Hundreds of Millions Won for Life-Changing Injuries
An amputation is a catastrophic injury that can permanently affect mobility, employment, independence, and daily life. At Frischhertz & Impastato, we represent people with serious injuries, including amputations, and pursue compensation that accounts for both your immediate losses and your long-term needs.
Our attorneys bring more than 85 years of combined experience to personal injury cases. We work collaboratively, drawing on varied backgrounds to provide unique insights and personalized attention to each client.
We’ve recovered more than $700 million for injured clients and their families, including a $37 million jury verdict involving an above-the-knee amputation. Past results don’t guarantee a particular outcome, but they do reflect our experience with complex catastrophic injury cases.
Speak with an amputation lawyer in New Orleans about your legal options. Call (504) 276-6962 to discuss your injury with us.
How Amputations Reshape Daily Life
A traumatic amputation is one that occurs during an accident or another injuring event. A surgical amputation may become necessary after severe limb damage or complications from an injury. Whether a legal claim exists depends on the circumstances of the incident that led to the injury, including any unsafe condition, negligent conduct, workplace event, or medical issue connected to the loss.
Long-term needs commonly evaluated after an amputation include:
Prosthetic devices, replacement components, and related medical care
Physical rehabilitation and assistance with mobility
Changes to a home or vehicle to accommodate physical limitations
Long-term treatment, support services, or in-home nursing care, when medically supported
New Orleans is home to maritime commerce, industrial facilities, and substantial traffic, all of which can present catastrophic injury risks. Identifying the applicable legal framework requires examining where the incident happened, what caused it, and the injured person’s work or vessel status.
Compensation for the Lasting Effects of Limb Loss
Every claim has a different value. Available compensation may account for past care and future medical expenses, along with the ongoing costs of rehabilitation, equipment, and necessary assistance. Medical evidence and informed projections are important because these needs may change over a person’s lifetime.
Economic losses may include missed wages and loss of earning capacity, meaning a reduction in the person’s ability to earn income in the future. This analysis may consider the person’s occupation, physical limitations, education, work history, and reasonable employment prospects.
Other damages that may be evaluated include:
Pain and suffering associated with the injury and treatment
Emotional distress arising from permanent physical changes
Loss of enjoyment of life and restrictions on former activities
Home and vehicle modifications connected to mobility needs
Life care planning is a structured assessment of anticipated care, rehabilitation, equipment, and support needs over time. When appropriate, this analysis can document the future expenses included in a catastrophic injury claim. If an injury proves fatal, eligible family members may also have a wrongful death claim, depending on the facts and governing law.
What to Expect After Contacting an Amputation Lawyer
An initial consultation begins with a discussion of how the injury occurred and the immediate concerns facing the injured person and/or their family. Accident reports, medical records, employment information, photographs, and insurance communications can help clarify the circumstances.
The next step involves identifying potentially responsible parties and determining which laws apply. For example, a vehicle collision may raise civil negligence issues, while an injury connected to employment or maritime work may involve different statutes, benefits, and filing requirements.
Medical records document the physical harm, but a claim involving limb loss requires a broader picture. Information about income loss, prosthetic needs, rehabilitation, mobility accommodations, and future care can shape which damages are sought and the overall value of the claim. Victims and/or family members can also preserve records of expenses and practical changes caused by the injury.
Discuss Your New Orleans Amputation Claim with Our Legal Team Today
We offer free consultations to people and families seeking answers after an amputation accident. There are no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you, so you can ask questions about a potential claim and get the information you need to move forward without worrying about upfront attorney costs.
You can reach our New Orleans amputation attorneys by calling our office or by submitting a secure contact form. We’ll listen to what happened, review the available information, and discuss the legal paths that may be available to you.
Call (504) 276-6962 to request your free consultation with Frischhertz & Impastato.
Louisiana Laws That Affect Amputation Claims
Several legal frameworks may apply after an amputation, each with distinct rules regarding fault, benefits, and filing deadlines. The date and location of the injury, the injured person’s employment status, and the circumstances of the incident can determine which rules control.
Amputation Injury Lawsuit Deadlines
In Louisiana, you typically have two years from the date of injury to file most personal injury claims if the injury occurred on or after July 1, 2024. Injuries that occurred before that date may remain subject to the previous one-year period. Other deadlines or notice requirements can apply under particular statutes, so the injury date and potential claim type should be reviewed promptly.
Comparative Negligence
Louisiana’s modified comparative negligence rule may permit recovery when an injured person is less than 51% responsible. Any compensation can be reduced according to that person’s assigned percentage of fault. How this rule applies depends on the incident date, the evidence, and the governing law.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Louisiana workers’ compensation law provides benefits for certain amputations and permanent partial disabilities. These benefits are generally calculated at two-thirds of wages for a period set by statute, subject to applicable limits and eligibility requirements.
The statutory schedule lists the following periods:
Loss of a hand: 150 weeks
Loss of an arm: 200 weeks
Loss of a foot: 125 weeks
Loss of a leg: 175 weeks
An amputation between the elbow and wrist is treated as loss of a hand under the schedule. An amputation between the knee and ankle is treated as loss of a foot. Loss of specified combinations of limbs or eyes may constitute permanent total disability when the statutory earning-capacity standard is also satisfied.
Maritime Amputation Injuries
A seaman who suffers an amputation may have a claim under the Jones Act, a federal law that permits qualifying seamen to pursue employers for negligence. A seaman may also seek maintenance and cure, which generally addresses basic living expenses and necessary medical treatment during recovery, subject to the governing facts and law.
Dockworkers, shipyard workers, and many workers on fixed platforms may instead fall under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Worker classification and the location and nature of the job are central to determining whether that federal framework applies.
A compilation of the Frischhertz & Impastato attorneys and staff at work and interacting with clients.
Before You Sign AnythingThat Settlement Offer Isn't Their Final OneIt's Their First One
Adjusters open low on purpose, betting you won't push back. We push back for a living. Let us look at the offer before you accept it — it costs nothing, and it might be the most valuable five minutes you spend on this case.
