Some of the most difficult injuries to recover from are those that involve literally losing a piece of yourself. Your body is such a constant, reliable presence, and such an indispensable tool in everything that you do, that it’s hard to imagine being without even a small part of it. At the same time, many people don’t consciously realize how much they depend on less obvious body parts, like their toes or non-dominant hands, until they face getting by without them.
No one expects it to happen to them, but these catastrophic accidents are more common than you might think. The Amputee Coalition reports that about 45% of these amputations are the result of traumatic injuries, while vascular and cancerous illnesses account for the rest.
An Atlanta Amputation Injury Lawyer Can Help
When you have experienced the trauma of an unexpected and unwarranted amputation, knowing where to turn for help can be difficult. You need an amputation lawyer you can trust. You need an Atlanta law firm experienced in representing amputation victims and winning.
The amputation attorney at The Stoddard Firm will listen to your claim, answer your questions, and explain your options. We understand how these cases work. We have successfully recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients who filed similar personal injury claims, including amputation accidents, catastrophic injuries, loss of body parts, and traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
For example, we have recovered the following in damage awards and settlements:
A $15.95 million verdict for a client who lost his eye due to a defectively manufactured product
A $2.85 million verdict for a client who lost part of his arm due to a defectively designed machine
A $2.1 million verdict for a client who suffered a TBI after being electrocuted at a processing plant
A $700 thousand recovery for a man who suffered permanent corneal scarring following an accident with an 18-wheeler
A $1 million recovery for a client who suffered serious injuries after his hand was caught in a defectively designed machine
An $8 million verdict for a client who suffered head injuries due to hazardous features in a parking garage
A $900,000 recovery for a client who suffered serious eye injuries after
A $4 million verdict for a client who suffered complications following a fall at a commercial facility
A $995,000 recovery for a client who suffered serious back injuries following a tractor-trailer accident
Our experienced Atlanta amputation injury lawyer can help. Contact The Stoddard Firm at 470-467-2200 to arrange your free consultation.
FAQs Answered by an Atlanta Amputation Attorney
The following is a compilation of frequently asked questions and answers from our amputation attorney.
What does it cost to hire an Atlanta amputation injury lawyer?
Hiring an amputation attorney to recover the compensation you are owed should not be stressful. Money is always an essential factor when choosing professional services. However, an Atlanta amputation attorney at The Stoddard Firm can take your case without any initial out-of-pocket cost, on a contingency fee basis. When your case succeeds, you pay attorney fees from your awards. If you don’t win, you don’t pay.
How much is my amputation lawsuit worth?
Each claim is unique. Your lawsuit could be worth up to millions of dollars. For a more accurate estimate, contact The Stoddard Law Firm.
What is the statute of limitations for an amputation lawsuit in Atlanta, Georgia?
In Atlanta, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of your accident. It is important to file your amputation lawsuit in Atlanta before your statute of limitations expires.
Should I hire an Atlanta amputation lawyer or a TBI attorney?
Sometimes you may suffer from more than one injury. You may wonder whether to file an amputation claim or a TBI lawsuit. At The Stoddard Firm, our lawyers, including experienced brain injury attorneys in Atlanta, are well-versed in both issues. We can skillfully handle claims for multiple injuries simultaneously.
General answers to these questions are helpful, but there are always exceptions. For personalized advice tailored around your case, contact The Stoddard Firm at 470-467-2200.
What to Do If You’ve Suffered a Traumatic Amputation in Atlanta
If you or a loved one has survived a traumatic amputation, you’re in for a long, costly, and difficult recovery process. Everyone in the survivor’s family or social circle will be needed for support and be affected by the event.
Most accidents, whether they happen at work, on the road, at home, or in a public place, are avoidable and the result of some form of negligence. There are standards in place for workplace safety, product safety, building safety, and road safety, and when these standards are not observed, people get hurt — sometimes irreparably.
Frequent Causes of Traumatic Amputation
According to a survey performed at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, some of the top causes of accidental amputation in the U.S include:
This survey also found that the causes of traumatic amputation vary significantly by age group. Young and middle-aged adults are overwhelmingly more likely to lose limbs at work or on the road. Retirement age adults are more likely to suffer amputations from hobby and household devices, such as table saws and food processors. Children are more likely to get caught in doors and machinery.
Lawnmowers in particular, pose a serious risk of amputation injuries for seniors. They are especially dangerous for children, causing 600 childhood amputations per year in the U.S.
Amputations at Work
When it comes to occupational accidents, manufacturing workers are at the greatest risk, by far. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recorded 5,060 occupational amputations in 2016, 44% of them in the manufacturing industry alone. Construction, transportation, mining, and agricultural work also carried high amputation risks.
Even some of the seemingly safest professions showed surprisingly high accidental amputation rates, including 280 amputations in the leisure and hospitality sector, 110 in health and education, 80 each in real estate and finance, and 20 in business management.
In spite of the many regulations designed to ensure worker safety in every industry, all of these accidents in a single year paint a chilling image of our real-world level of occupational safety.
After-Effects of Amputation
Losing an appendage can have further-reaching effects on a survivor’s life than many people realize. After the obvious physical trauma and medical expense of the injury, an amputation patient faces a long, difficult process of relearning how to live.
Depending on what body part was lost, survivors might also lose the ability to perform their old jobs or participate in their old favorite hobbies. Others may be able to return to normal activities but will have to figure out new ways of performing tasks that were once second nature, often with the use of expensive prosthetics.
This process of adaptation can be particularly difficult for older adults. The families of child survivors, on the other hand, face the added expense of replacing prosthetics frequently as the child outgrows them.
Close to 80% of amputations remain physically painful long after the surgical scars have closed, as the nervous system becomes confused by the lack of input from the missing body part. Often, the nerves will send a persistent message that something is wrong, resulting in “phantom” pain in limb that no longer exists.
The Effects of Amputation Can Be Difficult for Others to Understand
It’s hard enough for most people to imagine the pain and practical challenges that come with losing a body part. Even harder to comprehend are the psychological after-effects.
A study published in the Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance found that amputation survivors have a dramatically heightened risk of depression, anxiety, and social discomfort. This is due in part to worries about their appearance, but also about their physical capabilities, employment, and the self-worth and identity attached to them.
Many amputation survivors also suffer from PTSD, stages of grief, sexual side effects, and even misplaced feelings of guilt.
Compared with other injury survivors, the complexity of an amputee’s situation can sometimes make relating and communicating a frustrating challenge. This can be the case even with doctors and loved ones who have the best of intentions, not to mention judges, juries, insurance representatives, and other strangers with whom the survivor will interact in the aftermath of an amputation.
How The Stoddard Law Firm’s Atlanta Amputation Injury Attorney Can Help
When you’ve been the victim of such an accident, you need an expert on your side to make sure you get the support you need to rebuild your life. The Stoddard Firm has professionals who are intimately familiar with the legalities and life-changing realities of traumatic amputation. We have the experience necessary to explain what you’re going through in terms both judges and laypeople can respect and relate to, so that you get the compensation you deserve.
We typically hire a “life care planner” expert witness who helps calculate the financial impact of the amputation, and then explains that financial impact to the jury. We also often hire video production firms to record “day in the life videos” to be played at trial. These videos help show – instead of just tell – the jury about the added difficulty of performing some of the daily tasks of life. And of course, our Atlanta amputation injury lawyer will work hard to find and prepare numerous “before and after witnesses” who provide additional perspectives on how the amputation has impacted the injured victims’ life.
When you have The Stoddard Firm’s help, you can put your focus on recovering. We have the knowledge and experience to make sure you and your loved ones are properly looked after. Give us a call at 470-467-2200 or contact us online for a free consultation about your unique situation.
Attorney Matt Stoddard
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]
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You’re going about your day, trying to get to work, or back home, or wherever your current destination might be. Maybe you’re checking your email, or thinking through your to-do list. Your commute is so routine that it barely demands any attention.
But then, every so often, you glance over the edge of the platform while waiting for your train, and you realize how easy it would be to slip and...
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ 
