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Written on 29th August 2018 by Susan Brown

Amputations are more common than you might think. The recent GIRFT report on vascular surgery puts the current number of lower limb amputations performed on the NHS each year at around 8,000, with an associated mortality rate of 7.5%. The good news is that with awareness, self-care and proper medical care, many amputations are preventable. For those whose avoidable amputations were caused by medical, employer or other road user negligence, financial help may be available through a legal claim.

Boyes Turner’s experienced amputation lawyers regularly help amputees restore their mobility and independence by securing funding to pay for rehabilitation, essential prosthetics, home adaptations and essential care and domestic assistance. Where the amputee is unable to return to their former employment, we can help alleviate the financial hardship that arises from their loss of earnings.

We asked our amputation specialist lawyers to tell us the most common causes of avoidable amputations which can give rise to a compensation claim:

Traumatic injury

Trauma, such as farm or factory accidents, where the injury arose as a result of unsafe working conditions or in an unsafe environment for visitors or children, are common causes of amputation claims against the employer or owner of the premises.

Road traffic accidents give rise to claims where a pedestrian, a cyclist, passenger in a car or taxi, pillion passenger on a motorbike or a bicycle, or another driver has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligent driving.

Complications of diabetes

With Type 2 diabetes on the increase, diabetes-related amputations are now performed at an alarming rate of 20 each day in England. Four out of five diabetes-related amputations are preventable, arising from minor foot conditions such as cuts, blisters, foot ulcers or sprains which develop into more serious infections or deformities such as Charcot foot.

Diabetes can lead to reduced blood circulation and loss of sensation in the sufferer’s feet, which means that they might not feel a blister or small cut until it has become infected or formed an ulcer. They might continue to walk on a sprained ankle until it develops signs of Charcot foot.

Diabetics and their health carers can reduce their risk of lower limb amputation by carrying out regular visual checks of their feet, promptly treating any signs of injury – cuts, blisters, discharge or oozing, redness, warmth or swelling – with rest, antibiotics if needed, and referral to foot care specialists.

Peripheral ischaemia

Peripheral ischaemia – a serious condition in which narrowing or blockage of the arteries restricts blood flow to a limb – was listed in a recent report on rising litigation costs by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) as one of the top five areas of substantial claims in GP practice.

If peripheral ischaemia is unrecognised or left untreated it can lead to ulcers, gangrene and amputation. Diabetics, smokers and sufferers of coronary artery disease are at increased risk, regardless of age, but 20% of adults over the age of 60 are believed to have some degree of peripheral artery disease.

Ischaemia to a limb can also be caused by surgical errors, such as mismanaged peri-operative anti-coagulation where the patient is known to be at risk of thrombosis or surgical injury to the popliteal artery.

If you have suffered an amputation or a serious injury with future risk of amputation as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact us on mednegclaims@boyesturner.com.