Find an amputation injury lawyer in Austin: care, support and deadlines

In Austin, adults with traumatic limb loss go to Dell Seton, a Level I trauma center. If it happened at work, the employer has 24 hours to report the amputation to OSHA, and OSHA's Austin office answers at (512) 374-0271. Texas gives you 2 years to sue, and a City of Austin claim needs a letter in 45 days.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (44)

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Employers must report a work amputation to OSHA in 24 hours. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What happens first after a traumatic amputation in Austin?

Call 911. A severed part sometimes can be reattached, so ask the responders how to carry it. Dell Seton Medical Center is Austin's adult Level I trauma center, and Dell Children's is the only children's hospital in Central Texas with a Level I designation.

Severe trauma to the limb can cause an amputation. A prosthesis fitting comes later, once the wound is mostly healed. Most people can still be active.

Where can you get emotional support in Austin after limb loss?

Austin gives you a place to take the sadness, anger and frustration that follow limb loss. You do not have to wait for a crisis to call. Integral Care offers support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone and in the community. The number is 512-472-HELP (512-472-4357). Services are available regardless of ability to pay and in many languages.

Phantom sensations, the feeling that the limb is still there, are common, and they slowly get weaker. Skin problems can come with an artificial limb, so report them early.

Who pays for a prosthetic limb in Austin?

SourceWhat it may coverLimit
Medicare Part BProsthetic devices a provider ordersYou pay 20 percent after the deductible; some lower-limb prosthetics may need prior authorization
Workers' compMedical care for a work injuryNeeds an employer with coverage; 24% of Texas employers had none in 2024
Auto policyPersonal injury protection pays reasonable expensesUninsured motorist coverage helps if the other driver has too little
LawsuitFuture care, if another party was at faultTexas medical recovery is limited to amounts paid or owed

A study of limb injuries (LEAP, published in 2007, in 2002 dollars) projected lifetime health-care cost of $509,275 after amputation. Two-year costs were $91,106. Your costs will differ, so ask your doctor and prosthetist for a written plan.

What if the amputation happened at work in Austin?

The 24-hour amputation report to OSHA is the employer's duty, not yours. In Austin, OSHA's Area Office is at 1033 La Posada Dr., Suite 375, and the line there is (512) 374-0271. The state's Division of Workers' Compensation has an Austin office at 1601 Congress Ave., and the help line is 800-252-7031, option 1.

  • Tell your employer within 30 days.
  • File the DWC claim within one year.
  • If the employer has no comp, you can sue, but you must prove negligence.
  • Texas lists loss of both feet, or one foot and one hand, as qualifying for lifetime income benefits.

The Office of Injured Employee Counsel offers free help at 866-393-6432.

How do you get around Austin after losing a leg?

You may be able to apply for CapMetro Access, a shared-ride service for riders whose disabilities keep them off the regular bus and rail. The agency says a disability alone does not make you eligible.

How long do you have to file an amputation claim in Austin?

Two years to sue in Texas. A City of Austin claim letter is due in 45 days, to P.O. Box 1546 or [email protected]. Other governments allow 6 months. Texas lists mental anguish, disfigurement and physical impairment as separate damages. You recover nothing if you are more than 50 percent at fault.

Questions

Can a child who loses a limb sue later?

For a child's own claim, the clock is paused while the child is a minor. A city claim letter still needs its own notice.

Does Medicare get repaid from a settlement?

Yes. Yes. If Part B paid for your prosthetic or hospital care, that money comes back out of a settlement.

What if my employer has no workers' comp?

You can sue, and it generally cannot blame you for the injury.

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Sources (44)

  1. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “DELL SETON MEDICAL CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 10/1/2028 O AUSTIN 78701”
  2. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “An in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss must be reported within 24 hours.”
  3. OSHA, Texas area offices, checked 2026-11-08. “(512) 374-0271”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. City of Austin, File a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “You must send this letter within 45 days of the incident.”
  6. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “the part sometimes can be reattached”
  7. CapMetro, Access, checked 2026-11-09. “Access is a demand-response, shared-ride service for people whose disabilities prevent them from riding our other bus and rail services.”
  8. CapMetro, Eligibility, checked 2026-11-09. “The presence of a disability or a disabling health condition by itself does not make an individual eligible for Access service.”
  9. Integral Care, Crisis Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Call 512-472-HELP (512-472-4357)”
  10. Dell Children's Medical Center, Pediatric trauma care, checked 2026-11-09. “is the only children’s hospital in Central Texas with a Level I Trauma Center designation by the American College of Surgeons.”
  11. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Severe trauma to the limb caused by an accident”
  12. 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.”
  13. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Most people can still be active following amputation.”
  14. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Sadness, anger, and frustration are common.”
  15. Integral Care, Crisis Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Integral Care offers mental health crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the phone and in the community.”
  16. Integral Care, Crisis Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Services are available regardless of ability to pay and can be provided in many languages.”
  17. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “you may feel as if the limb is still there”
  18. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “These phantom sensations slowly get weaker.”
  19. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Other physical problems include surgical complications and skin problems if you wear an artificial limb”
  20. Medicare.gov, checked 2026-11-09. “Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers prosthetic devices when a doctor or other health care provider orders them”
  21. Medicare.gov, checked 2026-11-09. “you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount”
  22. Medicare.gov, checked 2026-11-09. “Some states may require prior authorization for certain types of lower-limb prosthetics before Medicare will pay.”
  23. Texas Department of Insurance, 2024 Biennial Report snapshot, checked 2026-11-08. “In 2024, the percentage of employers that were non-subscribers was the lowest since 2016, at 24%”
  24. Texas Insurance Code 1952.151, checked 2026-11-09. “provide for payment to the named insured in the policy, members of the insured's household”
  25. Texas Insurance Code 1952.101, checked 2026-11-09. “protects insureds who are legally entitled to recover from owners or operators of uninsured or underinsured motor vehicles”
  26. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105, checked 2026-11-09. “recovery of medical or health care expenses incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant”
  27. 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).”
  28. PubMed (NIH), MacKenzie et al., J Bone Joint Surg Am 2007, checked 2026-11-09. “$81,316 for patients treated with reconstruction and $91,106 for patients treated with amputation”
  29. OSHA, Texas area offices, checked 2026-11-08. “1033 La Posada Dr., Suite 375 Austin, TX 78752-3832”
  30. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC contacts, checked 2026-11-08. “Barbara Jordan Building 1601 Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78701”
  31. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC contacts, checked 2026-11-08. “Call and speak to a customer assistant at 800-252-7031, option 1.”
  32. Tex. Lab. Code § 409.001(a), checked 2026-11-08. “shall notify the employer of the employee of an injury not later than the 30th day after the date on which: (1) the injury occurs;”
  33. Tex. Lab. Code § 409.003, checked 2026-11-08. “shall file with the division a claim for compensation for an injury not later than one year after the date on which: (1) the injury occurred;”
  34. Tex. Lab. Code § 406.033(a), (d), checked 2026-11-08. “it is not a defense that: (1) the employee was guilty of contributory negligence; (2) the employee assumed the risk of injury or death; or (3) the injury or death was caused by the negligence of a fellow employee. [...] the plaintiff must prove negligence of the employer or of an agent or servant of the employer”
  35. Texas Labor Code § 408.161, checked 2026-11-09. “loss of both feet at or above the ankle”
  36. Texas Labor Code § 408.161, checked 2026-11-09. “loss of one foot at or above the ankle and the loss of one hand at or above the wrist”
  37. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Ombudsman Services, checked 2026-11-08. “PO Box 12876, Austin, TX 78711-2876 | 866-393-6432”
  38. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Ombudsman Services, checked 2026-11-08. “All OIEC services, including ombudsman services, are provided at no cost.”
  39. City of Austin, File a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “City of Austin Law Department - Claims P.O. Box 1546 Austin, TX 78767-1546”
  40. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  41. Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.001(12), checked 2026-11-09. “physical pain and suffering, mental or emotional pain or anguish, loss of consortium, disfigurement, physical impairment”
  42. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 33.001, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  43. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.001, checked 2026-11-09. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  44. CMS, checked 2026-11-09. “because it must be repaid to Medicare when a beneficiary receives a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment”

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