Item: Normandie Law Firm
Rating: 5
Author: Gina Rasmussen

Missing limbs are characteristics of almost 2 million people living in the United States. Limb loss can often be categorized into one of three reasons—vascular diseases, trauma, and cancer. Each year, there are more than 185, amputations in the U.S., most of which are caused by vascular diseases (54%) and trauma (45%).

After having a leg or both legs amputated, those affected might experience a series of challenges as a direct result of their amputation—including physical, emotional, mental, financial, and social challenges. Many people lose the will to continue with their life after an amputation; they feel like they cannot do anything about their situation. However, you have options.

If you were the victim of an amputation injury, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit and receive compensation. If your legs had to be amputated as a result of the negligent or reckless actions of a party, you could file a claim. To learn more about your right to file a lawsuit and sue the party liable for your amputation, you must contact a law firm that has experience with leg amputation cases.

Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm that has actively helped amputees all over Los Angeles and surrounding areas. If you need to speak with a lawyer for leg amputation injury, you can trust our law firm to connect you with knowledgeable attorneys with expertise in amputation cases. Our attorneys have spent many years studying cases and applying their skills to lawsuits. When you contact our law firm and allow our attorneys to handle your leg amputation case, you can trust that our lawyers will do everything within their reach and the law to ensure that your claim is successful and you recover the compensation you deserve.

In the following sections, you should find general information about the legality of filing a leg amputation claim. The information provided should not be misrepresented as legal advice, as only an expert lawyer should provide you with legal guidance. If you have any questions, concerns, or if you would like to meet with our attorneys, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible.

Why Are Legs Amputated?

Legs are often amputated as means to save lives. When injuries are severe and the limb must be reconstructed, the wound is susceptible to becoming infected and spreading the infection to the rest of the body. Amputation is often an option to deal with severe infections. Amputations are also practiced to prevent those affected from bleeding out. In other cases, deep lacerations sustained in traumatic accidents can damage bones and nerves, making it impossible for doctors to treat the leg and leaving an amputation as the only option. Some traumatic accidents could lead to severed limbs at the scene; in those cases, often further remove part of the limb that shows infection necrosis.

What are the Common Causes of Leg Amputations?

Leg amputations are often caused by traumatic accidents. Traumatic accidents, unfortunately, occur on a daily basis. These accidents often involve the following:

Airplanes and helicopters
Amusement parks and roller coasters
Automobiles
Bicycles
Elevators
Escalators
Explosives
Limousines
Machinery
Motorcycles
Severe burns
Tour buses
Trains
Truck
Tools

In addition to the traumatic accidents involving things listed above, legs could be amputated due to malignant tumors in the muscle or bone in the leg, severe infections, and even frostbite, for example. There are many factors that lead to leg amputations.

Who has Liability for My Leg Amputation?

If you suffered a leg amputation, the last thing on your mind might be establishing liability. However, someone might have caused your leg amputation injury. To establish liability, you must establish that your injuries were a result of negligence. If you were injured in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or any other type of personal injury accident, you could prove that someone’s negligence led to your amputation injuries.

Nearly all parties owe others a duty of care. Drivers, truck drivers, and motorcyclists, for example, must exercise a duty of care to ensure that no parties are injured. For example, they must adhere to all traffic laws, follow all signals and posted speed limits, yield when necessary, avoid distractions, and focus their attention on the road. If they breach their duty of care, they could cause an accident which could harm innocent victims. If you were in injured in any accident, you must prove the four elements of negligence to establish liability. Negligence consists of four elements: duty of care, breach of duty, cause, and harm.

If you need an attorney to help you establish negligence and liability for your leg amputation injury, you must contact the attorneys at Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice and Leg Amputations

Leg amputations could also be caused by medical malpractice. To prove medical malpractice, you must prove that your harm was caused by medical negligence. Medical negligence consists of the four elements discussed above: duty, breach, cause, and harm. For example, medical professionals have a duty of care to treat their patients with skill and diligence. They must always run the tests and diagnostics necessary to identify dangerous conditions that affect the viability of a leg, for example. If medical professionals fail to address a decreased blood flow into a patient’s leg, prolonged lack of circulation could lead to necrosis, which could require amputation. All medical professionals must do everything within their reach and scope of knowledge to provide their patients with the best treatment available. If they breach their duty of care, they could harm their patients and be liable for their injuries. An amputated leg caused by medical negligence, for example, could lead to a lawsuit.

Could I Receive Compensation?

If you file a leg amputation injury lawsuit, you could be compensated. Undoubtedly, a leg amputation could leave you and your family with a mountain of unexpected medical bills and other costs associated with your injury. You might quickly fall back on your payments and risk losing your possessions, such as your car and your home. You could also be sent to collections and experience constant harassment and calls from credit collectors. Within a matter of weeks or months, you could be in serious financial distress. Luckily, if you file a claim, you could receive compensation. You might receive the following forms of compensation:

Medical expenses
Lost income
Pain and suffering
Property damage
Loss of consortium
Burial costs
Funeral costs
Punitive damages

There are many categories of compensation available for recovery—some of which are only available for claimants who file wrongful death claims. If an amputation leads to complications which cause the death of a member of your family, you could file a wrongful death claim and receive much of the compensation listed above.

Why is compensation so important? Monetary compensation cannot reverse your injuries. You will not suddenly have your leg again and be able to move on with your life as nothing happened. However, compensation can help you overcome the difficulties created after your amputation. For example, you could afford to keep up with your medical care and your physical therapy to regain your physical strength and mobility. You could also invest in high-quality prosthetics and spend more time dedicated to trying to learn how to walk with prosthetics to regain your independence. Your compensation could also be used to alter your home and ensure it is in ADA compliance to better your mobility at home. These are just a few of the benefits of being compensated.

When you allow our attorneys to handle your claim, you can trust that our lawyers will aggressively fight for your right to compensation. Our leg amputation lawyers know the value of your claim and they will never settle for less. Many attorneys claim to fight for compensation but quickly settle for the first offer of compensations. Our attorneys know the importance of recovering compensation; therefore, our lawyers will always ensure that our clients receive all the compensation they deserve.

Since the compensation you receive depends on the specific details of your claim, you must contact an attorney with experience in leg amputation cases as soon as possible.

What Affects the Value of the Case?

In 2009, the total hospital costs for amputation patients soared over $8.3 billion. Statistics from the same year demonstrated that leg amputations could result in $30,000 to $60,000 in preliminary hospital costs. Follow-up care for approximately three years after amputations could cause an additional $40,000 to $60,000 in medical bills. Constant physical therapy and the need for prosthetics or other medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and crutches, also increase the bills associated with amputations.

As you can see, the costs discussed above account for most of the medical bills associated with the victim’s amputation injury. In addition to medical expenses, the total length that the victim is unable to work and earn wages also affects the value of a claim. For example, if the victim was unable to work for a year, his or her wage history could be used to compensate him or her for the year that could not be worked. If the victim is unable to work permanently, lost income could also be projected based on his or her wage history and age. In general, the younger the victim is, the higher the compensation granted for lost income, especially if the plaintiff is expected to never be able to work.

The pain and suffering of amputees also affect the value of leg amputation claims. Leg amputations are often unexpected; in many cases, victims regain consciousness to find that they no longer have all their limbs. In very few cases, patients are given the option of proceeding with amputation surgery or risking their lives to keep their limbs. Whether patients decide to pursue amputation or wake up to the realization that a leg has been amputated, the emotional and mental trauma is the same. Amputees often suffer depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, and other forms of mental or emotional distress. Amputees could also encounter problems with their self-esteem and experience other social impacts. All of the factors discussed above are evaluated, often by a psychologist, to establish the extent of the victim’s pain and suffering. After the extent of the victim’s pain and suffering has been determined, a monetary value is placed on his or her mental and emotional distress.

Another major factor that affects the value of a claim is the policy limit for the defendant’s insurance coverage. Insurance policies often establish the maximum amount that claimants could receive. Even if claims are worth more than the policy limit, claimants could only receive up to the pre-set amount determined by policy limit. Often, the value of claims is significantly affected by policy limits.

The type of claim you pursue is also a factor that affects the value of your claim. For example, if you suffered a workplace accident and pursued a claim for workers’ compensation, you would be subject to different compensation caps. For example, the national maximum compensation for a leg amputation is over $150,000. In California, the maximum compensation for a leg amputation is more than $92,000. These numbers are specifically for workers’ compensation amputation claims. In general, victims of leg amputation injuries could receive higher compensation if they pursue claims outside of workers’ compensation.

For more information about the factors that could affect the value of your leg amputation claim, you should contact the experienced California leg amputation lawyers at Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible. Our experienced attorneys will evaluate every detail of your claim that could affect its value.

Sample Verdicts and Settlements

Before you decide to pursue legal action against the party or parties liable for your amputation injury, you might be interested in learning more about past verdicts and settlements for cases with similarities to your claim. Below, you will find a few examples of past verdicts and settlements to help you understand the potential value of leg amputation claims:

$1 million—the victim was under medical care when he began complaining about symptoms that made the proper blood circulation to his right leg questionable. Although he repeatedly asked for examination, the medical professionals could not identify a problem. Approximately three days after the initial complaints, a different doctor evaluated the victim’s leg and identified necrosis in the leg. Although many surgical procedures were performed to try and save the victim’s leg, his right leg had to be amputated above the knee. The medical malpractice claim settled before trial.
$1.2 million—the victim was a young boy who was playing on railroad tracks. The victim suffered partial leg amputations.
$1.8 million—the victim suffered a severe ankle injury in an auto accident. Just twenty-hours after the accident and before the swelling had decreased, the victim’s ankle was operated. After the initial surgery, the victim was subjected to eight additional surgeries which could not reverse the results of the first surgery. The victim’s leg eventually had to be amputated below the knee. The victim filed a claim for medical malpractice.
$2.2 million—the victim’s truck was improperly loaded and led to an accident. The victim suffered severe leg injuries which required his right leg to be amputated.
$3.3 million—the victim was run over by a trash truck while he was preparing his trash bin to be collected. The truck driver reversed and struck the victim, severely injuring the lower part of his leg. The victim developed a severe infection that resulted in an amputation after many failed attempts at treatment.
$5 million—the victim was struck by a semi-truck in a motorcycle versus truck accident. The motorcyclist sustained a severe leg injury, which required multiple surgeries in attempts to save his leg. The victim’s leg was eventually amputated below the knee.
$6 million—the victim’s vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. The victim suffered a severely injured right leg. The risk of infection was life-threatening; therefore, her leg was amputated.
$7.7 million—the victim was involved in a motorcycle versus auto accident. The victim’s leg had to be amputated.

As you can see, the sample verdicts and settlements listed above vary greatly. The verdicts and settlements above are dependent on the specific details and circumstances of the claims. Even though the value of the claims above is in the millions, you should be conscious of the fact that the sample verdicts and settlements above are likely outliers. Therefore, you should not assume that your claim could be settled for the amounts above. For a comprehensive discussion of the potential value of your claim and the settlement that you might receive, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible.

The Statute of Limitations that Applies to Your Claim

If you want to sue the party or parties liable for your leg amputation injuries, you must file your claim within the statute of limitations enforced in your state. What is a statute of limitations? How can a statute of limitations affect your claim? A statute of limitations is a timeline that is placed on all claims; the timeline establishes the deadline to file that applies to each type of claim. If claims are not filed within the time allowed by the statute of limitations, claimants could lose their right to sue. In addition to the time allowed by the statute of limitations, some exceptions to the statute of limitations could toll or extend the time claimants have to sue. For example, the plaintiff’s age and the plaintiff’s mental competency could toll the statute of limitations for a few months or a few years. The defendant’s actions could also affect the statute. For example, if the defendant leaves the state for any length of time, the statute of limitations could be extended by the total length of time that the defendant was away. Since the statute of limitations varies based on the details of your claim, you must always discuss the deadlines that apply to your claim with an attorney as soon as possible.

What deadlines apply to your claims? The statutes of limitations that apply to your claim depend on the type of claim you are pursuing. Therefore, the statute of limitations that applies to a leg amputation claim caused by a personal injury is different than one caused by medical malpractice, for example. If you are filing a claim, you must have a thorough understanding of the type of claim you are pursuing to establish the deadlines that apply to your claims.

If your leg amputation was caused by an auto accident or any other personal injury accident, your claim could be subject to a two-year statute of limitations. If you were unaware that your injury was caused by the negligent actions of the defendant, you could file your claim within one year of discovering that your amputation was caused by a party’s negligence.

If your leg amputation was caused by medical malpractice, your claim could be subject to a three-year statute of limitations. If you were unaware that your amputation injury was caused by the negligent or reckless actions of a medical professional, you could file your claim within one year of discovering that your amputation was caused by the medical professional’s negligence.

You might have noticed that you could have one-year after discovering the cause of your injury in addition to the normal statute of limitations to file your claim—that is called a discovery rule. The discovery rule states that claimants could file their claims one year after discovering their injuries or the true cause of their injuries. The discovery rule is helpful in cases which require lengthy investigations to determine the cause of the accident or injuries.

For more information about the timelines that could apply to your claim, you must contact Normandie Law Firm and speak with a Los Angeles attorney that can sue for injury resulting in a leg amputation as soon as possible. After a comprehensive evaluation of your claim, you should gain a thorough understanding of the timelines that could apply to your claim.

Normandie Law Firm

Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm dedicated to helping all victims affected by leg amputations. If your leg loss was caused by the negligent or reckless actions of a party, you might have grounds to file a claim and receive compensation. Limb loss, without a doubt, can be a traumatic and life-altering experience. At Normandie Law Firm, our attorneys understand how your amputation and dismemberment has affected your life and caused irreversible mental and emotional trauma. If your amputation injury was a result of the negligent actions of a party, you must contact Normandie Law Firm, the only leg amputation law firm that can represent you successfully and help you recover the compensation to which you are entitled.

Our law firm has dedicated many years to serving the community in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Normandie Law Firm has constantly made itself accessible to all victims of leg amputation injuries after auto accidents, medical malpractice, and other traumatic personal injury accidents. To remain accessible to all victims of leg amputation injuries, our law firm provides free consultations and free second opinions to all potential clients. Our free consultations and free second opinions ensure that all victims have the liberty of seeking legal assistance without having to worry about expensive legal fees. Unfortunately, many people with viable claims hesitate to contact us. The worry about their current financial situation prevents them from seeing the benefits of filing a claim—because they often fix themselves on the potential costs of filing lawsuits. Our free consultations and free second opinions ensure that all parties interested in speaking with our Los Angeles leg amputation attorneys can do so without stressing over costs. During our free consultations, our experienced ADA lawyers with experience in missing limbs, specifically missing legs, will answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Our knowledgeable leg amputation attorneys will give you all the information you need to begin your claim against the party liable for your amputation with confidence. If you have already started your claim at another law firm, you might be interested in how you could benefit from a free second opinion. Our second opinions are designed to dispel any doubts and confusion left by the misinformation you received from the incompetent attorney with whom you prematurely consulted. Often, incompetent attorneys agree to handle claims only to find that they are unqualified and inexperienced and, eventually, lead them to an unsuccessful outcome. If you believe that you got stuck with an incompetent lawyer handling your claim, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys will evaluate every detail of your claim and focus on clarifying any confusion created by the attorneys with whom you have already spoken. Our attorneys will always focus on doing everything within their reach to help you get your claim back on the right track and closer to a successful outcome.

Requesting a free consultation or free second opinion is simple—just contact our firm and request to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience. If, after your free second opinion, you decide to allow our experienced attorneys to handle your claim, you can be certain that our legal experts will help you through the process of switching lawyers.

Our free consultations and free second opinions are available through our Zero-Fee guarantee. Many people who contact our firm to discuss their claims are surprised that we offer a Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee is a way for our firm to show our appreciation for our clients. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our Zero-Fee guarantee also establishes our strict contingency status; therefore, our clients will not be required to give us any payment until our lawyers win their claims and recover their compensation. When you win your claim and recover compensation, our legal fees will be taken from the compensation you recover, ensuring that you do not pay us anything out of pocket. What if you do not win your claim? What happens if our lawyers are unsuccessful and cannot help you recover the compensation you deserve? If you do not win, you will not be required to pay us anything—you can be certain. Do not hesitate; contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible to begin your leg amputation injury lawsuit against the party liable for your amputation.