Losing a part of your body is a life-altering tragedy. It can leave your personal and professional life in upheaval. You have to learn to do things differently, or maybe you can’t do them at all. And the emotional distress and pain you suffer from the amputation is indescribable. You may wonder where to turn.
Talk to an experienced amputation injury lawyer. A lawyer can review your case. You may be entitled to compensation if your amputation injury was caused by another party’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional conduct. At Peerali Law, we have experience in these types of cases and are committed to achieving justice for you and your loved ones.
What Is an Amputation?
Amputation is the surgical removal of a body part. Common parts amputated include fingers, arms, hands, feet, legs, and toes. There are two types of amputations: complete and partial. A complete amputation is a total removal of the body part, while a partial amputation leaves some soft tissue still attached to the body.
What Are Common Causes of an Amputation?
Many different types of personal injury cases can cause an amputation injury. Common causes include:
- Workplace accidents,
- Medical malpractice,
- Car accidents,
- Truck accidents,
- Bicycle accidents,
- Motorcycle accidents, or
- Defective products.
If you or a loved one has needed to have a body part amputated because of another party’s negligence, contact an experienced amputation injury lawyer.
What Is the Value of My Amputation Case?
We know you’re going through a difficult time. And your financial situation is suffering. Bills are piling up. Your household income has decreased from your time off work. It’s natural to want to know the value of your amputation case.
Every amputation case is different, so the range of case values can be wide. You need to consult a Los Angeles amputation attorney. An experienced attorney will help collect evidence and examine the facts of your amputation injury case. Then, they will be able to give you an estimate of your case’s value.
What Types of Damages Can I Collect For My Personal Injury Case?
No amount of money can ever give your lost body part back. However, you may be able to collect economic and noneconomic damages like any personal injury case. In rare cases, you may also be eligible for punitive damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are meant to compensate the injured party for the monetary losses caused by the at-fault party’s actions. They are intended to put the injured party back in the financial situation they were in before the amputation. Economic damages are quantifiable and usually appear as evidence in bills and invoices.
- Medical Expenses. Examples include hospital stays, doctor visits, surgeries, diagnostic tests, and medical equipment. Any medical expenses that may be ongoing in the future may also be covered, such as in-home nursing care, therapy, and rehabilitation.
- Loss of Income. Amputation injuries cause many people to miss work while they recover and rehabilitate at home or the hospital. You may be able to collect your lost income for this period of time.
- Loss of future income. If the amputation renders you unable to perform the duties of your old job, you may be able to collect the loss of future income.
Because these expenses are evidenced in documentation, it is essential not to throw out anything related to your amputation injury.
Noneconomic Damages
Noneconomic damages are meant to compensate for intangible damages. Therefore, they are not easily quantifiable. These damages are abstract. They include:
- Pain and suffering,
- Disfigurement,
- Impairment,
- Emotional distress,
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and
- Loss of consortium.
An amputation attorney in Los Angeles can help determine the amount of noneconomic damages you deserve.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are different from economic and noneconomic damages. They are not meant to compensate the injured party. Instead, punitive damages serve two other goals. The first goal is that they punish the at-fault party for their careless or reckless actions. The second goal is to deter future bad conduct from them or others. Punitive damages are reserved for particularly egregious conduct and are not awarded often.
What If I Was Partly at Fault For the Accident?
Understandably, you may be concerned about your ability to recover compensation for your amputation if you were partly at fault for the accident. However, fault alone does not disqualify an injured victim to recover compensation in California.
California is a pure comparative liability state. Even if you are partially at fault for the amputation, you can still collect the percentage of damages you were not responsible for.
For example, if you were found to be 30% at fault for the accident that caused your amputation, you can still collect 70% of the damages. Alternatively, if you were 80% at fault for the accident, you can still collect 20% of the damages.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Amputation Attorney in Los Angeles?
Different law firms structure their fees differently. At Peerali Law, we operate on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay us nothing upfront, and we are only paid if we can recover compensation for you. If you do not get paid, we do not get paid.
Contact an Amputation Attorney at Peerali Law Today
If you or a loved one has suffered an amputation injury caused by another party, you may be entitled to compensation. And you don’t have to fight for it alone. Contact an amputation injury lawyer at Peerali Law.
We are a boutique law firm located in Los Angeles. Our priority is representing individuals injured in accidents and helping them pull their lives back together. Co-founders Kristopher Peerali and Serena Peerali have extensive experience in personal injury law and will see your case through to the end.
We have recovered millions for our clients because we will never settle for less than you deserve. Contact Peerali Law today and learn more about the next steps.