Category: Amputation

I’m very sorry to hear about your amputation. As an amputee, I understand the challenges you are likely facing. In general, to get the best possible medical care as an amputee, or any other type of patient, you must be proactive, which means you take the leading role in your care. Although there are likely a number of medical experts, friends, and family members who are willing to give you advice and support, you must take the leading role.

First, in order to be proactive in your health care, you must be very direct, while also being pleasant and easy to work with. If you are expecting a call on a certain day about your prosthesis and you don’t receive it, make the call yourself. If you ask for a higher level of care you are likely to receive it. If you wait for someone to help you or take an interest in your situation without being direct, that could never happen, despite how good your medical team is.

As an amputee, you may run into resistance from your insurance company. That is extremely common. Insurance companies are renowned for looking for ways to keep from paying for medical devices and medical services that their customers need and desire. You may need to work extensively with your doctor, prosthetist, and insurance company to get the appropriate medical care that you need. If you get a “no”, don’t give up and assume there’s no way around that. File an appeal, talk to your medical providers, and call an attorney if necessary.

Finally, to get the best care you have to be knowledgeable about your situation. There are abundant resources available to educate you about your limb loss as well as to connect you with others who can provide support.

I am an amputee as well as a personal injury attorney. Being proactive, particularly with your insurance company, can help you get the best care available. If you believe you need to take the next step and speak with an attorney, call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles amputation attorney, at 310-385-0567. I can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.

I’m sorry to hear about your amputation. Osteomyelitis is a rare but serious infection of the bone. A bone can become infected because of an infection in another part of the body spreading to the bone, or because of an open bone break or surgery that could expose the bone to infection. If treated quickly enough, it could be treated with antibiotics, but in serious cases an amputation is necessary.

Doctors are making remarkable progress in the fields of limb loss and prostheses. Recently in Australia, surgeons installed a 3D printed tibia into the leg of a man who lost his leg above the knee because of osteomyelitis. The tibia was wrapped in blood vessels and tissue from both of his legs. Doctors believe the surgery was a success and that the man will experience bone growth. It will take him at least 18 months to walk again.

Although this surgery was successful, this procedure was experimental. Typically, insurance companies will not cover any treatments that they deem to be experimental. However, this surgery paves the way for future bone implantation, and at some point the procedure can no longer be deemed as experimental, and insurance companies will be forced to pay for it.

If you are an amputee, it can be difficult to work with insurance companies to get the treatments you are owed under the terms of your policy. In some cases, the insurance companies may be following the rules, but in other situations the insurance company may be acting in bad faith. If you are an amputee and you believe that your insurance company is acting in bad faith, call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles amputation attorney at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

If you have suffered an amputation, you should speak with your doctor. Your doctor can help advise you on the best way to care for your wounds in order to fully heal. Until your wound heals, normally you cannot be fitted for a prosthesis.

Typically, there are multiple phases of caring for your wound. Immediately after your surgery, you will have dressings and there may be drainage, with a drainage tube inserted to remove fluids and aid in repairing tissue. In that phase, you must be very careful of infection. Wash your hands frequently and do not allow anyone to come into contact with you without wearing gloves and/or washing hands. Be very cautious when moving so dressings stay intact. It’s important to eat well and to keep your medical team members advised of your progress.

Once the wound has closed, there are normally sutures put into place, which can be removed two or three weeks later. There are also normally compression dressings applied to reduce swelling to begin shaping your residual limb. They usually changed several times a day. You should follow all instructions offered by your medical team about how to care for those dressings. You may also wear an elastic shrinker sock, which can help reduce swelling. It may be used alone or with elastic bandages.

Once your residual limb has healed and swelling has reduced, it is most likely time to talk to your prostheist about your artificial limb. During the initial period after an amputation, the new amputee’s emotions are typically all over the place, and it can be difficult to make any decisions. However, if your amputation was a result of another party’s negligence, you should consider talking to an attorney as soon as possible. Your case will not improve as time goes by, and in fact can become a great deal more difficult.

Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputee Lawyer, at 310-385-0567 if you have suffered an amputation and you are having legal issues as a result. My team can help. I am not only a personal injury attorney, but I’m also an amputee. Call today to learn more about your options.

I am so sorry to hear about your amputation. Amputations under any circumstances can be devastating, but to lose your limb so unexpectedly in an accident can be especially difficult. It’s important to obtain as much help as you can during this difficult time, both from experts as well as friends and neighbors.

As a new amputee, you can expect that your residual limb will begin healing after surgery. You will most likely do physical therapy as soon as possible after the amputation. You will want to desensitize your residual limb, which your doctor and/or physical therapist can educate you on. You will also meet with your prosthetist, who will help you with your prosthesis. When choosing a prosthetist, you should try hard to find someone you are comfortable with. You will be spending a great deal of time with the prosthetist during your first few months as an amputee.

After your incision has healed, you will meet with your prosthetist to begin working on your prosthesis. After the initial prosthesis is made, you will begin your physical therapy. You will likely see your physical therapist several times a week at first. Your physical therapist will help ensure that you develop good habits while using your prosthesis.

In addition to all of the medical issues you will be facing as a new amputee, you can expect some serious emotional issues as well. New amputees can benefit a great deal from counseling. Life as an amputee will become easier, but it takes time.

If you have lost your limb in an automobile accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Although you may be overwhelmed right now with adjusting to life as an amputee, you cannot wait too long to pursue a legal case against a negligent driver. Evidence may disappear and time limitations apply. Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Lawyer, at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call us today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case. I am not only a personal injury attorney, but I’m also an amputee.

New amputees may experience several different types of pain. You may feel the standard post-surgical pain that any patient would feel after a major surgery. You may also feel phantom limb sensations, which are sensations that you may feel in your amputated limb, even though it is no longer there. They may be painful or non-painful. You may feel pain in your residual limb, which is the part of your limb that remains.

There are a number of ways to manage your pain. However, to be able to properly manage your pain, you must be able to describe the type of pain that you are experiencing, which will make it easier for you and your health care team to manage the pain. Before seeing your health care provider, you should write down your pain, when it occurs, what happens when it starts, how long it lasts, and what helps the pain. You should make a list of questions for your doctor, as well as a list of medical information such as what medications you are taking and what conditions you have been diagnosed with.

Your health care provider may prescribe pain medications to directly treat the pain, or therapies or treatments that may help reduce the pain. If you are prescribed prescription pain pills, you may be concerned about becoming addicted or overdosing. Discuss your concerns with your doctors as well as your pharmacist.

You may have legal options after your amputation, which can help provide financial compensation so that you are able to get the treatment you need. If your excess pain is caused by the negligence of a medical provider, you may be able to pursue a case against that provider. If your amputation was caused by the wrongdoing of another individual or company, you may be able to sue that individual or company.

Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Lawyer, at 310-385-0567 if you have had an amputation and you want to speak about your legal options. I am not only an attorney, I am also an amputee, and I can provide you with information about your options. Call today to learn more.

I’m so sorry to hear about your amputation. As an amputee, I understand the trauma that comes along with an amputation. I assume your amputation was done on an emergency basis, and that you were unconscious and were unable to make the decision about amputation.
In that situation, typically a family member must decide about the amputation. If no family members can be located quickly enough, healthcare providers must make the decision about amputation.

Normally, there are a couple of reasons an emergency amputation may be performed. The first is when a traumatic accident occurs. The limb could be lost at the scene of the accident, or may be so badly damaged that it must be removed in a hospital. The other common reason an emergency amputation may be done is if a severe infection has set in, and the individual is going into septic shock. Septic shock can quickly kill if not treated. In some cases, amputation may be the only appropriate treatment.

Emergency amputations are very rare. Normally, there is time for a patient to discuss the pros and cons of amputations and what other options may be available. The patient may be able to salvage the limb, but in some cases that may not be a good solution.
In most emergency amputations, the doctors struggle with the decision to amputate and may do everything possible to consult with family members and/or the patient. However, if a doctor truly believes that an amputation is the only way to save the patient’s life, it may occur without the amputee’s approval.

If you have undergone an amputation and you believe that it was not necessary, you may wish to consult with an attorney. An attorney can help advise you on your best course of action. Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Attorney, at 310-385-0567. I am not only a personal injury attorney, but I’m also an amputee, and I help other amputees with their legal issues. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

New information from the FDA has reinforced the belief that there is a link between the drug canagliflozin (commonly sold under name Invokana) and amputation. Recently, a study looked at reports of amputations that were associated with drugs similar to canagliflozin, and found that many of the people whose limbs were amputated had no discernible risk factors for amputation. Experts say this points to the drug’s unpredictable effects.

In May of this year, the FDA issued a warning to be placed on the label of canagliflozin, after the drug was shown to double the risk of lower-extremity amputation when compared with a placebo. The same risk was not seen in other drugs that are similar to canagliflozin. So far, the FDA has only issued the label warning for canafliglozin, not for other drugs.

Of the amputees who were taking canafliglozin, most were men, and had an average age of about 60. The average amputee took the drug for about a year and a half before the amputation. The most common level of amputation was the toe, but some had leg amputations, hand amputations, and even multiple amputations. Some died after the amputation.

This new information from the FDA confirms the risk to patients of taking the drug canafliglozin. If you have taken canafliglozin, commonly referred to as Invokana, and you have suffered an amputation, you should speak with an attorney. You may be able to hold the drug company liable for your damages.

Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Attorney, at 310-385-0567. I am an amputee as well as a personal injury attorney, so I understand the implications of an amputation. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

I am so sorry to hear about your amputation. You are not alone. Amputations due to the negligence of nail salons is very rare, but it does happen. Recently, there have been a rash of beauty salons in Indiana that were fined and placed on probation after they used razor devices and scalpels to remove calluses from the feet of their customers. One of those customers developed an infection in his foot, which resulted in the amputation of his right big toe after receiving a pedicure at a salon.

Under the laws of some states, salons are not allowed to use razor devices to shave, reduce, or remove calluses, because they can cause bleeding and infection. Those devices can also remove healthy skin. In a separate incident, another customer developed an infection that almost caused his leg to be amputated, as well as his death. He was hospitalized for three weeks and had five surgeries after his toe was gouged by an unclean instrument during his pedicure.

Legally, any customer who is injured during a pedicure can sue the nail salon for negligence. The plaintiff must prove that the nail salon did not act with reasonable care during the procedure, and that the conduct caused the injuries to the plaintiff. If you can prove that the nail salon was negligent, you can receive damages, including compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and more.

Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Attorney, at 310-385-0567 if you have suffered injuries because of the negligent conduct of a nail salon. I am also an amputee and I have a passion for helping other amputees with their injury claims. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

An amputation can be stressful enough, but when the anesthesia is botched, it can turn a bad situation much worse. Medical errors such as anesthesia issues are very common – in fact, it’s been estimated that medical errors are the third leading cause of death, behind heart disease and cancer. Anesthesia errors account for about three percent of all medical malpractice cases filed.

When a patient is injured because of the negligent care of a doctor or anesthesiologist, the patient may be entitled to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the negligent individual or hospital responsible. Normally, to bring a lawsuit against a medical professional, the plaintiff must prove a few things: that there was a doctor-patient relationship, the doctor owed the patient a duty of care, the doctor breached that duty, the patient suffered harm, and the doctor’s breach of duty was the cause of the plaintiff’s injuries.

Although there may be a number of errors made in medical settings, normally in order to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit a patient must have very serious, life-changing injuries. A case likely does not make any sense unless there are serious injuries. When a patient is able to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit, there are a number of damages that can be sought. The patient may ask for his or her medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, loss of enjoyment of life, and wrongful death.

If you have been injured by a doctor or a hospital, you may wish to speak with an attorney. An experienced attorney can help review medical records, determine who the responsible parties are, negotiate a settlement, take the case to court, and a number of other things.

Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Attorney at 310-385-0567. I am not only a personal injury attorney, but I’m also an amputee. I enjoy helping other amputees receive compensation for their injuries. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

Dealing with insurance companies as an amputee can be incredibly frustrating. There is often a maze of red tape that must be waded through in order to get the medical services to which you are entitled under the terms of the policy.

In many cases, the new prosthesis or adjustment to a prosthesis is denied because of documentation requirements that are not fulfilled. Insurance companies must see documentation showing the services that you require. Insurance companies look at the treating physician’s records, not the prosthetist’s records. The doctor who writes the prescription must be able to show why a prosthesis is needed.

Unfortunately, since doctors are not prosthetists, they do not always understand why a certain socket could be beneficial to an amputee. Prosthetists, as well as patients, must tell the doctor what is needed and why. If there is a problem with your socket, you should tell specifically the problems it is giving you – is it causing health problems, limiting your activities, causing pain in your residual limb, or is the socket damaged or worn out? You should also tell your doctor what the solution is, and why your prosthetist feels that would be the best course of action. Your doctor should document your conversation and submit the records to the insurance company.

Socket adjustments and repairs, as well as new prostheses can be covered under the insurance policy, if it can be shown there is a medical necessity. Normally repairs and adjustments are covered under the original order for the prosthesis, but if the socket must be repaired, or another expensive change is made, there must be a new prescription and documentation.

The bottom line is the best way to get insurance to cover your socket replacement, or a new prosthesis, is to work with your doctor and your prosthetist to submit a solid claim. If your insurance company refuses to pay, it may be time to speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Amputation Attorney, at 310-385-0567. I am an amputee as well as a personal injury attorney, and I help amputees fight insurance companies that are acting in bad faith. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.