Traffic accidents are the leading cause of traumatic amputations in New York. In the vast majority of these cases the limb is severed (or partially severed) at the time of the accident but sometimes medical complications require the amputations days, weeks, or even months after the initial trauma. While the number of auto accidents far outdistances other traffic related accidents, it is more common for a New Yorker to suffer amputation if they are involved in a pedestrian or cycling accident as the body is more exposed than when inside an automobile.
For example, you may remember the sad tale of a young tourist who had her foot amputated just above the ankle last year when she was struck by a runaway cab. Her foot was nearly completely severed on the scene and only the quick actions of upstanding citizens (including Doctor Mehmet Oz) saved her from bleeding to death.
The second most common cause for amputations in New York is work related injuries. Accidents on construction sites such as a fall from heights or a scaffold/ ladder collapse can result in the amputation of the limbs, fingers and toes. The long lasting effects of such horrific accidents can have life-long psychological, physical, and financial implications.
While the cost of hospitalization, surgery and rehabilitation is often covered by insurance, loss of income is never fully covered. If a person can work after recuperating, it is often in a reduced capacity or in a different occupation altogether. However, many amputees find it difficult to return to work and must rely on disability payments in order to get by. Regardless of the level of activity an individual is capable of after recovery, their lifestyle will be radically altered. This change is made doubly worse if the accident that resulted in the amputation was caused by someone else, whether in the workplace or in an automobile or slip and fall accident.
If you have undergone amputation because the accident was caused by someone else actions (or inactions) contact a New York amputation attorney immediately. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.