If you are in a car accident, you may expect to suffer internal injuries, soft-tissue damage and even nerve impairments. Even though your car has thousands of safety features, you are also vulnerable to traumatic amputations. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine, car accidents are a leading cause of them.
A traumatic amputation happens when some type of trauma causes part of your body to sever from the rest of it. Traumatic amputations, of course, are medical emergencies that require immediate treatment. Unfortunately, an accident-associated amputation may make you vulnerable to a variety of complications.
Shock
Arguably, the most pressing complication from a traumatic amputation is shock. Shock happens when your organs do not receive enough blood to survive. With a traumatic amputation, you may go into shock because of extreme blood loss.
Infection
It is not uncommon for traumatic amputees to acquire potentially deadly infections. While doctors can often treat infections with antibiotics, some infections resist conventional therapies. Moreover, an infection may cause you to develop sepsis or go into septic shock. Both of these conditions are life-threatening.
Phantom pain
After you recover from your accident-related traumatic amputation, you may be in for a lifetime of phantom pain. Phantom pain is any pain you experience in limbs you no longer have. Obviously, this type of pain can be both frustrating and exceedingly difficult to remedy.
Because of the complications that often come from traumatic amputation, you are likely to have considerable damages. Ultimately, seeking financial compensation for these damages may help you cope with your post-accident way of life.