Amputation after an accident in Tempe: what care, costs and rights to know about
Call 911 right away. A severed body part can sometimes be reattached. If a job in Tempe caused it, the employer has 24 hours to report the amputation to ADOSH, whose Phoenix office answers at (602) 542-5795. For a claim, Arizona's usual lawsuit deadline is 2 years, and 180 days if a public body is involved.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (30)
What should happen right after an amputation in Tempe?
- Call 911. Tempe Fire Medical Rescue responds, and the patient care report can later be requested through JustFOIA or at 480-858-7262.
- Tell responders a part was severed, because reattachment is sometimes possible.
- Expect transport to a trauma center. Tempe has none on the state list, so the nearest Level I is Banner Desert in Mesa, with Valleywise and Chandler Regional also listed.
- Ask family to write down names and times. Records can be requested later.
What is life like after limb loss?
Hard at first, and then different. Sadness, anger and frustration are common. Phantom limb sensation, feeling that the limb is still there, is also normal.
A prosthesis is usually fitted once the wound is mostly healed. Most people go on to stay active after limb loss. If the weight of it all feels like too much, Tempe's CARE 7 team offers free, confidential support, with a CARE & HOPE line at 480-350-8004.
Who pays for a prosthetic leg or arm in Tempe?
| Source | What it may cover | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Part B | Prosthetic devices a provider orders | You pay 20% after the deductible |
| Workers' comp | Schedule benefit: 50 months for a leg, 60 for a major arm and 50 for a minor arm | Only for work injuries |
| At-fault party's insurance | Future prosthetics can be part of a claim | Depends on the policy limit |
Prostheses wear out and bodies change, so a good claim counts replacements over a lifetime. A study that followed injured limbs found projected lifetime health-care costs of $509,275 for amputation, in 2002 dollars. That was three times the cost of reconstruction.
What if I lost a limb at work in Tempe?
Workers' comp is generally your only claim against your employer. But if an outside company caused it, such as a machine maker or another contractor, you may have a separate claim.
Watch one trap. If you do not sue the outside party within 1 year, the claim can pass to the comp insurer. ASU workers, including student workers, are covered by comp. The state's early reporting line is 1-800-837-8583.
How does an Arizona claim count future care?
Jurors are told to include past and reasonably probable future medical costs, lost earnings, and past and future pain, disability, disfigurement and anxiety. The state constitution bars any limit on injury damages, so the law does not cap what a prosthesis claim can include.
Medicare recovers its payments from liability claims. Fault is shared by percent. If a city caused it, the notice goes to the City Clerk's Office on the Notice of Claim Form within 180 days.
Questions
Do I have to decide on a lawyer right away?
No. Deal with care first. Just keep the deadlines in mind. A claim against a public body is 180 days, and most lawsuits are due in 2 years.
Does a work amputation need a report?
Yes. The employer has 24 hours to call ADOSH in Phoenix, at (602) 542-5795 or toll free at (855) 268-5251.
Can I recover costs for a phantom limb?
Pain and treatment tied to the injury can be part of a claim. Phantom sensations are common after limb loss.
Amputation in Tempe? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (30)
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “the part sometimes can be reattached”
- ADOSH, checked 2026-11-08. “All work-related fatalities within 8 hours following the incident.”
- ADOSH, checked 2026-11-08. “Toll Free: (855) 268-5251”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- Medicare.gov, checked 2026-11-09. “Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers prosthetic devices when a doctor or other health care provider orders them”
- Medicare.gov, checked 2026-11-09. “you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount”
- A.R.S. § 23-1044, checked 2026-11-09. “For the loss of a leg, fifty months.”
- Tempe Fire Medical Rescue, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Record requests by phone 480-858-7262”
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 South Dobson Rd., Meza, AZ 85202 06/10/24 06/10/27”
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-09. “Valleywise Health 2601 E. Roosevelt, Phoenix, AZ 85008”
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-09. “1955 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Sadness, anger, and frustration are common.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “you may feel as if the limb is still there”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Fitting for a prosthesis, a manmade part to replace your limb, may occur when your wound is mostly healed and the surrounding area is no longer tender to the touch.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Most people can still be active following amputation.”
- City of Tempe, CARE 7 Victim Services, checked 2026-11-08. “Call the CARE & HOPE line 480-350-8004”
- A.R.S. § 23-1044, checked 2026-11-09. “For the loss of a major arm, sixty months, or of a minor arm, fifty months.”
- PubMed (NIH), MacKenzie et al., J Bone Joint Surg Am 2007, checked 2026-11-09. “The projected lifetime health-care cost for the patients who had undergone amputation was three times higher than that for those treated with reconstruction ($509,275 and $163,282, respectively).”
- A.R.S. 23-1022, checked 2026-11-09. “is the exclusive remedy against the employer or any co-employee acting in the scope of his employment”
- A.R.S. 23-1023, checked 2026-11-09. “by the negligence or wrong of another person not in the same employ”
- A.R.S. 23-1023, checked 2026-11-09. “by instituting an action within one year after the cause of action accrues”
- ASU, Post-incident Reporting, checked 2026-11-08. “The claim must be made within 24 hours. 1-800-837-8583”
- Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “Reasonable expenses for necessary medical care, treatment, and services already incurred and reasonably probable to be incurred in the future.”
- Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “Lost earnings to date, and any decrease in earning power or capacity in the future.”
- Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “The pain, discomfort, suffering, disability, disfigurement, and anxiety already experienced, and reasonably probable to be experienced in the future.”
- Arizona Constitution, art. 18, sec. 6, checked 2026-11-09. “the amount recovered shall not be subject to any statutory limitation”
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, checked 2026-11-09. “claims where the beneficiary must repay Medicare”
- A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
- City of Tempe, Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “claims must be filed with the City Clerk's Office within 180 days after the cause of action accrues”