Costs Associated With an Amputation

October 10, 2009

There are financial, physical and emotional costs that are likely to be associated with any amputation.

October 10, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Costs Associated with an Amputation

Article provided by Ryan A. Foster & Associates, PLLC
Visit us at http://www.ryanafosterandassociates.com

Financial Costs
There are financial, physical and emotional costs that are likely to be associated with any amputation. Medical care costs typically start before the amputation is performed but they do not usually stop after the procedure. Ongoing medical care costs are common with amputations. Often times medical care costs associated with an amputation may last for the duration of an amputee's life. Further, rehabilitation and maintenance may also be required.

In many cases, an amputee will require a prosthetic in order to compensate for the loss. Prosthetics can cost from $8,000 to over $100,000 depending on the circumstances of the amputee's case. Insurance and health care plans often times do not cover the entire costs associated with a prosthetic. Further, prosthetics are typically not a one time occurrence. On the contrary, is it very common for an amputee to need to replace his or her prosthetic multiple times over their lifetime.

In addition to the medical care costs, amputees are often times faced with challenges in the work place. Optimally, the amputation will have no affect on a worker's ability to do their job. However, in some cases an amputee may not be able to perform the required tasks for their job due to their amputation. In this situation, the best-case scenario is that an employer may choose to reassign the person who has had an amputation to a new job. This is another cost to amputees because this may have an impact of reducing the likelihood of advancement within their employer's company and also may have a negative impact on their overall pay. In the worst-case scenario, the employer elects to terminate the amputee which of course, would eliminate the worker's pay altogether. (if this has happened to you or someone you know please contact us)

Other financial costs that can be overlooked with amputees is the costs that are necessary to conduct their daily lives in an ordinary fashion. For example, someone who has had an amputation of one, or both, of their legs may need to use a wheel chair for part, or all, of the day. When this occurs, the amputee will need to make additions or changes to their residence in order to accommodate their wheel chair. Ramps, wider halls, and lower sinks are just a few accommodations that may be necessary.

Insurance and Workers Compensation Will Not Cover All Costs
In all but a few states, these costs exceed far more than insurance will cover (if insurance covers anything at all), and families dealing with amputation turn to other sources of compensation to help with the financial burden. Further, workers compensation and disability schemes are not designed to fully compensate amputees for their costs and losses. None of these insurance based systems are designed to cover pain and suffering, mental anguish and often times they do not fully cover all financial losses. However, other compensation options do exist for amputees.

Article provided by Ryan A. Foster & Associates, PLLC. Our Houston personal injury lawyers and staff have the knowledge and experience to thoroughly analyze and evaluate your case.

Visit us at http://www.ryanafosterandassociates.com

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