Suffered a Traumatic Amputation?
Contact a Lawyer at Drafahl Law Firm Today
When a limb is amputated in an accident, your life is often changed in profound ways. Not only do you experience the pain and discomfort that results from the amputation but you may also be left with very expensive medical bills as you are fitted with a prosthesis and learn to use your new limb.
When someone else was responsible for the incident that led to your amputation, you have the right to take legal action against them. You’ll need to navigate the civil justice system effectively, though, to get the money you deserve. The St. Louis injury lawyers at Drafahl Law Firm can help.
We understand the ins and outs of catastrophic injury cases and will work with you to identify all potential defendants and prove why they should be held accountable for your amputation.
To find out more, give us a call at (314) 300-6260 to schedule your free consultation today.
Meet St. Louis Amputation Injury Lawyer Nolan Drafahl
As the founding partner of Drafahl Law Firm, Nolan Drafahl represents injury victims throughout St. Louis, Kirkwood, Chesterfield, and communities across Missouri and Illinois. Working alongside his wife, Julia, Nolan has obtained numerous settlements and courtroom victories for his clients. He brings a determined approach to every car accident case and is committed to standing up for those who have been injured because of someone else’s negligence.
Nolan’s commitment to the community extends beyond his legal work. He participates in Fox 2 News’ Call-A-Lawyer program and serves as a board member of the St. Louis Crisis Nursery’s Young Professionals group. If you have been injured in a car accident, contact Drafahl Law Firm online or by phone to schedule a free consultation with Nolan or a member of the legal team.
Awards & Memberships
Finding a Trusted St. Louis Amputation Attorney
Since an amputation is a life-changing injury, you need an attorney you can trust to represent you in these high-stakes cases. Drafahl Law Firm is the firm to turn to because:
- Our attorneys have received extensive professional recognition, including being named by Best Lawyers on their Ones to Watch List and being recognized as Rising Stars by SuperLawyers
- We have extensive experience in amputation claims and know how to put together a solid case to maximize your compensation
- We take the time to fully understand how profoundly an amputation injury affects your life, including the impact on earning potential and future medical needs.
- We’ve recovered many million-dollar and multi-million-dollar verdicts in recent years, both in and out of court.
- We handle all amputation injury cases on a contingent basis, meaning we do not charge a fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
You can trust that we’ll treat your case with the importance it deserves when you place your faith in our St. Louis amputation attorneys.
Amputations are common following motorcycle crashes due to the exposed nature of the rider. A motorcycle accident lawyer in St. Louis can get you the maximum compensation for your unforeseen amputation.
“I, without hesitation, endorse Nolan. He is extremely bright, hard working, and truly cares about his clients.”
– William H.
Limb Loss Statistics in the United States
The numbers behind limb loss in America are larger than most people expect. More than 2.3 million Americans are currently living with limb loss, and researchers emphasize that this is likely an undercount.
Because the underlying study relied on insurance claims data from Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers, it couldn’t capture uninsured individuals or those covered through Veterans Affairs or TRICARE.
Roughly 185,000 people undergo an amputation each year in the United States, which amounts to about 507 people every single day. And the financial burden taken on by each of them is enormous: lifetime healthcare costs for a person with limb loss are estimated at $509,275.
How Drafahl Law Firm Can Help If You Suffer an Amputation in St. Louis
Revisor of Missouri section 516.120 establishes a five-year statute of limitations for injury claims, so you should act quickly to get an advocate on your side to help you begin putting together a strong claim. If you wait too long to pursue a case, your claim could be time-barred and you could be prevented from recovering compensation for your losses.
Once you reach out to us, Drafahl Law Firm will be here for you at every step, offering a comprehensive array of legal services including the following:
- Investigating the accident scene and interviewing witnesses to help you put together the strongest claim possible.
- Hiring experts to help make your case by proving the cause of your amputation and explaining the lifelong complications and impairments it will cause you
- Identifying all defendants who could be responsible for compensating you to maximize the chances there will be sufficient insurance coverage to pay for your losses
- Fighting to negotiate a fair settlement or represent you in court when no agreement can be reached on the compensation that you should receive.
We don’t charge legal fees unless we win your case, and we always offer free consultations so you can get to know us and learn what we’ll do for you.
What Should I Do After a Traumatic Amputation in St. Louis?
In the immediate aftermath, nothing matters but emergency care. The steps below concern the days and weeks that follow, when your decisions start affecting both your recovery and your legal claim.
- Follow Your Medical Treatment Plan Completely: Attend every follow-up appointment, therapy session, and prosthetic consultation, and follow your surgical team’s instructions.
- Preserve Evidence: If a machine, vehicle, or piece of equipment caused the amputation, do not let it be repaired, modified, or discarded; you need it as evidence for your case. Gather photographs of the scene, witness contact information, and any incident reports as well.
- Report a Workplace Injury in Writing: If the amputation happened on the job, report it to your employer in writing promptly; Missouri’s workers’ compensation rules expect notice within 30 days.
- Be Careful With Insurance Adjusters: Provide the basic facts, but decline recorded statements and broad medical authorizations until you’ve spoken with a lawyer. Adjusters and workers’ comp representatives are gathering information to limit what they pay, not to help you maximize your recovery.
- Talk to a Lawyer Before Accepting Anything: Amputation claims are lifetime-cost cases, and no one can responsibly value one in the first months after the injury. Before you accept a settlement, a rating, or assume a denial as final, have an attorney assess what the claim is actually worth.
These steps can help protect your health and your case in the future.
What Compensation Is Available for an Amputation Injury?
Losing a limb reshapes nearly every part of a person’s life, and the compensation in an amputation case has to reflect that. These claims are typically valued far higher than other injury cases because the losses are so significant. Compensation can usually be sought for the following:
Medical Expenses and Prosthetic Care
This covers emergency treatment, amputation and revision surgeries, hospitalization, and rehabilitation, but in amputation cases, it extends much further. A quality prosthetic limb can cost tens of thousands of dollars, requires ongoing maintenance and refitting, and must be replaced every few years for life. Treatment for phantom limb pain, mobility equipment, and modifications to your home and vehicle belong in this category too.
Lost Income and Earning Capacity
Compensation covers the wages lost during treatment and recovery, but the larger component is often future earning capacity. If the amputation forces you out of your trade or limits the work you can perform, the claim should account for the difference over the rest of your career.
Pain and Suffering
An amputation involves physical pain, like chronic pain and phantom limb pain that can persist for years or possibly for a lifetime. Missouri law allows compensation for that ongoing physical toll.
Emotional Distress and Loss of Enjoyment of Life
Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and grief over lost independence are well-documented consequences of limb loss. So is the inability to enjoy the activities, hobbies, and roles that defined life before the injury. These losses are compensable even though no receipt exists for them.
Loss of Consortium
A spouse may also have a claim for the loss of companionship, support, and services the injury has caused within the marriage.
The insurance company’s first number will almost never account for all of these losses. Establishing the full value usually requires life-care planners, vocational experts, and economists; working with a lawyer is the best way to make sure you get the help you deserve.
Who Can Be Held Liable for an Amputation Injury?
Liability for an amputation depends on the facts of the case. Any one or more of the following could be liable:
Negligent Drivers
Serious traffic collisions, especially those involving motorcycles, commercial trucks, and pedestrians, cause crush injuries that end in surgical amputation. The at-fault driver, and in trucking cases the motor carrier behind them, can be held liable.
Employers and Third Parties at Work Sites
Industrial presses, saws, conveyors, forklifts, and farm equipment are responsible for a large share of traumatic amputations. Workers’ compensation typically covers employees regardless of fault, but it pays nothing for pain and suffering. That’s why identifying third parties, like a subcontractor, an equipment lessor, a maintenance company, matters so much. A third-party lawsuit can recover damages workers’ comp can’t account for.
Product Manufacturers
When a machine lacks a proper guard, an interlock fails, or a design makes injury foreseeable, the manufacturer can be liable regardless of negligence under product liability law.
Property Owners
Dangerous property conditions can cause amputation-level trauma. When an owner knew or should have known about the danger and failed to fix it, Missouri premises liability law allows the injured person to hold them accountable.
Medical Providers
Some amputations trace back to the treatment itself rather than the original injury. Surgical errors, untreated infections that spread into bone or tissue, misdiagnosed blood clots, and mismanaged vascular conditions like diabetes complications can all make an amputation necessary when timely, competent care would have prevented it.
Sorting out every responsible party is critical so you can get the compensation you deserve.
How Long Do I Have to File an Amputation Injury Claim in St. Louis?
For most amputation cases based on negligence, Missouri allows five years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. This long deadline can give victims a false sense of security; it’s critical to know that some situations shorten this deadline.
For example, if a government entity was responsible, there are very short notice requirements.
Also, if you are filing a workers’ compensation claim instead of or in addition to a lawsuit, the deadline is different. The injury should be reported to your employer within 30 days, and a formal claim generally must be filed within two years.
Contact Us
To find out more about the ways in which our firm can fight for you, contact us online or give us a call at (314) 300-6260 today.