It’s not uncommon to hear about people getting into car crashes and suffering from head trauma or broken bones. It’s less common to hear about people who suffered amputations, but they do happen.
Amputations can happen in the vehicle or be a result of such severe injuries that the medical team has no option but to help the patient by removing the limb. How can a person suffer an amputation in a collision? It could happen if their arm is outside of the window when their vehicle rolls, for example, or if a sharp object comes into contact with them when they’re thrown from a car, truck or motorcycle.
A trauma-related amputation is traumatic regardless of how or why it happens. It immediately causes disability, and the person who has it may have phantom limb pain following the injury. They’ll also need months of physical therapy and could need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a prosthesis, if they want one.
Crashes and upper limb amputation
A significant portion of amputations caused by traffic collisions involve the upper body. In fact, around 70% of all amputations from crashes involve upper limbs. Injuries in crashes and other accidents are a leading cause of amputations of upper limbs.
After an amputation, there isn’t just physical recovery
Following an amputation, people have to go through more than a physical recovery. There are psychological impacts as well. People who have had amputations may deal with:
- Insecurity about their appearance and self-image
- Depression about the trauma
- Anxiety about their injury
- Other psychological impacts
Rehabilitation addresses these issues and tries to help patients get back to living as normally as is realistic. Physical therapy aims to give them as much functionality as possible, may teach them to use prosthetics, and encourages improvements physically, socially and emotionally.
After a serious crash, it’s normal to need help. If you or someone you love have been injured and had to have an amputation, it’s appropriate to seek compensation. With it, you can get the right medical care and support as you learn to live with a new disability that changes how you have to approach your life.