Free consultation with an injury lawyer. Call 412-802-6666, text 412-855-5511, or send us a message.
Losing a limb changes everything. Your recovery should account for all of it.
Since 1997, the attorneys at Flaherty Fardo Rogel & Amick have represented injured people and their families throughout Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. We work closely as one team. Every case that heads toward trial has the whole team behind it.
An amputation affects every part of life: work, family, independence and health. Some people cannot return to their chosen career and must retrain for a new field, often at lower pay. Prosthetic limbs must be fitted, adjusted and replaced over a lifetime. Homes and vehicles may need to be modified. When an amputation is caused by someone else’s negligence, Pennsylvania law allows recovery for all of these losses.
Common Causes
- Car, truck and motorcycle crashes
- Industrial and construction accidents
- Machinery and defective products
- Fireworks and recreational accidents
- Severe dog attacks
- Medical errors, such as infections or circulation problems that were not caught in time (failure to diagnose)
Complications That Follow an Amputation
- Phantom limb pain and nerve pain
- Infection at the amputation site
- Blood clots and circulation problems
- Skin breakdown where a prosthetic fits
- Depression, anxiety and grief
What to Do
- Follow your medical and rehabilitation plan, and keep records of every appointment and expense.
- Preserve evidence. Keep any machine, product or equipment involved, and do not let it be repaired or discarded.
- Track the changes in your work, home life and daily activities.
- Do not accept a quick settlement. The lifetime cost of prosthetics and care is often far larger than people expect.
- Call a lawyer early.
Pennsylvania Rules You Should Know
- No cap on compensatory damages in cases against private parties, such as drivers, businesses and manufacturers.
- Government defendants are different. Claims against government agencies are capped. In Zauflik v. Pennsbury School District (2014), a student lost her leg when a school bus struck a group of students. A jury awarded more than $14 million, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the reduction of that verdict to the $500,000 cap that applies to local agencies.
- Full tort vs. limited tort. If you chose limited tort on your car insurance, you generally cannot recover for pain and suffering unless you suffered a “serious injury,” which Pennsylvania law defines as death, serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement, or another exception applies. Why we recommend full tort.
- Shared fault. You can recover if you were 50% or less at fault. Your award is reduced by your share.
- Deadline. Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. Claims against a government agency, such as a city, township, PennDOT or a transit authority, require written notice within six months, and immunity laws limit some claims.
How We Build Amputation Cases
- Life care plans. We work with life care planners and physicians to set out the cost of prosthetics, replacements, therapy and care over a lifetime.
- Earning capacity. Vocational experts and economists measure the work you can no longer do.
- Find every responsible party, including employers’ contractors, equipment makers and property owners.
- Trial-ready. Insurance companies know we are prepared to try cases to a jury.
What You Can Recover
- Past and future medical expenses
- Prosthetic limbs, fittings and replacements
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity, including retraining
- Pain, suffering, disfigurement and loss of life’s pleasures
Related Cases We Handle
- Serious injuries
- Workplace accidents
- Construction accidents
- Defective products
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Wrongful death
Talk to an Injury Lawyer
Every case starts with a conversation with a lawyer. We will tell you honestly whether you have a case and what it may be worth. Our injury cases are handled by Noah Fardo and Bill Rogel, working with Shawn Flaherty.
Call 412-802-6666 or email Managing Partner Noah Fardo at npf@pghfirm.com. Prefer to text? Use 412-855-5511. More answers: Personal Injury FAQ.
There is no fee unless we obtain a monetary recovery. We advance the case costs and are reimbursed from the client’s share only if we are successful. General information only, not legal advice. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.











