Loss of Limb Claims and Limb Loss Compensation

Loss of Limb Categories

There are generally considered to be two categories of limb loss events, traumatic and surgical (or non-traumatic).

Traumatic Loss of Limb

While any limb loss is obviously traumatic, the term ‘traumatic loss of limb’ refers to the way in which the limb has been lost and applies specifically to instances where the limb has been lost in a sudden, unexpected and violent event. Limbs lost in traumatic injury events account for almost half of all cases of limb loss in the UK.

There is a multitude of ways in which a person can suffer a traumatic limb loss but two of the most common causes are road traffic accidents and workplace accidents. In these types of traumatic injury events, the body part can be severed or torn from the body or, in some cases, can be so severely damaged that it requires surgical removal.

A traumatic limb loss is an extremely serious medical emergency and if there is significant blood loss, can often develop into a life-threatening situation. Fortunately, with the advancements in medical care and the rapid response times of emergency services, the prospects of surviving a traumatic loss of limb have increased dramatically in the last few decades.

Surgical (or Non-Traumatic) Limb Loss

If tissue damage, infection or disease affects a part of the body to the degree where it makes it impossible for the tissue to repair itself, or the effects endanger the person’s life, then the affected part of the body may need to be removed by surgical procedure, this is referred to as a surgical amputation.

Over half of all limbs removed surgically in the UK are as a result of complications of vascular diseases and other conditions that affect blood flow, such as diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Each week In the UK, there are nearly 200 surgical procedures to remove legs, feet and toes due to diabetes alone, and alarmingly, this number is on the increase.

Whilst many limb removal surgeries are undertaken in response to a long-term medical issue, such as vascular disease, some surgical procedures are carried out as part of the immediate emergency treatment to save someone’s life following a serious injury. Surgical removal of a limb may also be considered if an injured limb has been so badly damaged that it is beyond reconstruction.

Potential reasons a surgical limb removal procedure may need to be carried out include:

• Diabetes and vascular diseases
• As part of life-saving emergency treatment following an accident
• Cancer-related amputation
• Severe Infection, such as sepsis
• Deformed limb with limited movement and function
• Medical negligence or misdiagnosis

Effects of Limb Loss

The surgical removal of a limb, whether planned or not, is a life-changing medical procedure and is going to bring with it significant physical, psychological and emotional effects. But when you lose a limb in a traumatic loss of limb or have a limb surgically removed following a serious accident, the psychological and emotional effects can be devastating.

Whilst no two accidents are the same and no two people respond in the same way, there are a number of factors common to most forms of limb loss that allow us to be able to assess the total effects of the loss of limb on a person.

These include:

• The classification of the loss of limb, i.e. which limb and the position of the removal
• The condition of the remaining limb
• Whether there is the prospect of using a prosthetic limb
• The person’s age - children often react far better than adults
• Their general state of health prior to the injury
• Whether they sustained secondary injuries during the incident that resulted in them requiring the surgical removal
• The levels of support and care at home
• The emotional and psychological effect the loss of limb has on the individual

Physical effects of amputation

The physical effects of the loss of a limb are going to be significant and life-changing. As well as the obvious consequences of losing a limb, there are a number of further physical effects that can impact the life of an amputee:

Mobility and dexterity

Losing part or all of a lower limb is going to dramatically affect an individual’s mobility, whilst the loss of an upper limb is likely to affect balance and will render once simple tasks, such as getting dressed, much more difficult and in some cases, impossible. Those who have lost their dominant hand or arm are likely to have difficulty completing tasks that require high levels of manual dexterity, such as writing. To compensate for this, they will need to learn how to use their previously non-dominant limb.

Stump and phantom limb pain

Many amputees experience some degree of either stump pain or phantom limb pain, and in some instances, both.

Stump pain is felt in the remaining part of the injured limb and can be attributed to numerous causes, including contact sores where the stump rubs on a prosthetic limb, nerve damage sustained during surgery or the gradual development of neuromas.

Phantom limb pain is a prevalent condition that affects over three-quarters of all amputees. Phantom limb pain refers to the sensation of pain that an injured person feels in their removed limb. The word ‘phantom’ does not in any way suggest that the pain is imaginary; it is a very real phenomenon, which has been verified using brain imaging scans.

The levels of pain experienced by those with phantom limb pain can range from mild to severe, with some describing the sensation as brief "flashes" of mild pain, similar to an electric shock, that last for a matter of seconds, whilst others have described constant severe pain.

Other physical complications associated with having an amputation include:

• Heart problems such as heart attacks
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
• Infection and slow wound healing
• Pneumonia
• Muscle contractures
• Fatigue

Psychological and emotional effects of limb loss

The psychological and emotional effects of losing a limb can be devastating for the injured person, with many amputees reporting experiencing emotions such as grief and bereavement. The loss of a limb and the effect it has on the affected individual is also likely to have a significant impact on their family and friends.

With any limb loss, coming to terms with the psychological impact is often as hard to deal with as coping with the physical effects. This is particularly true in people who've lost a limb in a serious accident because unlike those who undergo a surgical amputation, they don't have time to mentally prepare for the effects of the loss

Losing a limb can have a significant psychological impact for three key reasons:

• The individual has to cope with the loss of sensation from the lost limb
• The individual has to cope with the loss of function of the lost limb
• The individual has to come to terms with their own sense of body image, and other people's perception of your body image

Negative thoughts and emotions are prevalent amongst people that have experienced limb loss.

Common emotions and thoughts experienced by amputees include:

• Grief
• Denial - refusing to accept the situation and resisting the changes they need to make, such as physiotherapy
• Depression and feeling suicidal
• Anxiety

People who have lost a limb as a result of trauma, such as victims of road traffic accidents or military personnel, also have a heightened risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological conditions.