Truck crashes can be devastating, leading to life-altering injuries. One of the most severe and traumatic injuries a person can suffer in a truck accident is an amputation. Losing a limb is a physically and emotionally challenging experience, and victims deserve justice and fair compensation.
The Reality of Truck Crash Amputations
Truck accidents often involve immense force due to the size and weight disparity between large trucks and passenger vehicles. A fully loaded truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When a collision occurs, this force can cause catastrophic damage to smaller vehicles and their occupants.
Amputations can occur in several ways during a truck crash:
- Crushing Injuries: Limbs can become trapped and crushed between parts of the vehicle or between the vehicle and the truck.
- Traumatic Amputation: The force of the impact can be so severe that it severs a limb directly.
- Surgical Amputation: Even if a limb isn’t severed during the crash, severe damage, infection, or lack of blood flow may necessitate surgical amputation later.
Challenges Faced by Amputation Victims
The aftermath of a truck crash resulting in amputation is incredibly challenging. Victims face a long road to recovery, both physically and emotionally. Some of the difficulties include:
- Extensive Medical Care: Amputation requires surgery, hospitalization, and ongoing medical treatment. This can include pain management, wound care, and infection prevention.
- Prosthetic Limbs: Many amputees require prosthetic limbs, which can be expensive and require ongoing maintenance and adjustments.
- Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation: Learning to live with a missing limb and/or a prosthetic requires extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation.
- Psychological Trauma: Losing a limb is a traumatic experience that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.
- Lost Income and Reduced Earning Capacity: Amputation can make it difficult or impossible to return to the same type of work, leading to lost income and a reduced ability to earn a living in the future.
- Lifestyle Changes The loss of a limb can affect many aspects of a person’s life.
Seeking Justice and Compensation in Ohio
Ohio law allows victims of negligence to seek compensation for their damages. This can include:
- Medical Expenses: Past, present, and future medical bills related to the amputation, including surgery, hospitalization, medication, prosthetics, and rehabilitation.
- Lost Wages: Compensation for income lost due to the injury, including time off work for recovery and any reduction in future earning capacity.
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical emotional pain caused by the amputation.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Compensation for the impact the amputation has on the victim’s ability to participate in activities they previously enjoyed.
- Disfigurement: Amputation is a disfiguring injury. Ohio law allows compensation.
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident that led to catastrophic injuries, contact Pencheff & Fraley today for a free consultation.
Visit our offices at:
- Westerville – 4151 Executive Pkwy, Suite 355, Westerville, OH 43081
- Mansfield – 33 S. Lexington-Springmill Rd, Mansfield, OH 44906
Or call now for a free consultation at (866) 753-0919. We are here to help you fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
