

Traumatic Amputations

Bodily trauma can also lead to amputations. Approximately 6% of all lower limb amputations are related to some type of trauma or injury, including car accidents, crush injuries, workplace-related accidents, and other incidents such as those that occur when working with machines unsafely.

Recovering Compensation After an Amputation

If you or somebody you care about has sustained an amputation injury caused by the negligent actions of another party, you may be able to recover compensation for your losses. For example, if the negligent actions of another driver led to an accident that caused an amputation to become necessary, then the at-fault driver should be held liable. If a doctor failed to diagnose a condition and this failure to diagnose ultimately led to an amputation, it may be possible to file a Portland medical malpractice claim to recover compensation.

The types of compensation available for a successful amputation injury claim against another party will vary depending on the facts surrounding each particular situation. Typically, this includes compensation for medical bills, lost wages, medical devices, prosthetics, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and pain and suffering damages.

We strongly encourage amputation injury victims to contact a skilled attorney who can examine the facts of their case. A lawyer will work with trusted medical experts who can look at the medical records and examine the amputee in order to help determine the best steps moving forward. In some cases, individuals will be able to recover compensation through an insurance settlement, but it may be necessary to file a civil personal injury or medical malpractice lawsuit against another party in order to move forward with the claim.

Beyond the injury itself, learn about the long-term costs of an accident-related amputation.