Disfigurement / Amputations

Fort Lauderdale Disfigurement and Amputation Attorneys

The lingering effects of a major accident can often be just as traumatic as the initial injury. In cases of serious motor vehicle accidents or burn injuries, a victim can be left with severe scars, visible burns, or infections that require doctors that require doctors to amputate a limb. These kinds of effects can significantly impact one's ability to enjoy life. A serious disfigurement or amputation can prevent someone from partaking in certain activities, being able to perform effectively at work, or living a normal life due to the visibility of the condition. The attorneys at Levine & Glassman are here to help you cope with this difficult and stressful situation.

If you have suffered a disfigurement of some type due to the negligence of another person, seeking legal advice from a dedicated disfigurement and amputation attorney is an important step in regaining your life. The seriousness of such an injury means that action should definitely be taken to ensure that you've received a fair compensation for your loss.

Even if you're not sure that your condition resulted from negligence, it's a good idea to speak to a lawyer to receive a full investigation of the details. A skilled lawyer in a personal injury lawsuit can discover factors of negligence in the case, often dealing with faulty premises maintenance or other driver negligence. These details can mean the difference in getting you a fair deal for your medical expenses, mental anguish, and lost ability to enjoy life.

Dedicated and Compassionate Representation for Floridians

As personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys in Florida, we at Levine & Glassman believe that our clients deserve attorneys who truly care for their well-being. Our approach to personal injury lawsuits combines experienced representation with the integrity and resolve essential to diligently pursue the truth. You didn't give up after your accident, and neither will we. Let us use our knowledge and skills to help you recover from your loss. Call our attorneys today at (954) 332-6100 or fill out our case evaluation submission form to schedule a free consultation and learn how you can get back what you truly deserve in a personal injury case throughout Southeast Florida, including the Fort Lauderdale / Miami / West Palm Beach metropolitan area and the counties of Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach.

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Disfigurement and Amputation Information Center

• Disfigurement and Amputation Overview
• Types of Disfigurements
• Amputations and Prosthetics
• Causes of Disfigurements
• How We Can Help
• Disfigurement and Amputation Resources

Disfigurement and Amputation Overview

A disfigurement is any severe or permanent damage to one's appearance. This can include effects from conditions like diseases or birth defects, but often, disfigurement comes from injuries sustained later in life. Serious burns from heat, electricity, or chemicals, scars from severe cuts and lacerations, and major blunt trauma are some of the more common physical disfigurements that arise.

An amputation occurs when there is a major infection in some part of the body that must be removed to prevent its spread. Usually, these infections are localized within one of the victim's limbs, and doctors must amputate it in order to save the victim's life. Living with an amputated limb is difficult, but many patients are thankful to be alive after such a major accident.

These kinds of serious effects put significant strain on the individuals who suffer from them. Aside from the obvious physical complications that may arise, many who suffer from serious visible disfigurements suffer from a reduced self image, are prone to bouts of depression, and experience difficulty in social and employment situations. Often, they become the target of intolerance and prejudice from their peers and the general population. They continue to face unfairness long after they have recovered from their injury. Taking steps to regain confidence and financial security after a disfigurement or amputation is essential to successfully dealing with such a condition.

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Types of Disfigurements

There are many different conditions that could be classified as disfigurements. Those that arise from accidents and personal injuries typically are much different than those resulting from birth defects or diseases and are typically characterized by large, permanent scars or burns. Some of the accident-based disfigurements include:

• Hypertrophic scars - Caused by an overproduction of collagen at the site of the scar, this scar is raised, with an appearance of red bumps. Standard hypertrophic scars usually remain within the area of the original wound. Injections and the administration of steroids can reduce inflammation of the scar during and after its formation.

• Keloid scars - Technically a type of hypertrophic scar, keloid scars tend to extend beyond the area of the original wound due to their ability to continue growing. This can form benign tumorous growths around the site of the injury that become serious cosmetic problems that can affect mobility in certain areas of the body. Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen or surgical removal are required to treat this type of scar.

• Contracture scars - A contracture scar occurs from a burn. The skin around the burn site will begin to pull together, affecting mobility and potentially damaging nerve and muscles in the area. This type of scar needs to be treated quickly.

• Amputations - If there is an infection confined to one area of the body that may quickly spread and threaten the individual's life, doctors must often make a quick judgment on whether to amputate the limb. The removal of the limb can often save the patient's life, but leaves them in a difficult situation for the rest of their life. Progressing technology is allowing amputees significantly better options in prosthetics and rehabilitation, but these options are usually prohibitively expensive.

• Stevens-Johnson Syndrome - Often a result of allergies and negative reactions to medication, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a separation of the dermis and epidermis in the skin that is caused by cell death. An individual with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is forced to deal with highly visible skin scarring. Many cases of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome can be considered medical malpractice claims or defective drug cases.

Dealing with these types of permanent or persistent disfigurements can be a very difficult situation for anyone. It only makes it worse if they were unfairly subjected to such conditions. Contacting an attorney to recover damages sustained from these incidents can make the process much more manageable and help you get back to some sense of the way things used to be.

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Amputations and Prosthetics

Losing a limb can be a traumatizing experience on top of the initial accident. An amputated leg can mean a dramatic lifestyle change, especially for someone who has experienced a serious injury in a construction accident, military service, or some other physical endeavor. Amputated arms could affect day-to-day life for anyone; we take the use of both arms for granted when it comes to even simple tasks. Even partial amputations can be a significant hindrance in a person's life. An amputated finger or amputated forearm can prevent functioning just as much as losing the entire limb.

Amputees have hope for the future, though, with the advancing technology in prosthetic limbs and improved rehabilitation programs that help amputees find ways to deal with their lost limb. Processes that have helped amputees include:

• Transtibial Prosthetics - Artificial limbs for legs missing below the knee
• Transfemural Prosthetics - Prosthetics for legs amputated at the femur, or above the knee
• Transradial Prosthetics - Artificial forearms for arms amputated above the elbow
• Transhumeral Prosthetics - Complete prosthetic arms, including the humerus up to the shoulder
• Robotic Limbs - Programmable electric limbs that give an individual finely tuned control over the prosthetic
• Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) - A technique used with robotic limbs that redirects neural pathways, allowing the user to control the prosthetic effectively
• Cosmesis / Cosmetic Prosthetic - Prosthetics designed to disguise a disfigurement or amputation by mimicking the look and feel of a real limb
• Direct Bone Attachment - Also known as osseointegration, this method of prosthesis is less painful for the amputee, gives them better control, and increases the usable life of the prosthetic limb.

However, these programs usually have exorbitant price tags that make it very difficult for the average person to afford. The medical expenses associated with prosthetic limbs and rehab aren't the only costs an amputee may face; lost productivity and potential wages during their recovery can add up to a major sum of money. If you're an amputee facing the harsh reality of enormous medical debt, you should take action to seek compensation for your damages. Contact the attorneys at Levine & Glassman to get your life back on track.

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Causes of Disfigurements

Since these disfigurements usually result from any serious injury or bacterial infections, they can happen pretty much anywhere. Any situation that is likely to involve some physical injury can cause a disfigurement. Some of the more common scenarios that result in serious disfiguring injuries are:

• Burns or lacerations from auto accidents
• Motor vehicle defects
• Motorcycle accidents and road rash
• Industrial accidents / Chemical, electrical, steam, or fire burns
• Hot liquid spills
• Slips and falls
• Workplace accidents / Defective equipment
• Construction accidents
• Surgical errors
• Incorrect prescriptions
• Defective medications

Serious scarring, burning, or dismemberment is more present than it seems. Safety measures and protocols are good steps to reducing the frequency of seriously disfiguring injuries, but nothing can absolutely prevent these things from happening. It's impossible to eradicate negligent behavior, but fighting it is what we do.

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How We Can Help

The skilled representation we offer at Levine & Glassman can help you get your life back to a semblance of normality after your serious accident. We understand that a major disfigurement is a very difficult thing to deal with for you and your family, and are a compassionate law firm that is dedicated to getting you back on track. We focus on applying our experience, integrity, and resolve to every lawsuit to ensure our clients receive swift and effective personal injury lawsuit resolutions.

Call our personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys if you have a case throughout Florida, particularly in the areas of Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, and their corresponding counties of Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach. Though our focus is in Southeast Florida, we are glad to help clients across the nation should they seek our services. Wherever you are, we are glad to help. Call us today at (954) 332-6100 or send us a message about your case via our online case evaluation form to set up a free consultation and begin the recovery process.

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Disfigurement and Amputation Resources

AboutFace - AboutFace USA is a non-profit organization that provides information and support resources to individuals living with facial disfigurements. They focus on emotional and self-image support for those who have suffered facial disfigurement from birth or as a result of an injury.

American Burn Association - The American Burn Association devotes itself to improving the lives of burn victims through advocacy programs, education, research, and improving patient care. They focus their efforts on rehabilitating burn victims and preventing the occurrence of burn accidents throughout the United States.

The Open Prosthetics Project - The Open Prosthetics Project is dedicated to finding new solutions to prosthetic limbs that are more affordable to the average person who has had a limb amputated. They have partnerships with a number of medical companies to develop more cost-effective prosthesis methods and techniques.