You probably see a lot of people suffer injuries while working in a Texas oil field. The work may be lucrative, but it’s also some of the most dangerous work around.
More than likely, you do whatever you can to reduce your risk of injury, but you could still end up involved in an accident. One of the more catastrophic injuries you could suffer is an amputation. If that happens, there is no such thing as a full recovery since you lost a limb and your life will change forever.
Treatment, rehabilitation and recovery
You will certainly need surgery in the immediate aftermath of your injury. If your surgery goes well and you do not experience any complications, such as an infection, you can move into the rehabilitation phase, which often includes the following assistance:
- Providing emotional support to help you deal with the initial trauma, the amputation and more
- Providing treatments for stump care and the healing of your wound
- Providing nutritional counseling to help you with healing and health
- Improving your motor skills
- Helping you reach maximum independence
- Restoring your ability to perform daily activities
- Exercising to increase muscle control, strength and endurance
- Controlling your pain both post-surgery and for phantom pain
- Adapting your home to provide you maximum independence and mobility
- Fitting you for a prosthesis
- Teaching you how to use your prosthesis
- Teaching you how to use other assistive devices
- Providing vocational counseling
- Educating you and your family regarding life as an amputee
As you can see, you have a long and arduous recovery ahead of you. It will take a village of medical and other personnel to help you achieve these goals and move forward with your life. You could end up going through more than one rehabilitation program, depending on your situation. It’s not hard to see how your recovery and rehabilitation could end up costing you a significant amount of money, and this doesn’t even count your loss of income during this time.
Fortunately, you should have the ability to pursue workers’ compensation benefits to help with your medical expenses. You may also receive a portion of your income for the time you will not work as well. Unfortunately, because of the costs associated with an amputation, your employer and/or the insurer may attempt to limit your benefits, or deny or delay your claim. Adding an attorney to your support group could help make sure you receive the benefits you deserve.