Amputation lawyer Eric Hageman and his team work to make a positive difference in the lives of their clients, winning multimillion-dollar lawsuit settlements and helping them get back on their feet:
- $40+ Million settlement for a client who was so badly burned that the person lost limbs;
- $5 Million settlement for a client who was hit by a semi truck while riding his motorcycle, resulting in a crushed leg that, after several surgeries, needed to be amputated below the knee.
The attorneys at Pritzker Hageman have a reputation for getting things done for their clients. Contact them for a free consultation with the form below.
“The settlement itself happened sooner than we thought. But before it did, there was a really cool wheelchair that I needed and insurance didn’t want to pay for it. Pritzker Hageman attorneys intervened on our behalf and the wheelchair arrived. He wrote a letter explaining why I needed it.”
Client Testimonial
Amputation FAQ
Below are some frequently asked questions and our answers. Please feel free to contact Eric Hageman if you have questions. He will be happy to talk with you and help you understand what needs to be done to protect your legal rights.
How Do I Choose an Amputation Lawyer?
The most important factor in deciding which amputation lawyer to hire is whether he or she has experience winning cases like yours.
Your lawyer will need to investigate your “accident,” hire top-notch experts, analyze evidence, use that evidence to present a winning argument, negotiate and be able to take your case to trial and win. You want a lawyer you can trust, and a huge part of that is knowing that he or she has the skill and experience needed for your case.
Below is an accident reconstruction animation Pritzker Hageman used to win a multi-million-dollar settlement.
Has Your Law Firm Won Over a Million Dollars for a Lost Limb?
Yes, but the results below do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different, and payouts can be limited by state law (for example, dollar limitation on pain and suffering compensation), available insurance money, and other factors.
Lawyers Eric Hageman and Fred Pritzker recovered $6 million for a 26-year-old female passenger whose right leg was traumatically amputated in a motorcycle accident involving a drunk driver and dram shop liability.
They also recovered $3.5 million on behalf of a 39-year-old man whose left leg was amputated below the knee following injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash caused by a defective control mechanism.
Attorney Eric Hageman won $5.1 million for a client whose arm required amputation after he was hit by a semi truck while riding his motorcycle.
How Much is My Amputation Case Worth?
After your amputation, you may be contacted by insurance companies seeking a quick settlement. They will most likely not offer you the amount of compensation you deserve. Do not talk with insurance representatives of the potentially liable parties. Anything you say could be used by the insurance company to pay you less than you should get.
You have lost a limb, and you deserve justice. You won’t get your limb back, so the only way you will get the justice you deserve is to get the most money possible in a lawsuit against all liable parties.
A lawsuit for compensation can include money for the following:
- medical expenses
- lost wages
- lost earning capacity
- disfigurement
- pain and suffering
- emotional distress
- disability
- embarrassment
- loss of quality of life
- other damages.
When our law firm represents amputation victims, we do our own investigation to gather evidence regarding fault, liability and damages (the amount you should be compensated) before we sue. Our goal is to get our clients the most money possible and to thereby hold wrongdoers accountable.
You can contact our law firm for a free consultation by calling toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submitting the firm’s online-consultation form.
Can I Sue for the Loss of a Limb after a Crash?
Yes, you can generally sue for an amputation after a crash if the following applies:
- You lost a limb during the accident or due to an injury you got during the accident;
- The accident was caused by a negligent driver and/or business (for example, a trucking company who hired an unqualified driver to sit behind the wheel of a 80,000-pound 18 wheel semi-trailer).
Can I Sue a Company if Its Product Cut off My Limb?
Yes, you can generally sue a company if its product cut off your limb (arm, hand, finger, leg, foot, toe) or so badly injured your limb that it needed to be amputated if the following can be proved:
- The product was inherently dangerous, defective in design or manufacturing, was sold without adequate warnings, or was sold without adequate instructions.
- Your limb was injured by the product.
- Your limb was amputated because of that injury.
What about Losing a Limb from an Infection?
If a joint (shoulder, knee, hip, elbow, etc.) was injured and a later infection required removal of all or part of a limb, you may have the right to sue whoever was at fault for the initial injury. Many of our cases have involved infections.
In one case, Pritzker Hageman attorneys represented a man whose knee was injured in a motorcycle crash and then went through months of surgeries because of infections. In the end, his leg had to be amputated from the knee down. The infections were a result of the accident, and the eventual amputation was a result of the infections, and thus a result of the accident.
Our attorneys sued the manufacturer of the motorcycle, which had recalled the model driven by our client just days before the crash. The multi-million-dollar settlement paid for all of the surgeries, a state-of-the-art prosthetic leg (and future prosthetics), physical therapy, medical expenses and other damages.
Who Can I Sue?
To determine who you can sue for your loss, our lawyers need to conduct an independent investigation. We look for evidence to determine why and how the incident that led to your amputation happened. The investigation can lead to businesses that were not initially on the radar. For example, a big rig hauling a flatbed trailer piled with logs passes a motorcycle. While passing, a log falls off of the trailer, hits the cyclist and crushes the cyclist’s leg. An investigation may find that a separate company was responsible for loading the logs. If there is evidence that was done negligently, you may be able to sue the company that loaded the logs, the truck driver, a trucking company, and others.
Below are people and companies that you might be able to sue for your amputation, depending on the facts of your case:
- the owner of a vehicle;
- a trucking company;
- an employer;
- the owner of freight being hauled in a tractor trailer;
- the driver of a vehicle;
- a bar, restaurant or other party who sells alcoholic beverages;
- the owner of the property on which you were hurt, e.g. the owner of a construction site or a farm;
- a construction company;
- a doctor, hospital, or other medical professional;
- the manufacturer of a defective product;
- the manufacturer of a drug responsible for your amputation, e.g. a medication that causes gangrene;
- the owner of a dog;
- the person who assaulted you and inflicted injuries that led to amputation.
Generally, the insurers of the the people and companies you sue are contractually obligated to pay you the compensation agreed to in a settlement or awarded to you by a jury.
What is Traumatic Amputation?
Traumatic amputation is the loss of a body part (finger, toe, arm or leg) caused by a trauma, generally a traffic accident, but other cases involve a defective produce (product liability), a botched surgery (medical malpractice), a dog attack, or an assault by a human. The context of the injury is critical in knowing who to sue, where to sue and how to get the most money.
Resources
National Amputation Foundation: This foundation was founded in 1919 by a group of amputee veterans who suffered the loss of limb or limbs in the service of our country in World War I. It now helps all people with amputations.
Amputee Coalition of America: The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA), the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) and Hanger Orthopedic recently partnered to bring together amputees and advocates from across the country. The purpose was to ensure that congressional efforts to reform our healthcare system will meet the needs of people with limb loss by including prosthetic and orthotic devices in the minimum coverage standards.