Some workplace accidents will result in amputation. This is a risk when people work with heavy machinery, for example, and they can become entangled in it. It can also be a problem with hydraulic presses and other types of powerful tools.
If this happens, and the person does make a physical recovery, they may still have to deal with phantom limb syndrome. This condition means that they’re still going to feel some sensations, and possibly pain, in the limb that was lost. It is no longer there, but they will have times in which they feel like it is. Pain can be the most problematic because there is no way to actually treat or relieve it.
You can imagine how complicated and confusing this can be. Not only is someone trying to adjust to their new life, but they have to deal with the psychological aspect of phantom limb syndrome. If they’re having consistent pain, it can also be highly detrimental to their life and may keep them out of work.
Traumatic amputation tends to start it
This syndrome is not incredibly well understood, in terms of why it happens to some people and not others, but there has been evidence that a traumatic amputation is a risk factor. In other words, someone who undergoes an expected surgery to remove a limb may be less likely to have phantom limb syndrome than someone who experiences a workplace accident.
What are your options?
If you have suffered a serious injury like this on the job, especially if you have extended complications that are keeping you out of work, it’s incredibly important for you to know what legal options you have.
