Print

San Bernardino Amputation Lawyers

For over three decades, the San Bernardino California amputation attorneys of the DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo Law Firm have helped their clients win the compensation they are legally due. Amputations are always hard on the patient regardless of which extremity is lost. We know that winning your trial will not bring you back to life as it was before the surgery or accident but it will help you get to as close to that as you can. Amputations can happen at work, at home, on the road or elsewhere. We will work diligently for you for the whole range of amputation cases from work injury cases and personal injury cases to workers’ compensation claims.

The Firm’s Pledge

Our firm will be by your side throughout the amputation case’s legal proceedings and your recovery. Our team will work diligently to ensure you receive the proper medical and physical therapy care you need as timely as possible. Our San Bernardino California amputation attorneys at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo will bring in a full team of professionals to help investigate into and present your injury case. This includes economists, physicians, therapists, accident reconstructionists, and vocational experts. Call (909) 436-4610 any time of the day or night to discuss how our firm can specifically help you and your family.

Amputation - Definition

Amputations are the purposeful or traumatic removal of a leg, toe, hand, foot, arm, or finger. It has been stated that about 70% of amputation surgeries or injuries are caused by disease(s) while trauma has been known to cause 22% of amputation. Tumors and birth defects (congenital) both account for four percent each of all amputations in this country. Digit (finger amputations and toe amputations) and foot amputations are statistically more common than larger surgeries like leg amputations and arm amputations. When it is done surgically, the patient is under general anesthesia. They can either be scheduled or done on an emergency basis (eg: for an arterial embolism). An orthopedic or general surgeon will usually perform the surgery along with plenty of medical staff support. Amputation patients should be honest with themselves regarding what level of emotional support they require in addition to the medical support and physical therapy.

Causes for Amputations - Traumatic

This is a general list of accidents, injuries or traumatic acute events that can cause an amputation or the need for an amputation:

Causes for Amputation - Surgical

The reasons to consider a surgical amputation are actually quite long. The most common ones include work injuries, osteomyelitis (deep bone infection), gangrene, frostbite, deformities like an extra finger or extra toe, cancerous tumors, melanoma, diabetes, severe trauma, and impaired circulation. Raynaud’s disease and Buerger’s disease are additional medical conditions where amputations may be utilized.

Injured On The Job

Severe injuries while on the job or working can be devastating because your employer may have dangerous conditions and heavy equipment like the punch press or table saw. An example that comes directly from OSHA is that around half of all injuries resulting from the punch press have required or caused amputation. Many other machines and equipment at work have increased rates of injuries that have caused amputations including conveyor belts and meat grinders. It is critical for you to consult with amputation attorneys who have experience in workers’ compensation as well as personal injury if you have been hurt while on working or at your place of employment. We will maximize the scope of your case for you so that you could be awarded full and fair compensation under the law.

The Types of Amputations

Amputations can happen to all the body’s extremities from a leg or foot amputation to the finger or hand amputation. Amputations are generally looked at in these two groups: upper body amputations and lower body amputations.

The list of possible upper body amputations includes parts of the body from the shoulder down to the hand and fingers. The most common arm amputations include elbow disarticulation, shoulder disarticulation, forequarter amputation, above-elbow amputation (transhumeral), and forearm amputation (transradial). The typical hand amputations include wrist disarticulation, metacarpal amputation, and finger amputations including pinky amputation, thumb amputation, ring finger amputation, middle finger amputation, and pointer finger amputation (or it could be a multi-digit amputation where the surgery includes amputating more digits than one finger).

Lower body amputations will involve a patient’s extremities from the foot and toes up to the pelvis and hip region. The list of potential leg amputations includes whole leg amputation, above knee amputation (transradial), below-knee amputation (transtibial), and knee-bearing amputation. The possible foot amputations include ankle disarticulation, partial foot amputation, or toe amputation.

All amputations may have what is called phantom pain. This is where the patient or injury victim believes they are feeling pain in the extremity that has been amputated.

Amputation and Diabetics

A diabetic patient is much more likely to require an amputation than someone without. The current statistic has diabetics with a 15 to 40 times bigger chance of having foot or leg amputation than a non-diabetic person. This wide difference is mainly because of poor circulation in a person’s lower extremities due to the diabetes. The decreased circulation can contribute to causing infection and gangrene. The International Diabetes Foundation has stated that more than 80,000 foot and/or leg amputations happen every year due to diabetes.

After an Amputation

Though the last few decades have brought upgrades and new knowledge as to how to keep amputations safer, 15% of all amputees still get an infection due the amputation. It is standard for patients to be given antibiotics and pain medication. In order for the patient to keep as much movement as possible and learn how to use their body, physical therapy starts as soon as possible. Amputees are also asked to focus on their emotionally healing as it is well know how hard amputation can be on a person’s mental state.

Quality Work Since the late 1970s

The solid and ethical reputation that we have built since 1979 as experienced and successful amputation injury lawyers is well known throughout San Bernardino, California, Orange County, Long Beach, San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield. We take pride in each of our cases and treat them as if we were representing our family member.

Free Consultation ~ Contact Our Firm

The initial consultations are completely free as we want you to be able to speak directly with a lawyer to discuss your specific case, your questions and your options. We will work for you and represent your case totally on a contingency basis. This is actually good news as it means that you will not owe or pay us anything until we do our job and win your case. Furthermore, you will not pay us anything if we do not win your case. The San Bernardino amputation lawyers at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo can meet you at our office or come to you at your own home or your own room at the hospital on Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5:30pm. Additionally, we can meet, by appointment, on Saturdays, Sundays and in the evening.

Law Firm of DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo
San Bernardino, California
(909) 436-4610

Lawyers You Can Trust