‘Are there ten fingers?’ This is one of the first questions mothers and relatives ask when a child is born. It’s a sign of good health and the ability to carry out day to day tasks.
Unfortunatly, fingers like any other body part can be amputated or injured. This can be traumatizing. However, when you’ve healed from your injuries, it’s time to seek compensation.
Common Finger Injuries and their Causes
The fingers, though different in size and shape, are all made up of five bones. These indlue: the distal phalanges, intermediate phalanges, proximal phalanges, metacarpals and carpals. Between the bones of the finger are interphalangeal joints. Common injuries that can occur to fingers include:
- Lacerations or cuts
These usually involve only the soft tissue. They often result in minor injuries that can heal on their own. Deep cuts or lacerations that result in damage of tendons, nerves or blood vessels are more serious and difficult to deal with. They may require surgical intervention.
- Avulsion
This occurs when some of the skin or soft tissue on the finger is ripped off.
- Fingernail injuries
These injuries may include the removal of the entire nail or nail bed or damage to the nail.
- Amputation – complete or partial amputation of the finger
This occurs when the finger or part of the finger is sliced off. The severity of the injury depends on the amount of the finger that is amputated. Therefore, a person whose entire finger was sliced or ripped off will have a higher pain and suffering component than for someone who just had the tip of their finger sliced off.
- Bone fractures – broken finger bones
These involve breaking of a bone or several bones in the finger. These injuries are often accompanied by soft tissue injuries. Finger fractures typically require a splint and time to heal. However, in some cases, surgery may be required.
- Nerve injuries
Nerve damage often results in severe pain and may cause a permanent disability due to the diminishment of your ability to use your fingers and hands.
Finger injuries are common in workers’ compensation claims, but may also arise in motor vehicle accident lawsuits and product liability litigation.
What to do after a finger injury
If you’ve been injured, it is important to seek medical attention unless it is a minor cut or laceration. We often don’t realize just how important our fingers are for carrying out daily tasks until they are injured or worse: gone.
What is the value of your finger injury?
According to the blog of The Law Firm of John M. Hochfelder, pain and suffering awards in finger amputation cases range between $85,000 and $2,000,000 in New York. This blog post described a case involving an individual who lost three fingers and had damage to another finger and his thumb after attempting to remove lawn clippings from a Black & Decker lawn mower. He was awarded $2 million in pain and suffering damages by a jury.
Another blog post referenced an $8,000,000 verdict for an individual who had three fingers amputated by a conveyor belt. This victim had to undergo twelve surgeries to try to repair the damage.
Awards for finger injury cases vary depending on various factors including:
- The severity of the injury
- Whether the injury will result in a permanent or temporary disability
- Your occupation
- Loss of wages
- Your age
- The cost of treatment and other related expenses
The value of a finger injury in a personal injury lawsuit or a workers compensation claim also will vary depending on which finger (or fingers) are amputated or lose function. Typically, the loss or loss of use of your index finger or your middle finger is worth more than a similar injury to your pinky or ring finger.
If you or someone you know has sustained a finger injury as a result of the negligence of another party, contact an experienced personal injury attorney for assistance.
